“Welcome home, Detective,” S.A.R.A. chimed in a feminine, techno-electronic voice. The video wall above the couch switched to my personal newsfeed as the lights brightened. Video messages, case records and entertainment programs opened in rapid succession, layering one over the other until the entire board resembled a giant, noisy-as-hell collage.
“Home,” I grunted. My mood only worsened when I discovered that my roommate had attempted to make dinner for us again. Sauce splatters and dirty pans were everywhere. This was an especially impressive effort—not even the overhead track lighting had been spared. Living with your 22 year old, uber popular niece might save on the rent, but it didn’t do your sanity any favors.
I’d just started to fill the sink when our carbon reinforced entrance door opened. “So what is it tonight, Caledrian or Balanese?” I called out, dunking the last of the silverware into the rising, sudsy water. Her sob-filled, panicked gasp sent a jolt of adrenaline racing through me. In one fluid motion I wheeled toward the door, drew my Police issued Laser pistol and flipped off the safety. Three men stood behind Cassie, and a thought-controlled slave bar was fastened around her throat. Knowing that it could sever her head in less than a microsecond, I reluctantly lowered my weapon.
“We meet again, Alexis.”
“Ah, Detective…You don’t look happy to see me.”
ReplyDelete“I don’t have the code Alexis. You’re wasting your time here; just let her go she’s no good to you.” It wasn’t a lie. I didn’t have the code at least not in a place where I could retrieve it for him.
“You honestly want to push me by lying to me? John, with one thought I can kill her,” he looked her over from head to toe, “and what a shame to kill such a lovely young thing. Please don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
“You know having the code doesn’t mean that you can access the system. You won’t be able to get beyond the encryption even with the code.” I wanted to buy some time; I needed to think of way to get to him. Once he was dead, the slave bar would be useless.
“I’ve already captured Zach, he will be most cooperative and assisting,” he smirked at my expression. Zach had built the encryption programs. He was the only one who could access the system.
The situation just went from bad to catastrophic. If he had Zach and could get his hands on the code, the entire city would be under his control. The system has been created to “help” the populace; to protect them from their own flaws – to subdue them. But there were…side effects. It triggered, in a small portion of the population, the opposite reaction. They became very violent and aggressive, turning into murders without thought or conscience. Alexis couldn’t’ be allowed to control the city or to create an army of psychopathic killers.
“Give me the code John, and I’ll let you both live.”
“That’s very generous of you, but as I’ve already told you, I don’t have the code.”
Cassie whimpered and fell into a heap in the floor at the foot of one of the other men.
“Such a shame Detective, she was so young and you just killed her. You have until noon tomorrow to give me the code or I will kill her.”
I looked at Cassie’s lifeless body on the floor, “You’ve already killed her!” I screamed.
“Oh, not her,” he sneered “the other one, the one you love.”
It hit me like a punch in the gut…He had Susanne and he intended to kill her if I didn’t give up the code.
Good stuff Christy!!
DeleteI love how you tied in a much larger plot and made the consequences even greater for the main character.
Nice work :)