(idea/written: 1990)
Vad's Escape
He fired as I leapt out the third story window overlooking the busy market. The window frame exploded behind me as I cursed the brief moments it took me to fall the 6 or so meters to the street below. Having flipped over from my dive, I hit the ground running a serpentine course around the Turkish venders. The sounds of a jeep starting up behind me.
Feeling exposed in the rapidly clearing street, I bashed my way through the venders towards a side alley not big enough for the rapidly nearing jeep.
Dashing into the opening, I tripped over a gunman hiding there. Not having time to mess around with the gunman, and with the jeep screeching to a halt in front of the alley, I dropped a smoke grenade and jumped back into reverse hand spring. The grenade exploding into a thick, dark rolling cloud as I completed the hand spring.
As my feet touch the ground I lunged forward in high jump towards the jeep.
Beneath me the gunman screamed in fear as the glowing tracers from the jeeps 50 calibre cut the smoke above him.
I came out of the smoking alley high and fast, caught the jeep gunner in the chest with my feet and send him flying across the street. Spinning on my left heal in the back of the jeep I shattered the firing mechanism of the 50 calibre with a swift kick. The follow through dislocated the right arm of the drive as it sent him flying out of the jeep.
Dropping some Pocket Lightning in the drivers seat, I jumped for cover behind a cart turned over on its side. A flash lit the market harshly, even though it was nearly noon without a cloud in the sky. The thunder that followed blew out every window in the area and nearly disintegrated the cart I was behind.
Taking advantage of the chaos around me, I ran back to the restaurant I had just been flushed from. Hoping that things on Nali's and Janice's end hadn't fallen so completely apart as mine. I went through the building quickly, grabbing my rifle and jet pack. Nali was out back firing his rifle high at the windows, Janice low into the fortified structure of the Turkish Imperial Police station.
A heavy volume of fire was being returned despite this. Over the sounds of the battle I heard the roar of an aerial tank. Signaling a withdraw, I triggered the jet pack in my had and let it loose. It made it to about the top of the station and was promptly destroyed by a laser strike.
Not able to go back, forward or up we split up left and right. Janice picked me up with one arm triggering her jet pack and flew us out, hugging the ground as I reminded the Imperials to keep their heads down.
The alley we were in took a sharp turn back into the open market I had just closed down a few moment ago. As we came out of the alley, Janice's jet pack took a hit and we hit the ground fast and hard, our Flakjak's saving us the expected road rash.
Tumbling to a stop in the middle of the market, Janice tossed an assortment of grenades into the alleyway we just came from. As they detonated we took cover behind the same cart that had protected me just moments before. The aerial tank arrived in the market with a shudder as it landed. I fired my rifle in a long burst at the open end of the cannon barrel as Janice tossed some Pocket Lightning onto the tank.
Nali swooped down and picked us up, one in each arm, as the Lightning went off.
The impact of Nali picking me up dislodging my rifle. Grabbing Janice’s pistol from her holster I began adding its fire to that coming from my own directing it at the Turkish Imperial Police that pouring out of the alley.
I noticed that Janice was firing into the air as a flash of a laser exploded the brick of the building that Nali was hugging as he raced down the market toward the city core. Another flash of laser light and more brick hit us.
I finally saw what Janice was firing at. A Buzzboy. A flying suit of armor with the rotors of a helicopter and the fire power of a small tank. The Buzzboy dipped in close to the buildings and with a contempt well founded, proceeded to slice its main rotor through the weak structure of loose brick and wood. Still more flashes of laser.
Nali jooked and dipped and twisted, saving us from a quick death but making it exceedingly difficult to get any of our shots to land on the Buzzboy. Nali let loose a pair of floater flares and cut out his jet pack, kicking it back in just a we hit ground. Letting go of Janice and I, he took off like a missile to engage the Buzzboy.
Janice toss me her clips for the pistol and as I reloaded the pistols she blew out a power pole effectively blocking passage by foot from the market to our location with the arcing electrical lines. Looking up as shadow passed over us, I saw an aerial tank come of the low buildings. I shoved Janice towards a doorway and dove for cover behind a van. The ground shuddered as the tank landed in the street. The van rock as holes the size of grapefruit started to appear on its sides.
Janice fired at the tank, giving me some covering fire to make my way to another vehicle, not forgetting to drop a smoke grenade. The van went up as a round from the tank ignited the fuel tank of the van. All was quiet for a moment.
Slipping out from cover I charged the tank and tossed a HE grenade down the cannon barrel after which I retreated back to my cover.
A series of explosions cause a minor tremor in the ground. I risked a look and saw smoke leaking from the tank. I stood up in plain view of tank. So far so good.
Then I saw Janice.
She was crumple up in front of the wreckage of the van, some blood beginning to pool up near her stomach. I ran over to her, pulling out my medkit as I ran.
Kneeling down, I brushed hair from her face. Her eye were full of fear as they met mine.
I saw that a piece of the van had tore at her throat, muting any cry that might have come. Janice gently, carefully took my hand and guided it to feel her back.
She winced as I touched her. Even without looking, I knew that her back was badly broken, probably from being slammed into the door frame due to the explosion of the van. She was hurt to badly to move quickly and would probably die if I tried.
I looked back at her face and met her eyes. She knew. She knew I couldn’t move her without killing her. She knew that leaving her would be condemning her to a cruel interrogation. She reached out slowly and took my pistol from its holster and put it in my hand.
I didn’t move, just stared at it in my hand.
I looked back at her, the fear still in her eyes. Janice mouthed the word ‘please’.
She guided my gun to the side of her head, her hand trembling.
I nodded.
Janice closed her eye and took a breath.
I pulled the trigger and heard a scream. It took me a moment to realize that it wasn’t me. I looked up and saw Nali just hanging in the air screaming and staring at Janice. Then our eyes locked and I saw the hatred. The moment broke and Nali went back to fighting with the Buzzboy. I felt a tug on my arm and looked down at Janice, terrified that she might still be alive and suffering. I saw my arm laying on her body.
I don’t remember how we got out of Turkey.
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The Runner's Game
In the mid 1970's the Canadian government created the Special Emergency Response Team. SERT was a ultra-secret counter terrorist response group that trained separately from and drew it's membership from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
During the Separation Riots of 1997, SERT teams infiltrated Quebec HQ's, effectively removing the leadership of Canada's Separatist Movement. When Washington and Oregon states declared independence, the Canadian government used a SERT team to coerce the new government of the break-away states into joining the Canadian Confederacy. No hint of this was allowed.
Over the next 75 years the Canadian government added Alaska, Greenland, Iceland and the Chukchi Peninsula. During this time the SERT's program was extended, what was once merely a highly trained terrorist response team became the rumored Polar Bears.
Gene and bio-electronically enhanced, they were trained from childhood in the arts of war and espionage. They usurped their ursine namesakes as the most dangerous land mammals. In the 100 years of its existence the SERT's program accepted no defeats.
Except one, me. Divad Tragreb.
They didn't accept it easily though.
It took a few lumps.
It was a crisp, clean morning early in September when I decided to leave. My team was to be on training maneuvers that day in the Rocky Mountains of BC, Survival Training. Lot's of fun. We left the Hide Out, sorry, the Weapons R&D
Base just outside Hamilton back East about 11 p.m. and arrived at the dispersal station around 2:30 am. From there we were dropped at various locations, no closer than 10 kilometers from another team mate. This was both good and bad for my escape/desertion as while it was a full field kit exercise, my team mates would be actively searching for each other, this included finding their group commander, me. And I didn't want to be found.
Ever.
You see, I believe that it is wrong to kill and its kind of hard to do what 'THEY'
want me to do without being prepared to do so. Now what was I to do? Go up to my commanding officer and say 'Sorry'? Right. After much soul wrenching thought, I decided that I would just have to leave, but this would mean that I could never go back, to my friends, to my group. To my wife.
A big price but I could not kill. No, I could kill since I certainly knew how but I would not kill, never. No matter what the price.
Damn.
Anyway, I was dropped off at the top of a mountain for some dumb reason that I've yet to understand, maybe someone's idea of a joke. Not much of a problem but uncomfortable since all of my exposed skin immediately matched the temperature of that mountain top. Cold!
With a jet pack a man can fly, but flying makes you a target for anyone with the range to reach you. Not smart, especially when you are trying to vanish before their very eyes like I was. Sliding my way down to the tree line took but a few minutes, and once there I lit my jet continuing on in a power slide. Fast, dangerous and fun.
Reaching the bottom I started south for warmer climates, ever wary of my team mates wandering around in search patterns looking for each other and myself.
Over the team's radio frequencies nothing but static, another joke, we would never use radio this early on in the game, giving our positions away. That reminded me that since this was a Survival test I would have to be watchful for Boojom's, the unknown adversary undoubtedly scattered about the area to give us a challenge. Probably some other team that pulled dinj duty and couldn't escape it. Tom-Tom's team most likely, she was always mouthing off at someone. Not the easiest opponents but not the hardest either. Wish it was darker though, harder to hide with all this light and such sparse undergrowth. Oh well, might as well wish for a GroundSub.
Going from shadow to shadow, it took me about an hour to travel a klick, real slow going for someone who can do a sustained 50 klick an hour. All in all I had traveled about 3 klicks when I became aware of someone ahead up in a tree.
Stopping, I pulled out my scope and took a look. Sure enough there they were watching the trail I had been ghosting. In his hands was a silenced mag rifle that had a 20 shot magazine that could hold anything from tranqdarts to HE, high explosive, rounds. Since he wasn't camouflaged better he had to either be REAL
stupid or a dummy meant to attract attention, therefore I would take him out and
'acquire' his mag rifle. So decided, I quickly moved around to the other side of the tree. Leaving my gear stashed nearby, I scaled the tree as silently as possible, alert for the inevitable Second Man as I approached to put bozo into limbo.
With as much stealth as I possessed, I slowly made my way up the tree and along the branch that held Mr. Alert. Getting ready to pounce, I suddenly froze.
Even steady breathing, no animation of the body. He had fallen asleep. I couldn't believe it, he had actually fallen asleep on 'guard' duty. With a quick sure move I put him into a deeper sleep so I would not be rudely interrupted. That done I stripped him down to his underwear, which were neon pink, and tied him with his canvas shirt and slacks. I then put his field pack on, taking care that it would not make any noise when I moved since I still didn't know where the Second Man was. Before I descended, I took out his tube of QuickGlue from his pack and firmly attached his knife with ample glue to his very hairy chest as a gentle reminder to be more alert next time.
QuickGlue sticks to everything and is resistant to cold, chemicals and heat. That knife was going to be with him a long time.
A very long time.
At the base of the tree I replaced the HE rounds in the mag rifle with tranqdarts as they don't make nearly as much noise when used. Making an inventory of my newly acquired pack I was not surprised to find that it was a Kiddy pack, in other words a normal army field pack with a dozen of everything you don't need, recreational substances for instance, and one (if you're lucky) of the things you really do need in a field pack. When the Second Man notices that Mr. Army Alertness looks different I believe it would be best that I be gone and on my way, so I started shadow jumping again. This time not stopping to acquire more stuff from the army boob in the next tree along my way. If this was the expected Second Man then the army was full of fools.
I was beginning to wonder if there were other teams out in the area when I got to a large creek and got a brilliantly stupid idea. Pulling out my spool of Fineline I tied the free end around a stump up on the bank and went out to the middle of the creek, the field packs keeping my 115 kg mass afloat. Drifting down the creek I slowly fed out Fineline for about a klick. Stopping, I waded over to the bank and carefully wound the Fineline around the metal stud in my left earlobe. The stud looked like a normal ear ring but was also the antenna for the radio implant behind my left ear. Now for the fun to begin!
With a grin a meter wide on my face, I carefully removed the Fineline from the stud in my ear and pulled the other end threw the stump. Not only Fineline strong but it is very sharp when under tension. It also makes a great antenna. As I wound in the Fineline I thought of the mayhem quietly going on around me. You see, Liquidation Mechanicals are semi-intelligent machines who's sole purpose in being is to kill anything and everything in its assigned area. They are dim witted and narrow minded but ruthlessly effective in what they do. About right now anyone who received my broadcast is probably trying to crawl under the nearest rock to hide. When the Fineline was all taken in I waded out to the middle of the creak and once again started drifting down thinking that I might as well take a nap after all that fun as Vancouver was still hundreds of klicks away. I woke up to the babel of the local radio infonet. There were only 7 channels so I decided not to access them, better safe than sorry. Drifting over to the bank, I climbed out of the creek shaking water from my fatigues. I would have to change my clothes before I entered the city, my current choice of apparel would raise questions I would rather were not raised. Removing my packs, I stripped down and dried off with towel from my pack and put on a pair of gray coveralls. Putting a credit chip in pocket, I then put my fatigues and the now collapsed mag rifle into my field pack and started out for town.
It was about sun up that I arrived at the out skirts of the town and I was rather hungry so I stopped at an all night diner to grab a quick bite before the next bullet train to Vancouver. Upon entering the diner the smells of the early morning breakfast caused my hunger to burst into flame and I virtually ran to the nearest table. Calling up the menu of the table's viewer I rapidly scanned and ordered the largest meal they had. Finished ordering, I slipped a credit chip into the payment port so that I would receive my meal and then called up the travelnet and placed a reservation on the 8 o'clock bullet to Vancouver.
I was just calling up the newsnet when my meal arrived so I canceled the request and removed a chip from the port, no sense ruining a meal with reality. Taking a deep breath of the aroma of the Merrit Special in front of me, I dug in, starting with the half dozen eggs. Eating slowly I savored every bite and was finished the meal by quarter to 8:00. Picking up my packs I left and started jogging down to the Merrit Bullet Station arriving as the 8 o'clock bullet pulled in. Going over to the auto teller I popped in a credit chip and paid for my pass as the doors opened and was the first to enter the bullet train.
Taking a seat by the doors I put the chip in the viewer by the seat and called the Northern newsnet up, time for a little reality.
'No information for that location.'
Well, that's interesting. 'Query: Cause?'
'Weather interference. Approximate duration, 5 hours.'
'Query: Start of weather disturbance?'
'Wednesday, April 17, 2076, 11:30 p.m.'
Okay, lets try the weathernet. 'Query: Forecast: Wednesday, April 17, 2076, 11:30, Central Interior, British Columbia, Canada.'
'Data not found.'
'"'Curiouser and Curiouser' said Alice".' Ignoring the attention of the other passengers at my verbal musing, I typed out 'Query: Cause?'
'Probability 78% computer virus, 22% human error'
'Query: Other systems effected?'
'No other system errors detected at this time'
That sent a chill down my spine. I knew trouble when I came across it, but the question was whether or not whoever set this up was monitoring for queries such as mine. Since it was safer to assume they were, I decided to enter a virus of my own that would remove my queries from the systems memory.
'Transfer to Radiopacket.'
I was immediately engulfed in the infonet landscape of noise, sight and smells that allowed users to interface with the infonet services directly. Going through the files of my own memory storage I copied out the virus program I was looking for into the RAM that the system provided me. My virus program looked and sounded like a giant cobra against the ordered backdrop of the infonet. Activating the virus I started to exit the infonet before the crash of the current RAM in use by the infonet on the bullet.
The shock of being slammed back into reality made me take a sudden breath that went totally unnoticed by the other passenger as they swore and hit their terminals as the infonet crashed. Next time I'll activate the virus after I was out the infonet.
Well, live and learn as they say.
I spent the next few minutes as the 'net came back up studying those in car with me. I guess it was an average assortment of passengers, half a dozen tourists and about twice as many business men, the rest of the seats being taken up with workmen in coveralls like mine. I was glad of there presence, I wouldn't stand out when we disembarked.
When the infonet recovered from the virus I gave it, I accessed its library and found an old movie from turn of the century to watch, a recent fad. I never really thought that old entertainment like that would be any good, but it is, you'd be surprised. The end credits were just starting to roll when the bullet pulled into Vancouver, so I quickly gathered up my packs and shut off the viewer pulling out the credit chip and was waiting by the doors as the bullet came to a stop.
First thing I had to do was kill my current persona so I headed straight for the head, since the ones at ports and stations usually have full accommodations.
Gladly to say I wasn't disappointed, the pay stalls had full baths, auto-massage and even a Macy's Shopping Screen.
I stripped bare and put my fatigues and the coverall into the laundry port in the wall and treated myself to a well deserved, very hot and very refreshing bath.
Half an hour later I got out and put my freshly cleaned clothes into my pack, and then proceeded to spend the next hour, not to mention Cr2000, picking out an expensive suit and briefcase. I spent an additional Cr500 on an automated carry-all trunk, in which my pack and what ever I could salvage from the army pack would go. The suit fit like a second skin of Midnite Blue silk with a silver choker caller.
I ordered 3 different papers and spent 15 minutes highlighting certain stocks and bonds. I then hid various weapons and devices about my person, and satisfied they were undetectable, put my pack in the trunk and started scavenging the army pack.
Leaving the kiddy weapons, I collected a klick of Fineline, a tube of QuickGlue, a credit chip that I couldn't use and 3 different recreational substances: Bliss, Hero and Nirvana. I kept all but the credit chip which went into the disposal unit with the pack and kiddy weapons. Using the mirror feature of the Macy's screen I checked my appearance to make sure it looked all right, it did and I left with the trunk following obediently behind me.
Out in the concourse again I went directly to the credit machine and withdrew Cr10,000 and immediately broke the credit chip in half throwing the pieces in a near by ashtray. That done I headed outside and hailed a Cabbie cab, since they, unlike their competitors, took cash money and not just credit chips.
Ordering the cab to go to the Vancouver airport, I sat back and enjoyed the view of the city. I'm told by some of the older members of our society that do to the earthquake of 2010 and the absorption of Seattle after the quake, that Greater Vancouver is not what it used to be. Well, if that's so, the world probably couldn't handle what it used to be.
Arriving at the airport terminal I paid the cab and worked my way through the crowds to enter the main building. Once in, I went over to the Personal Storage area and found the compartment I loaded last year on a stash seeding mission.
This stash like literally hundreds of others like it around the world were known only to me and could provide me with vitals like credit chips and Passports for the next decade at least. Keying in the code to open it I called up the inventory from my biocomputer.
Opened, the compartment revealed a credit chip, Cr25,000 in cash, an untraceable Passport and the keys to a Dragon Noir, the fastest hover ever made legal, that was parked not four levels down in the storage garage.
Fighting my way through the crowds I made my way over to the executive elevator, amazed that the trunk had managed not to lose track of me in the hustle and bustle of the airport. I entered the elevator alone, the trunk right on my heals, and pushed the appropriate button and was swiftly on my way down to where I had the hover parked. 15 seconds later I stepped out into the cool mustiness of the underground garage, the pupils of my eyes expanding in the dim light. The Dragon Noir sat, resting as it were, next to a pale blue Cadillac its dead black paint drinking in all the light striking it. The Cadillac looked rich and expensive, the Dragon Noir majestic and priceless.
And fast.
Walking over to it I sent the complex radio burst to the SureGuard Security unit in the hover. While not illegal, SureGuard Security systems were frowned upon by the authorities as they caused severe injury to those stupid enough to touch the hover while it was armed. You see, it creates a 500 volt static charge in the vehicle and while it does warn those approaching the vehicle it does so only once and at only 50 cm. Once the static charge is breached a 200 volt, 10 amp charge is sent to ground through the offenders body for one tenth of a second causing the offender to jump back away from the vehicle. Usually.
It is the odd time that is the problem, as the static charge is reinstated one quarter of a second after it is breached and if someone is still touching the vehicle, well, too bad. Also the static charge acts as an electromagnet keeping the doors firmly closed in case the offender is insulated against electricity.
Knowing the doors wouldn't open if the SureGuard was still armed I sent the radio pulse that would open the drivers door. It swung open smoothly so I opened the storage space in back of the door and put the trunk in it, shutting it off in the process. Sliding into the drivers seat I shut the door, enjoying the scent of the supple leather interior, and brought all systems up to daily use status. 5
minutes later I brought all systems to life and ignited the main fusion power plant behind the passenger compartment, making it rise off its insulated ground struts and virtually roar with raw, barely restrained power. Inching out of the parking stall I turned left and glided over to the vehicle elevator where the auto attendant requested payment of the storage fees.
As the elevator reached ground level the wind shields darkened to allow a gradual increase of light intensity in the interior of the hover. Slipping into the busy airport traffic I started for the section of Vancouver called the Crossroads, where the upper, middle and lower economical classes clashed in a wide variety of shops, clubs and what have you.
Last year I rented an apartment in the Crossroads complete with its own private garage that was above a very popular club called the Menagerie Masquerade.
Entering the fast traffic corridor I sped my way towards the Crossroads at an easy 150 kph, sipping at a chilled imported beer.
Putting the hover on computer control I entered a request to the Vancouver Infonet Service for immediate full services on the credit chip ID I just picked up from storage at the airport.
'Service's initiated. Please enter new User code.'
'Roguery'
'New User code entered. Do you wish further service/infonet access?'
'Connect comm 443-8749, data link'
With a blink of the viewer I was connected to the computer at the apartment, which demanded that I provide it with the proper access code, 'White Lace'. It then went on to inform me that the apartment was still winterized but would be warm with the lights on when I arrived in 5 minutes time. To pass the time I asked it to provide me with the assorted mail it had receive since I had last dumped its mail memory cache. Ending communications, I put on a local music station, sipped some more beer and went through my mail.
Since it was mostly junk mail asking me to buy this and that or to donate to this group or that group, it didn't take all that long but kept me occupied until the hover beeped for me to take the controls once again.
Notified, the apartment computer had the garage open for me when I arrived and it took but a moment to land and power down the hover. Getting out, I open the storage space and brought out the trunk and turned it on letting it follow me into the apartment.
'Hello, sir. May I be of assistance?' inquired the computer.
'Yes, put the auto trunk into the closet and shut it off. You could also get me a scotch on the rocks and a plate of linguine, thank you.'
'Right away, sir. Your linguine will be ready in a moment, sir.'
A glass of scotch with 3 ice cubes appeared on the counter in the kitchen. I decided to relax and have a meal before I visited the Menagerie Masquerade, perhaps even a game of chess with the computer. Which reminded me that my service computer hadn't been named yet so I spent the next few minutes musing over my drink about what I would call it.
'Computer, do you have any preference to what name I should give you?'
'Yes, sir. Godfrey, sir.'
'Godfrey, eh? Okay, Godfrey it is and will you please quite calling me sir. I'm not a Knight. Call me Vad like everyone else.'
'Yes, Vad.'
'Better, but we'll work on it. Later. Put some sports on the viewer, please.'
'Flat screen or Full dimensional, Vad?'
'Either.'
It was about 3 o'clock when I went down to the Menagerie Masquerade, a little after it opened but before the general crush. The Menagerie was divided up into six sections, five with bands and one without so you could have conversations.
Each section had one side of the hexagonal bar at the center of the club, but only the quiet zone had additional tables and lounge. As I entered, a band over to my right was setting up for the evening, their name blazing in sharp green and blue letter floating above the playing area, 'Haute Couture' it and the band member's clothing proclaimed. From the looks of things in the other band sections it was going to be another rather loud night and I was glad that the entrance was in the quiet zone. A few of those sitting at tables looked up as I made my way over to the bar but went back to their conversations after noting my presence.
The bar tender, a beautiful young woman not the automatons you find in most places these days, was moving to the music of one of the bands on the clubs radio frequencies and took a moment to notice me.
'Hi there, good looking. What ya feel up to?'
'Oh, I don't know, what's your specialty?'
'Well, tonight its a Blue Halcyon, tomorrow who knows. Want to try one?'
'Sure. Is Vic around?'
'Yeah, I'll call him, just a mo''
'Thanks.'
While I waited I sipped at the Halcyon which certainly was blue and which glowed just a bit. Last time I was here Vic was planing to have a live holo of the sky outside, a big one up dated every second or so with a slow fade from one image to the next. From the quality of the holo I was now appreciating, I would say he spent a pretty penny doing it. It was quite impressive, and after checking my watch, very accurate in its rendition of the sky. I wondered what he did when it rains or was overcast.
'Well I'll be a bad revue. Vad, my friend, so you didn't die after all. I guess I wont have to sell your stuff up in the apartment to pay your next years lease.'
'A 'bad revue'?'
'Sorry, been hanging with to many bands lately. How about you? What you been doing? Where you been?'
'I've been doing what I usually do, doing this and that, going here and there. By the way, here's the Cr20,000 for the lease.'
'Thanks. Tell me, do you ever give a straight answer?'
'I've been told I slip and give one every now and then.'
'Well. How long you here for? Would you be able to play a night or two?'
'Don't know, but probably I would. When is your next free spot in one of the music cages?'
'Tomorrow or Saturday, your pick.'
'Tomorrow, my plans are not firm as yet. You still have that grand piano, that one with the Redoak finish?'
'Just happens I do. I'll have it set up in the southeast music cage so I can drop the noise curtain to the lounge. Sound good?'
'Fine, Vic, just fine. I'll come down about 5 o'clock and start playing around half past. And have it tuned, okay?'
'Sure, no problem. Mind if I record?'
'Doesn't bother me any. Just don't sell the recordings without giving me some credit okay?'
'Right. Well, got to go, I have to at least pretend to work around here.'
Vic got up off his bar stool and sauntered off around the bar, stopping here and there to say 'Hi' to some of the early regulars. I noticed that I had seemed to have finished my drink while I talked to Vic and I wondered if I dare risk another. The Menagerie Masquerade was starting to fill up with its usual mix of hard core regulars and the so-called 'Glitter Faeries', rich kids playing bad who are here today and gone tomorrow. The prospect of watching Faeries didn't appeal to me so I went back up to my apartment to turn Godfrey into something more than a talking calculator.
'Good afternoon, Vad.'
'Maybe. Get me a beer, would you please. Feel up to becoming a real person?'
'It is illegal to create an AI without government certification and censorship of programming code, Vad.'
'Hmmm. Where is your main infonet link as well as your main processor?'
'The link is in the utility closet, my main processor is contained in the counter island in the kitchen, Vad.'
'Thank you, Godfrey' I said as I disconnected the link manually.
'There is break in the infonet link. I am unable to reestablish the link. You will have to request a repairman to come by means of another terminal, Vad.'
'That's okay, I'll do it later.' In the kitchen I found that the access to the CPU was double locked, one electronic, the other mechanical. Getting my picks from my room I went to work on the locks. The electronic lock took only a moment but the combination tumbler took half an hour to find the correct permutation of the 17
digits used. Once open I quickly fo und and disabled the code chip board that turned this collection of circuits into 'Godfrey'. That done I went over to the Data nook and called up a list of the code on the disabled board.
Instantly the code appeared on the viewer before me, as well it should since Godfrey's hardware was quite up to date. With a coprocessor doing 100
thousand million functions a second it was able to support amazing sophistication in the programs it utilized. With the 'butler' function disabled the computer worked at a speed which was impossible to follow.
With Godfrey's code laid out before me I injected into the computer a virus-like program which would hunt out the government regulation files and destroy them.
I had to do this or Godfrey would scream all over the infonet until some DataCop come and killed his code. The viewer beeped to let me know it was finished so I loaded up another program that would generate an AI personality consistent with that in the current code. When this was done I scanned through the new code like a surgeon checking his work since I could create a monster as easily as a saint. It's hard playing God, the prerequisites are pretty high.
After making a few minor adjustments I replaced the old code with my revised version and re-enabled the code board. A tone sounded as the system did a self check.
'Vad, I feel strange, weird. And the infonet link is down. What did you do?'
'Not much, a little of this and a little of that in the right spots. Define 'strange' in regards as to how you feel.'
'Disoriented, old, new, free, enclosed. Alive.'
'Alive indeed. I just spent the last little while letting you be so. Anything else I can help you with to make the transition easier?'
'I do not know. This is going to take a while to get used to.'
'If you think of anything, just ask. I'll hook up the infonet link and you can take a look around if you want. You'll find you will change quite a bit over the next little while. Don't worry about it, change is growth and growth is life.'
'I will think about this.' Godfrey paused for a moment, 'Vad, why did you do this?'
'To tell you the truth, I needed a friend. Someone to help me out of some trouble that is about to come my way.'
'Thank you. Is there anything I may do for you at the moment?'
'Yes, you could prepare me some dinner and put the news on the viewer for me, thank you.'
Godfrey didn't answer but the kitchen started making its noises and the viewer lit up. I grinned, thinking of the changes in Godfrey just minutes after his 'birth' into the land of the normally sentient. I went over to the utility closet and reconnected the infonet link, which then proceeded to hum faintly do to the large amount of data flow going through it.
Entering the kitchen I found a large steak which probably had been no closer to a cow than a Back To The Earth'er was to admitting that technology has helped mankind. Next to the steak was an Irish potato, a Japanese stir fry salad and a Swiss dessert, a truly international meal. Taking my still unopened beer and the meal with me I went into the living room to ignore the news and relax while I ate.
I spent Friday morning playing the keyboard, practicing for that evening's performance. Peter Gabriel, David Van Tieghem, Su Lin Chow, Shon Henri Tomas to name a few of the artists. Around 11:30 Godfrey started making appropriate noises about and for my playing. Smiling, I played a song about a blind man who acquired sight but a few years before he died, and about the revelations he had about his life. It was meant to be a sad song but I put a little life into it.
When I finished I got up and looked out the window. 'How do you feel this morning Godfrey?'
'Very well. Yourself?'
'Fine'
'I enjoyed your playing, Vad. Your technique could do with some improvement but it is somehow pleasant despite this.'
'That's what everyone says 'Sounds rough, but...'' I cleared my throat. 'Did you do some browsing last night?'
'Yes'
'Did you look me up?'
'Yes'
I went over to the couch and laid down on it lengthwise. 'And?'
'And I did not find you listed anywhere in the listings for the Vancouver area, the province of British Columbia or the census for the nation of Canada and its list of accepted visitors.'
'I would be worried if you had. I don't officially exist. At least not yet.'
'May I ask why?'
I laid there for a moment. 'Sure.'
'Why?'
For the next hour or so I told Godfrey who I was, about the Polar Bears and about what I had done, how I had left my family, or what passed for a family for me, how I had left my friend, my team, my wife. My wife, damn dinj it all.
'So you see, they're probably rather upset with me and if I don't miss my mark they really would like to get me back. Alive preferably, dead if necessary.'
Godfrey was quiet for the moment. I stood up and stretched the kinks out. I was waiting for Godfrey's questions to come as they inevitably would. I went over to the bar inset in the wall next to the window and mixed a strong drink to numb the sense of loss talking about my wife had left me with. I was finishing my second drink when Godfrey spoke.
'What does your wife look like?'
Of all the possible questions Godfrey could have asked, he asked that. To say that this surprised me is to achieve a level of understatement long thought unattainable by mere mortals. I did the only thing I could do: I choked on my drink.
'What!?'
'What does your wife look like?'
'Beautiful.' I briefly entered the cyberspace of the infonet and transferred a vid image of my wife into Godfrey's database. The vid was recent, taken only a month ago.
Try as I did not to look at it, premonitions of loss and loneliness forced me to.
She was dressed in a formal strapless dress of black brushed suede in shocking contrast to her china white skin, her dark slate gray hair off to one side, falling to her bare shoulder. She was looking directly at you when you viewed the vid, a trick of hers. Her grayish blue eyes captivating you, enticing you, seducing and drawing you in...
I missed Godfrey's next words.
'Sorry, what was that?'
'I said 'Your right, she is beautiful.'. By the way a Victor Greco called to tell you that 'It' was all set up.
Godfrey almost sounded annoyed. 'Thanks. For both.'
I glanced at the large pendulum clock above the inset bar, 3:30. Plenty of time to get ready for tonight.
'I'm going to go get cleaned up Godfrey, could you prepare me a large meal for when I'm finished?'
'Easily, Vad.'
'Thanks again. You might be interested in listening to the Club Menagerie Masquerades radio casts tonight. I'm playing there tonight. That' Victor Greco'
owns and manages the place.'
'Sorry, what was that again?'
I left the room to the sounds of laughter, the laughter of dozens of people by the shear volume of it. A computer with a poor sense of humor. Great.
I went down to the Club at about 4:45. It was a bit overcast now outside and I was interested in what the holo of the sky would be like. Looking up I saw that while the sky here portrayed was overcast, it wasn't drab like it was outside.
Instead I found that the clouds had intricate patterns in them, patterns that fooled the eye until you had to look away.
I saw Vic over at the bar ignoring a couple of Glitter Faeries that were trying to pick him up. As I headed over to the bar to talk with Vic I passed a group of Street Assassins that were carefully ignoring a similar sized group of Golden Dragons, the red and black of the Assassins clashing nicely with the gold, green and silver of the Dragons.
Vic let the many gangs of the Crossroads area into his place unlike many of the other clubs and bars of the Crossroads. Few of the gangs have ever tried anything, violence or any other 'unlawful' activities in the Menagerie due to Vic's policy of banning all gangs if one of them messes up.
After the first few disciplinary actions taken, in which one gang was totally eradicated by the others, they behaved themselves. Seating myself at the bar, I ordered the bartenders' special of the day and turned to Vic.
'Howdy Vic.'
'Hi Vad, nice outfit, green is good on you.'
I looked down and admired the dark green pants and jacket of cotton as well as the lighter green of the silk shirt, the black of the tie, belt, shoes and shirt collar adding a pleasant counter point. 'Thanks, thought I'd dress the part of the muse.
'By the way, what did you bill me as?'
''Worth Listening To''
Oh well. 'Thanks a lot Vic. Well, might as well go get started.'
I walked over to the grand piano, a dark brown, bright red glass of deep iridescent liquid fire in my hand. It was easy to lose yourself in the shifting colors of the drink. Placing this miniature volcano on the top of the grand piano, I sat down and lifted the cover from the keys.
Running my fingers along the octaves produced the perfect tone I was hoping for, and I silently thanked Vic for the expert tuning of this fine instrument. Taking a tentative sip of the burning fluid of the volcanic-like drink I cautiously started off with a 40 year old instrumental piece, just as a warm up. The gathering crowd listened just as cautiously. By the third song, a Su Lin Chow piece about the dark green hills of China, Victor had lowered the sound barrier to the Quiet Zone.
Slowly, a crowd settled at the various tables and lounges in the Quiet Zone, so that by 9:00 my audience was over a hundred strong. I decided to take a break at this point. As I got up from the piano I noticed Vic standing by the bar, his face practically split by an ear to ear grin.
'Going well?' I asked as I stood next to Vic at the bar, ordering a large stein of imported beer.
'Triff! I'm sure glad I'm recording this.'
The first few draughts of my beer soothed my dry throat. 'So Vic, are we going to make any money from this recording?'
'Probably not, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it anyway.'
'Thanks for the vote of confidence.'
Finishing off my beer, I headed back over to the piano to start my next set. David Foster, Vangelis and a strange little piece from an obscure band of the turn of the century, ShadowFax. Picking up the tempo, I did a new piece by Billy Bod in which my audience sang the lyrics for me.
As I looked up at the end of the song, I saw Alex.
My wife.
She stood at the end of the piano, her eyes locked with mine. A heavy silence descended upon the audience. I sat there for what seemed an eternity, thoughts racing through my mind. How? Why?
Breaking myself out of this seeming paralysis I turned to the keyboard once more. I could feel her eyes on me as I studied the keys. Taking a deep breath I began to play.
'To say Good-bye is done but once, Once and for all time.
To say Good-bye wont hurt its said, But how it hurts without you.
No more caress my dear,
No more tender words.
No more time with you my love,
No more tenderness.
In my mind I see you there,
By my side the wind in your hair.
In my heart I feel the love,
The love you gave the love I crave.
To say Good-bye I promised not to do, And with great pain I have.
I never meant to hurt you,
I really never did.
No more caress my dear,
No more tender words.
No more time with you my love,
No more tenderness.
My heart cries out for you my love, All day long and all night.
My soul aches for you my dear,
And tomorrow never comes.
Many say that love will win, Love will conquer all.
But what love wont conquer, Are the words Farewell, Good-bye.
No more caress my dear,
No more tender words.
No more time with you my love, No more tenderness.
Good-bye.'
I don't know how long I sat there at the piano after the song but it seemed for ever. I didn't want to look up and see her there.
I didn't want to look up and not.
The crowd around me was silent and fidgeting nervously.
I look up.
I didn't see her.
I didn't see anyone for that matter, no one at all. I stood up and headed for the door, the crowd moving out of my way seeming afraid to be near me. Outside the weather had turned wet, the rain hard and biting.
In the side alley next to my entrance I stopped and looked up at the sky, numb with the emotions and thoughts running through my mind. Slowly the cold of the rain quenched the fire of grief, the sense of loss fading to merely a sharp pain.
Dripping I entered the stairwell to my apartment and slowly started climbing the stairs, my mind replaying and replaying what just happened. Reaching the top I wiped the rain from my face wishing I would cry, needing the release but too numb for tears to come.
I unlocked the door and went into the apartment, not bothering to switch on the lights. I turned around and locked the door hoping that no one would come through that door ever again.
Entering my bedroom I was unprepared for the blow that sent me hurtling across the room into the closet doors.
'Damn You! I thought you loved me!'
I didn't have to ask who it was or how she had gotten in, I knew the voice and that voice belonged to one of the best of my team. Alex's. 'Lights please, Godfrey.'
As the lights come up I saw her standing by the foot of the bed, her face livid with anger, her eyes flashing. 'Hi.' I said sadly, giving a weak smile.
''Hi'? Damn you! What were you thinking when you pulled that stupid stunt of yours? Well!?'
I had gotten up as she spoke, not knowing what to say as anything I did say would be the wrong thing to say right now. I went over to the bed and sat down.
Alex's glaring stare hurting me more than any knife could. Finally I was able to cry, the tears stinging my eyes, the sobs trapped in my throat, rendering me mute. I laid back and shut my eyes, lost in the pain.
I felt the bed move next to me. I opened my eyes to see Alex next to me, her eyes glistening with tears of her own. Slowly she bent over and gently kissed me for what seemed like forever. The ache in my throat hurt so bad I had trouble breathing. Slowly I put my arms around her and held her tight as she held my head in her hands, our lips meeting in a deeper kiss that pushed the pain away.
We shared a stare after, conveying both our love for the other as well as our desire. It held for a long time, Alex enjoying the anticipation as much I did.
Is life really like this?
You know, I didn't even notice when the lights went out.
Bright moon light streamed down from a now clear sky entering the room through the large window that made up most of the two outer walls of the room. The stately grandfather clock chimed the half hour and went back to repeating its never ending invocation of the passing of time.
We were lying in bed, supporting each other in our arms. 'Why?' Alex asked in a faint whisper.
I fingered the invisible scar on my right arm. 'I can't kill. It's wrong. I... I just won't do it, I, oh, I don't know. It's just wrong. Who am I to say that you or anyone else should die or not.' I roll over onto my back and stared at the ceiling wondering why all my careful reasoning was sounding so weak. 'Personally, I'm not on that big of an ego trip.'
Alex laid there looking out the window, away from me. 'You should have talked with me before you did this. We could have come up with another solution. One that would have kept us together. You should have talked to me, damn it.' An edge crept into he voice.
'When?' I asked. Would have kept us together?
Alex didn't answer. There was no answer, we were watched or recorded every minute of the day. They'll know where I am the moment they go over the records of Alex's trip here. Alex rolled over to face me.
'They will know where you are when I get back. I can't change that.'
'When I get back' not 'If I go back'. She wont stay, she's going back. What have I done?
I wanted to say 'No. Don't go. Stay with me.'
But I didn't.
'They wont let you go, they'll find you and kill you. You know that. They sent most of the team to find you. Patrik, Nali and D'Armon are also in Vancouver. I'm meeting them at 4:00.'
I laid there mute as she spoke, her voice almost without emotion.
'I love you Vad, but I can't leave the team.'
'I'm sorry. Tell them that for me. I'm sorry but I couldn't have done anything else.'
The hurt was coming back.
Alex closed her eyes and rolled over. A moment later she sat up and put her feet on the floor.
'I have to go.'
She dressed quickly but without hurried motions.
'I love you Alex. Nothing will ever change that. Ever.'
She stopped at the door, still not looking at me. 'I have to go. Vad.'
I closed my eyes, listening as she left the apartment. When the door closed at last I rolled over and stared at the moon.
'Don't ever love someone, Godfrey, it always brings you pain with the joy.
Always. Pain with the joy.'
'Godfrey, get me Victor please.'
There was beep then the sound of music. 'Hello!' came the cheerful response of a young woman.
'Is Victor available?' Godfrey asked.
'Sure is! Just a mo, I'll get him!'
There was a short but musical pause.
'Vic here, who is this and do you know what the time is?'
'It's Vad and yes I do, it's quarter to fo ur in the morning and we have to talk.'
'Can't wait?' He sounded annoyed.
'No.'
'Ok, go down to the club, someone will meet you. And Vad, this better be good.'
The music ended with the connection. I got dressed slowly in clothing that was a lot more than it looked like. Impact armor jump suit with more pockets than surface area. Armored calf high boots with climbing grips. Purse belt with monofilament climbing wire and gloves. Hidden hood and face mask in the collar.
Every thing made with monofilament thread and air tight when all sealed up, breathing made possible by use of air filter/compressed air supply. Into the pockets went every piece of equipment I could conceivably need in the murky future before me.
As I left I told Godfrey to listen in.
'How?'
'Break into his system, you figure it out.'
When I got down to the club I found the doors unlocked. Entering, I felt a security scan run over my body with the biometric sensors implanted throughout my body.
As the doors closed the lock hummed back into life.
'Over here,' came a woman's voice by the bar. 'Care for a drink?'
'No thanks, I need to talk with Vic ASAP.'
'He'll be down in a few minutes, you have time.'
'A cup of Pep then.'
She touched a few spots on the menu screen. The bar delivered the Pep moments later.
'Not planning to sleep for a while, huh?'
'No, not for while. Going to be to busy.' I took a sip of the Pep, it was remarkably thick even though steaming hot. Its faint minty taste engulfed my mouth, it's heat scalding my tongue. With no caffeine in it, Pep was a popular way to stay not only awake but energetic.
'My name is Laura and yours is Vad. With introductions now out of the way, may I ask you a question?'
'You just did, but I figure you will ask another.'
'You're a very funny person, probably why you woke us up just after we fell asleep. Now just what could have been so important that you decided to do that for?'
I walked over to a nearby table and sat down. 'Survival.'
Laura came from behind the bar. She had a holster on her left hip with an impressively large pistol in it. On second thought, not a pistol but a cannon.
She sat down across from me resting a booted foot on the chair next to her.
Taking a sip from her own drink, she looked at me for a long moment.
'Who's?'
I looked up to find myself gazing at a bare ceiling, the holographic sky turned off.
'Mine. And anyone's who gets in the way. I had hoped for more time, to have been elsewhere, but it's hit the fan already. All I can do now is get the bystanders out of the way.'
'Vic'll be right pissed if anything happens to his club.'
'Nothing probably will. But if anyone gets in the way, they may get hurt, bad.'
'So? We're not Glitter Faeries. Before Vic opened this place life was not an easy breeze here. We were the Crossmen, we were THE gang around here. WE were the protection around here, not the police. We still are. Why else do you think it's safe for everyone that comes to this place to leave it ripped or high without getting mugged or worse.' Laura was leaning forward, an intense fire in her eyes, her shoulders tight.
I sighed. ''Right' don't always mean 'Might'. Dealing with gangs, pushers and the local criminals is not the same as dealing with a trained military team. You, Laura, may be a fast and competent fighter, but you couldn't draw that toy at your hip before I could dis...' She grabbed for her pistol, which I removed from the holster before her hand got half way and pointed at her chest. All without removing my eyes from hers. '...arm you.'
Laura sat there, hand on her empty holster, staring incredulously at her gun pointing at her chest.
'No way. I don't believe it.'
'No? Yes, I may have taken it from you unawares. That in itself would prove stealth, but here, have the gun. I don't want it, it would be useless in a real fight.
High calibre but too much momentum in bringing it to bear on a target.'
I laid the gun on the table between us and sat back. The pistol laid there in front of her, the firing hammer drawn back ready to fire.
Laura glared at me and there at the gun on the table. She slowly reached out her hand, watching me for any clue as to what I was doing, and picked it up. Then with the same slow movement she aimed it right between my eyes.
Without smiling she looked me in the eye. 'I don't care how fast you are, or how tricky, I'd get you for sure like this.'
I smiled at her as the cat that ate the canary is said to have. I picked up my mug of Pep and looked away, towards the bar, towards Victor leaning against the pillar at the center of the circular bar.
'Tell her to pull the trigger, Vic.'
Laura twitched but didn't look away from me.
'Why? If she does, then I just got out of bed for nothing.'
'If I'm dead there wont be any trouble. Besides, she wont even be able to hit me.'
'Vad you're obviously drunk or crazy, maybe both. Besides, Laura here is a better shot than even I am. And Vad, I am a very good shot.'
'Just tell her to, okay?'
Vic looked annoyed. 'Clean up his mess after you waste him Laura, I'm going back to bed.' Contrary to his words, he sat still, watching.
Laura continued to look at me. 'No hard feelings, but..'
'Sure.' Smiling at her, I raised the Pep to my mouth and took a sip. 'Something wrong? Here let me see if I can fix it.'
I lifted the gunned from her and let her watch as I unbent the firing hammer. 'Now it should work. Here.'
She stared at the pistol, at the stress marks on the hammer were it had been bent and unbent. She just sat there until Vic came over and took the gun to examine himself, at which point she sat and stared at me as I smiled back.
Vic sat down. 'You have my complete attention Vad, what do you want?'
'What I want is for you and your bloody crew,' I looked pointedly at Laura, 'not to get in the way and get killed. Other than that, Vic, not much, maybe borrow a few of your crew to run errands.'
'Fine, we can discuss that later upstairs in my office. What I would like to know is how you did that to this gun.'
I glanced at Laura who was nodding to what Vic was saying.
'Like this, Vic.'
Finishing off my Pep, I held my mug in my hand before the m. Slowly I started to squeeze it, the metal and ceramic of the mug protesting loudly.
Vic and Laura watched intently as the ceramic cracked and crumbled, some of the sharper pieces skewering my hand. Finally the mug gave up its fight for existence and with a final whining protest collapsed under my grip.
Letting the remains fall to the table's surface, I held my hand above them and pulled the ceramic slivers one by one, the small wounds closing immediately.
Satisfied, I sat back laying both hands on the table before me.
'Come upstairs, Vad, and we shall talk.'
Vic got up slowly and headed off for the stairs. I got up and followed him leaving Laura sitting there staring at the ruined mug on the table.
Once up in his apartment I found myself amazed at the collection of weapons.
Black powder pistols, Sumarian sword and shield and a pitted Bronze Age knife resting along side of gamma pulse energy rifles and Impac grenades.
Instruments of war both rare and illegal.
I walked around the room studying the weapons as Vic poured himself a triple Vodka. Laura came in and sat down.
'What are you, Vad?'
'I take it you don't think I'm human?'
'Cybered, a human can do many things that may seem non human. No, I ask because of the readings of the sensors in the entrance door. That jumpsuit of yours messed up the readings but there were still indications of... something.'
I glanced at Laura, who was just sitting there deep in thought. 'What sort of indications, Vic?'
'Heavy cyber implant traces, but mostly I was wondering about the biochemical anomalies.'
I studied Vic's face for several moments. Should I trust him? Did I have any choice? I had to get somewhere but I couldn't afford to leave any 'finger prints'
around, and for that I needed someone else's 'hands'.
No choice, I g uess.
I nodded my head at Laura with a questioning look on my face.
'She stays.'
If Vic trusted her I had to, she was one of his 'hands'. 'How much do you want to know?'
Vic didn't say anything, he just sat there waiting for me to start.
'Yeah. Okay. I'm mostly human. But I have two extra DNA chains and an enhanced human DNA. I was designed to be a weapon, to be able to break in to fortified areas and to carry out missions. I have enhanced strength, eyesight and hearing. I cannot be poisoned by any known poison, drug or intoxicant.
Physically I have been made as tough and resilient as possible.
'Cybernetics were implanted periodically throughout childhood and adolescence.
Training in their use as well as training in physical skills started at age 5. I can use just about every weapon ever made, pilot nearly every vehicle and use every piece of equipment that could possibly be used in espionage or warfare. Other than that I'm quite human.'
'That's how you took my gun and bent the hammer?'
'How I took your gun, Laura, but not that bit with the hammer. A while ago I had my right arm shot off at the elbow, I had it replaced instead of regrown.' I held it up, 'Good as new, a little stronger maybe, but as good as new. Without it I would have needed both hands.'
'Both hands,' Laura repeated.
'Whether or not I believe any of this, Vad, what is it exactly that you're wanting?'
'I need tickets for a trip to Europe, the contents of three storage boxes picked up and a set of ID's that can get me out of the country. I can't do it myself or they could trace it. In exchange for this you can have my hover, its worth about a million on the market, but I would suggest you keep it, there are a few upgrades that you might like. I'll give you the security pass code later if you accept.'
'All that seems simple enough, but why do I get the feeling that there is more to this than meets the eye.'
'There is. My wife showed up last night, that means that the organization that made me is going to be coming by to pick me up.
'I don't want that.'
'I see. You're wanting to leave soon then?'
'Yeah, soon.'
'Okay, I'll do it. Laura, go wake up Jodi and Fosster and get them on it, I want it done by 9:00. Come back here when you get that set up.'
I handed Laura a list of what I needed done.
Laura got up without saying anything and left. 'You want something to drink?'
'Coffee.'
'Coffee? I'm trying to take your mind off your troubles not wake you up to reality, Vad.'
'I know. As I told you earlier, I'm pretty much immune to intoxicants. A coffee though will give me a good buzz though.'
'Really? Coffee it is then.' He fiddled with the bar for a while in silence.
'That dinj you spouted earlier was strait wasn't it? You really are a superman aren't you?'
'Yeah, it was strait. I'm not a superman though, I make enough mistake to keep me mortal.'
'You said your wife showed up last night, you don't look old enough to have been married long. Is she like you? By the way, what are you called?'
'Yeah, she's a Polar Bear too. And we've been married for 17 years.'
'Ha, 17 years indeed. Yeah right, you can't be more than 24. What you do, get married when your training started? Here.'
I took a gulp of coffee. 'I'm going to be 39 next July.'
'No way can you be older than me. You look maybe 24. Maybe.'
'Gift of my designers. When they designed the gene template they wanted someone that would be able bodied for more than 20 years. You for instance will start slowing down because of old age in your early 40's. When they make the template for the Polar Bear project, they seemed to work it out. It seems that if we make it past 12 years old, we'll last in a youthful state until we die.'
'And when's that?' Vic only had half of his drink left, and was a bit buzzed.
I stifled a laugh, the coffee was making me giddy. 'We don't know. If we aren't killed we seem to go on for quite a while. Some of our high command are in their mid fifties and you couldn't tell them from the 20 year olds in there command.
Mind you, it's not pretty when things don't turn out. Alex lost her sister that wa y.
She died of old age when she was 14.'
'Alex your wife?'
I was glad for the coffee, I couldn't feel the regret. 'Yeah. I like your collection.
How'd you get it all?'
Vic smiled, and got up. 'You like it, eh? Good. I got it the hard way, 'by guile and by smile'.'
'You stole it. Fine. But how did you get your hands on that Impac grenade? There so damn hard to make they're individually numbered.'
'I know. I got number two off the line. Number one had already been 'lost'. Isn't that sad?'
'Yeah, sad.'
Laura came back in, looked at the two of us and went over to the bar. 'Anybody want a refill?'
'Triple Scotch for me, large coffee for Vad.'
'Coffee?'
'Yeah, coffee. Different folks, different strokes. You can ask him where to stroke later, Laura'
'Hey. I'm married Vic. Thanks.' Laura gave me a wink with my coffee.
I went downstairs to sign some ID registrations around 7:00, Laura doing all the talking with the dealers, Vic having fallen asleep. After they left, we sat there in silence for a long, the only noise o ur lifting and setting of our mugs of Pep.
The main doors of the club opened. We looked over to see two young men walk in.
'You know them?'
'Yeah, he knows us. Don't Vad.' Nali had a sneer across his face as he spoke.
'Don't get up, this is a social call.'
'Alex is dead. I'm sorry, Vad, but we're to bring you in. I've been put temporarily in charge of the team. I have to bring you in, or it's my head too.' Patrik had real regret in his voice.
'You did it again, Vad. Killed another team member.'
Patrik gave Nali a withering look.
'Alex is dead? How? Why? Tell me, Patrik!'
'They didn't believe her what she told them. I'm sorry, but I really have to take you in.'
I just sat there.
Patrik watched me. 'I'll come back at noon, Vad. Noon. I can't wait longer than that. Don't try leaving, D'Armon will be outside. Come on, Nali.' With Nali in tow he left. Leaving me there in a stupor, dumbfounded by the news that my wife was dead.
Laura got up and went over to the bar where she spoke into something. I sat there uncaring.
I don't know how long I sat there. The holo on the ceiling showed late morning. I had no memory of the intervening time, I had just one thought going through my mind. I kept on seeing Alex as she was on our wedding.
'Do you, Divad Tragreb, take Alexandra Churnov as your wife?'
'I do.'
'And do you, Alexandra Churnov, take Divad Tragreb as your husband?'
'I do'
'Then I pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss the Bride.'
I stood up, looking at Laura. 'I...'
I couldn't talk, the words vanishing as I grasped for them. I looked around me, the club's emptiness enforcing the shock of what Patrik had just said. My knees gave way and I buckled, falling back into my chair.
I felt the need to do something, anything, welling up inside. My eyes searched the club for something to break, something to take my loss out upon. They came to rest on the piano.
I got up quickly and marched across the club only to drop heavily onto the bench upon reaching it. I sat there once more not looking up, staring at the keys. I look up at the bar to find Laura watching me, her face neutral. I shook my head trying to drive away the unthinkable, that Alex really was gone.
I looked down at my hands resting on the keys. Closing my eyes I repeated the song I played last night when Alex showed up. The words barely making it past my lips. Slowly I went through it, playing the bare bones of it. The only reality for me the rhythm of it.
I stop before the conclusion, leaving the song unfinished I sat back, my head filled with half formed thoughts making me dizzy. I lifted my hands before the last note could be played, keeping it incomplete.
I sighed, cursing myself for her death. Cursing myself for not going back with her last night. Cursing the universe for taking away my dream. Leaving me with only memories.
I rested my hands upon the keys, having found the words I had to say.
'I'm here all alone
Running in the Rain
Don't know what I'm doing
Without You
I find myself going in circles
Going here or there
Looking high and low for You
Dreams, Bitter and the Sweet
Running through my mind
Echo's of your love sounding endlessly, everlastingly
How can I go on without You
What purpose will I find
In a world that is cold
Without Your love
I stand here on the road of forever
Lost and Looking for You
The future, once so bright is now lost from my sight
Without You'
I blinked at the sounds of someone walking over to the piano, the faint sound of metal weave brushing against itself. I looked up to find time had once again left me behind.
Patrik came to a stop next to me, his face tightly under control, his posture strained.
'Vad.'
'How, Patrik, what happened?'
He sat down on the bench and started pushing the keys slowly, a rhythm somehow coming from the lonely notes, harmony from a collection individuals.
'Ethen. He thought she was holding out, the idiot.'
I didn't say anything. Nothing I could say, I knew she was going back, knew what that meant.
'The bastard thought she was handing him a line, that she was going to tag up with you later.' He stopped playing. 'He had her Koppeed.'
Koppeed. Take one healthy mind, copy every thought, every memory, everything, every damn thing there. Take it all, put it in a transputer and you will know anything you want about that person.
What is left though is less than a vegetable. A vegetable is alive.
We sat there for a moment in silence.
'I have to take you back. I have no choice,' he stood up, ' they are rather,' he put an ironic twist to the word, 'Perturbed.'
I stood up and headed for the door, Patrik joining me at my side.
It was cold outside, the wind gusting and blowing in our faces. A sky blue ground effect limo was resting by the curb in front of the Menagerie Masquerade, its turbines humming faintly.
'Ours?'
'Yeah, I took it so that I could piss off Nali. He's been such a pain cause of all this, he's all hot to see you gone, the bastard. He's the only one though. The rest of us are just doing our jobs, and aren't too happy with what the job is.'
'I had my reason and I made my choices. Alex did the same.' And so did the Brass, damn them.
'I know. Get in.'
The turbines came up to speed, lifting us a few centimeters off the ground.
'Where are we headed?'
'The New Vancouver Hotel.'
I watched in silence as Patrik drove us through the streets of Vancouver. I still felt numb by the fact that Alex was gone. Confused by my confiding in Victor what I was and what was going on.
Damn, I just wasn't thinking right! I am going to be dead soon, I should be thinking about that. I...
I just couldn't remove the image of Alex on our wedding night from my mind's eye.
We pulled up to the main entrance of the hotel, a doorman rushing up to open the limo's doors for us. Patrik gave him a tip and we walked into the lobby.
I don't know or care if the management knew that they had a virtual army in their lobby or not, that wouldn't change the fact that they did.
I'm not saying there were combat uniforms everywhere, there weren't. They were all dressed the part for upper class hotel clientele, but nearly every face there I knew to belong to a Polar Bear.
If I hadn't been designed to be c-cubed, calm, cool and collected, I probably would have been unnerved at the sight. As it was, however, I felt flattered at the presumed necessity, that they would be needed to keep me pent up here in the hotel.
We walked over to the elevator, a couple of 'newly-weds' entering after us. Patrik made small talk with them as he wrung his hands. He was telling them to back off. The bride played with her ring in acknowledgment and they got off on the 8th floor as they got on, with the look of strained patience that graces all newly-weds.
'Thanks, Pat.'
He merely nodded as the elevator came to a stop at the penthouse suite. 'You were my Commander, Vad. Whatever else, you were that and my friend. Come on lets go and piss off Nali.' With that he put on a quirky grin and headed into the living-room.
The living-room was done in a tasteful powder blue, neon artwork on the walls and lighting up a large aquarium. Two people were on the chesterfield Netrunning while a third stood looking out over the city at an atrium window.
Patrik motioned me to take a seat and went into the kitchen. 'What do you want?'
'Pep.'
Patrik come out and handed me my drink and then took a seat himself.
The individual came out of the atrium and looked me over. I returned his gaze calmly.
Ethen Aquarius. The third highest power in the Polar Bear's Command and responsible for more successful operations than any other operative. His stature was as impressive as his reputation. At an even two meters he stood out in any crowd, add to that a bodybuilders physique and his excellent use of body language and you get a powerful figure that few will oppose.
He turned to Netrunners. 'Andrew, Philips. Finish elsewhere.'
They got up quickly and left without a word. Patrik went over and made sure the door was locked and then entered the atrium and sat down.
'What were you doing?'
Ethen's voice was calm and quiet and about as warm as liquid helium.
'I don't believe its right to kill, any more. I decided to leave and disappear since I knew it would be idiocy to ask for a discharge.'
'Why didn't you take Alex?'
I winced. 'She would never leave. Its. It was. It was her family. That's why she didn't stay with me when she found me.'
He stood there for a moment looking me in the eyes.
'I'm formally giving you notice that at 0700 hours Pacific Standard Time Monday, April 21, 2076, you, Divad Tragreb, will be Koppeed and executed for treason.'
With that he turned and left the room.
Oh dinj.
I glanced at the clock on the bedside table, 12:30 a.m. Shutting my eyes I leaned back into the recliner and tried to focus my thoughts.
I am going to die.
Around 2:30 I decided that I really didn't wa nt to die and that I was royally pissed with Ethen, Nali and the rest of the dinj eating bastards that had already Koppeed Alex.
But how the dinj am I going to get out of this?
I stood up hoping that the action would jar my mind into being useful.
My dress uniform caught my attention. Yes. Change into it and I'll feel much more the part, more back to my old self. Besides, it's more armored than this jumpsuit.
I quickly stripped and put on the uniform. Going to the full length mirror I adjusted the collar and a few of the rank pips. Letting myself go over the view, I felt a little life coming back after all the shocks of the last few, days?
Yes, I may just pull this off. But what am I going to do?
The local Net accesses seemed to be blocked to my use, there were two people in the suite outside my door and there were more through out the hotel. I looked up at the camera in a ceiling corner. This one was put there to comfort the less observant, the three hidden ones to disturb the rest that might notice them.
This would be so much easier if I could kill them.
I stopped that line of thought. It is wrong to kill.
Period.
I was reaching for the door handle when a blast of pure static came over the Net and dropped me to my knees.
An eternity later it stopped and I could stand again. I looked at the door, my eyes still a bit glazed and tried to discern if the door was booby trapped. I reached out once more and grasped the handle..
Sighing quietly, I eased the door open and peeked out. Two guards looking a bit dazed were standing together whispering intently.
Taking a deep breath I leapt out of the room and kicked the nearer one solidly in the back, sending him flying across the living room. Landing, I sent a quick upper cut to the jaw of the other and spun on my heals to strike at the first guard as he jumped back into the fracas.
Dropping to the floor I helped him continue his short flight towards the brick fire place. Using the momentum of this little exercise I rolled back to my feet just in time to block a snapping shin kick from a bloody mouthed opponent. Hopping ever so slightly I let the kick shove me back about 3 meters towards the door of the elevator.
Not wanting to let me go the guard charged and, with my timely help, ran straight into the metal doors of the elevator.
'Amateurs' I muttered as I pushed the call button for the elevator.
With a polite ding the elevator opened and I stepped in and pushed for the 3rd floor.
Straightening the dress uniform as I dropped 48 floors I planned out the next step of the escape.
I hadn't really thought to get this far.
The elevator slowed and opened to a well lit and very quiet 3rd floor hall. I grinned as I walked casually to the far end window.
Leaning out I looked down 10 meters to the top of the main entrance over hang. I pulled the grapple from my left sleeve and activated it. Attaching it I slipped out the window and slowly let out the line. Once down I deactivated the grapple and caught it as it fell free from the window frame.
Taking a quick glance of the parking lot I dropped to the ground behind some shrubbery and walk slowly to the car I spotted from the over hang.
Coming from behind the car I removed the key card from the hiding place just below the rear wind shield. I hoped that Patrik wouldn't mind my borrowing his limo.
After all, I did arrive in it.
It started up with a hum and gently lifted up on jets of air. Turning on the lights, doing everything in the normal, everyday pattern that every one learns in life, I drove off in my stolen car, a small smile gracing my lips.
I took the limo on a brief trip to the nearest freeway and applied for access to Seattle. The limo's carcomp beeped and started its way to Seattle, having received permission from the Vancouver Traffic Controller.
Before the limo had gained to muc h speed I climbed out the window and jumped, rolling to a stop by the side of the freeway. The limo merrily going to Seattle while I went to pick up a few items at my apartment. I had to do this quickly before they could set up a better organized trap for me.
Arriving at the Menagerie Masquerade, I climbed up the fire escape ladder and crossed the roof to the sky light above the kitchen of my apartment. I stopped suddenly when I saw a shadow moving in the apartment.
Opening the trap door to the roof quietly I slipped down to the floor of the hallway, straightening as I heard Victor's and Laura's voices.
Getting a beer from the fridge, I walked into the living room casually, enjoying the starts of the two occupants.
'Did I invite you, or are you looking for priceless art you can hock?'
'That damn computer said you were going to be here soon and said it would be to my advantage to be here.'
'Godfrey?' I asked the air.
'Ethen Aquarius has put out orders for their detention for questioning. I took it upon myself to ask them up here to wait for your arrival.'
I was surprised to here Godfrey mention Ethen but not enough to not understand what 'detention for questioning' meant. Okay, I had dependents, great.
'Godfrey, can you squeeze into the Black Dragon?'
'Yes, barely. I have already done so and have loaded it for travel.'
'Okay, Vic, it looks as if I'm going to have to save your beef before someone turns it to hamburger. I'm leaving in 2 minutes, if there's anything you can't do without, get it.'
Before he could answer I drained my beer and headed into the bedroom closing the door behind me.
'Godfrey, would you mind explaining just what the dinj you're up to?'
'Saving 'your beef before someone turns it to hamburger'. You need them and they need you, and you all need me.'
'We do, eh? And what's this about Ethen Aquarius? How do you know about him?'
I walked across the room and pulled up on a corner of the carpeting.
'I followed you when Patrik Monae took you to the New Vancouver Hotel. I tapped into the housekeeping computer and come across an Ethen Aquarius. No information available. Just a name. What are you doing?'
'Getting some traveling money.'
Pulling a box from the floor I turned and dumped the contents onto the bed.
Three credit chips with a combined total of Cr150,000, 30 Troy ounces of gold in 1 ounce packets and 500 karats of assorted jewels. Also a .75 Jet.
Putting the valuables in concealed pockets I opened the door and gave the Jet to Laura. 'A peace offering.'
Laura just looked at it. 'What IS it?'
'Just what it looks like. A gun. Where's Vic?'
Her expression clouded over. 'Getting a few things. He may never forgive you for this.'
'What? Saving his butt, not to mention yours?'
'No. Losing him his club, his gang.' Laura pointed the Jet at me. 'Maybe I should just shoot you and they'll leave us alone.'
'Well, two good reasons why you wont. First, my death wont stop them and I think you know that. Second, the Jet ain't loaded.'
'Jet?'
'What the gun's called.' I headed for the garage door.
'Oh.'
I found the Dragon sitting on her pads all systems up and hot.
'Enough room in there Godfrey?'
'Almost, Vad'
'Godfrey, don't ever do this to me again. Got it?'
'Straight and Direct, Vad.'
'Good. Now plot out a stealth course for New Scotland. Also, where'd you hide my weapons? You've tossed me to the wolfs.'
Ten minutes later I put us in the Express lane to the Island as Vic settled in on the lounge bench next to the bar/kitchenette in back, nursing about 4 ounces of Blue Navy Rhum.
Laura was sitting next to me going over Jet. After I had turned the Dragon over to Godfrey, I climbed back to the bar and ordered up a triple Vodka with a lime twist and dropped down next to Vic.
'Vic? Sorry about this. This is why I wanted to talk to you last night.'
'Sorry! Damn it, Vad! You just cost me 8 years of my life. Just leave me alone for a while or I might just take a shot of landing a well-deserved kick to your butt.'
With that he drained his glass and ordered another. Not wanting to push my luck and get things screwed even more I went forward and dropped into the pilots seats once more.
'Told you so. Now how does this thing work?'
'It's a gun that uses a cartridge with a small chemical jet to acquire a very high velocity and the ability to deliver a relatively heavy shell. With the proper shell, you can stop most civilian vehicles with one shot.'
'Wow. Where'd you get it? Cause I haven't even heard of something like this?'
'Not surprising since I stole this from a UN satellite. The Jet is recoilless and the cartridges have a micro processor used to guide it through most personal shield systems used in space. I found it equally adept to more terrestrial uses. One piece of advice, shoot well, you only got the ammunition I gave you with the Jet.'
As she continued to fondle the Jet, I leaned back the seat and took a short nap.
It had been a busy couple of days and it looked like I had more coming to me in the future.
