Room 96
"Congratulations Noah, you are now one of us."
Noah looked in the eyes of his instructor's face and found it hard to be true. After six months of training, it seemed like it ended too quickly.
"That's it... the training's over?" Noah asked. "I qualified? I passed the testing?"
"Well, not quite. There is one final task you must complete to finish your initiation process. But otherwise, welcome to the club."
"What's that?"
"Remember you once asked me, 'what happens to the candidates who do not qualify after the testing process?' "
"Yes..." Noah remembered it well. In his first conversation with the instructor, Noah was skeptical about the whole "training" process.
"Unfortunately, they must be terminated. If they do not join us, that is, they don't qualify, then they will go back into the world. And just knowing of our organization makes it too dangerous for them to still be alive. They could expose us, or lead our enemies to us."
"You... kill the failures?" Noah asked.
"You have to kill one, for your final test."
Noah looked around. "And what happens if I'm a failure?"
"If you were, I wouldn't be telling you this."
Noah put his hands in his coat pocket. "If I failed, you would've killed me?"
"Don't worry about it. You've passed all the tests so far, and now you've reached the final exam."
"And that means I have to kill another candidate?"
"Was I not clear?"
Noah looked back up. "What're the details?"
"He will be in room 96 of the Clairemont hotel tonight. Our men will give you the key. He will not be expecting you. Kill him."
"That's it?"
"That's it. He failed our testing process. If he can't be one of us, then we can't let him go with the things that he knows."
"Why can't you do it yourselves?"
"This is a test. If you can kill him, then perhaps you are ready to join our organization. And remember, if he got as far in the training process as you did, he is sure to be as good a marksman as you."
"And after I kill him, will that complete my training?"
"Perhaps. Don't come back here until you do."
----------------------------------------------------------
It bothered him at first. He was about to kill a person in the exact same position that he was in, except they failed, and he didn't. So in essence, that person was innocent. Noah just had to terminate him to show his loyalty to his superiors. No regrets, he told himself. If he was this close to gaining membership, he couldn't back down now, especially if they really did kill the failures.
Noah walked up to the withered wooden door labeled 96. It was raining outside; a thunderstorm in fact. Noah pulled out his handgun and looked at it one more time before taking a deep breath. He put it away and took the small room key out of his pocket. The inside light of the room was off at this hour. The long, lifeless hallway was empty behind him. He checked his watch: 2:05 a.m.
The target was supposedly on the other side of this door. All Noah had to do was kill him, and don't ask questions. After that, he would be accepted as one of them.
Noah inserted the key into the lock and slowly turned it into the mechanism. There was a soft click, then he took out his handgun. The only noise was the beating of the rain and the thundering of the lightning.
He pushed open the door and saw darkness. The entire room was dark and he could barely make out the black silhouette sitting on the bed. Just as the figure was about to fire back, Noah aimed his handgun and pulled the trigger without a moment of hesitation. Three bullets flew out into the darkness and spattered against his target. The unknown figure launched back onto the floor.
Noah walked up to the man on the ground and raised his handgun to fire the final bullet. He had to do it. He had to kill him.
"Don't... do it..." The man muttered.
Noah fired and the man lay on the floor, motionless. The dead man's face was concealed by the darkness. Whoever he was, he was a failure.
No regrets. No remorse.
Noah looked behind him again. No one was watching him. His silhouette stood ominous against the doorway.
"Sorry buddy, but it looks like they didn't accept you."
----------------------------------------------------------
Noah walked into the waiting room where his instructor was sitting behind the counter.
"Mr. Yechzsovok, how nice to see you again. I take it you had no trouble killing the target yesterday?" His instructor asked.
"None at all."
"Am I detecting a feeling of remorse?"
"No. Is it over now?"
"Your training is complete, yes. You passed all of the tests. But we'll have to save the ceremony for later. Something unexpected has come up. Are you ready for your first mission?"
"That was quick, but yes."
Noah followed his instructor through a series of tunnels and into a large white room with no windows. A colossal teleportation device lay in the center of the manifold. All of the walls were clean and blank, with the only object in the room being the teleport.
"So this is it..." Noah muttered.
"Only for emergencies," his instructor replied.
"What about the side-effects?" Noah's voice echoed across the large room.
"Don't worry, Marks was the only incident, and it will stay that way."
"So where am I going?"
"Two days ago. A highly influential politician was assassinated. As your first mission, we want you to go back in time and stop it from happening."
Noah looked on incredulously.
"Once you re-appear two days in the past, we want you to find out how it happened, and stop it. You'll be spending your first night in a hotel and then do the job the next day."
"How will I get back to this time after I'm done?"
"You won't need to. By the time it's all over, you'll have reached the current time of right now, and the time line will be restored."
"So there will be two of me walking around for a day?"
"Yes, just make sure you don't run into yourself, or there might be consequences."
Noah looked on. "What should I do when I go back?"
"We mailed the instructions for your arrival. Everything is taken care of. Just step in the portal, and it will all begin."
Noah looked around him at the empty space in the humming room. He took a deep breath."Okay, let's do this."
Noah stepped into the teleport and watched the rings go around him. The instructor looked on and gave his goodbye. In an instant flash, Noah opened his eyes and he was in the exact same room, except two days ago. His instructor was gone. The room remained the same; white, clean, empty, and lonely.
A single guard was sitting in a chair at the end of the room.
"Noah Yechzsovok?" Said the guard.
"That's me." Noah stepped down as the rings rose up into the ceiling.
"I got the orders. They sent me a transcript five minutes ago. They said it's going to happen tomorrow, so you can't really do anything today. I booked a hotel room for you. It's room 99 at the hotel down the street. Here's the key. And congratulations on your initiation."
"Thanks. That's all I need to know?"
"In the morning they'll send a packet of information gathered about the murder. You'll have to act upon that, but until it arrives, get yourself comfortable."
Noah stepped down and looked at the calendar on the wall. It was exactly two days ago.
----------------------------------------------------------
Noah sat on his bed in the hotel room, looking outside toward the window. The rain was coming down hard, and the thunder rolled throughout the night. The storm wasn't going to end any time soon.
He looked at the clock: 2:02 a.m.
He sat there on the bed, with the gun in his hand, contemplating all that he had done so far.
I made it. After six long months of training; six long months of being isolated from the outside world; six long months without a job; six long months of lying to my family and friends; I made it, I finally I made it.
But do I really want to be here? I don't have a choice anymore. They said they kill anyone who backs out on them. That's how they remain so secret. That's how nobody knows about them. That's how nobody can fight them.
It's worth it right...? It's worth it.
He sat in the dark hotel room, hunched over his bed, trying to smile at what he achieved. He was now making a difference in the world.
Suddenly he heard a noise outside the door. He turned left and saw a shadow underneath the door frame. Somebody was standing right outside of his room, in the lighted hallway, doing something by his door.
The lock clicked. They were trying to break into the room.
The door pushed open. Noah tried to pull out his gun, but before he could react, two bullets hit his chest, and a third bullet impacted a second later, sending him toppling down onto the floor.
Noah gripped his chest where the bullets hit, and tried to breathe, but he knew it was all in vain.
The shooter slowly walked up to him.
"Don't... do it..." Noah muttered.
The shooter raised his gun and shot the final bullet into Noah's head.
The shooter looked behind him again. His silhouette stood ominous against the doorway.
"Sorry buddy, but it looks like they didn't accept you."
Labels: Sci-Fi
5 Minute Kill
5:004:594:584:57My digital stopwatch ticked down, nearing the ever closing mark. I had less than five minutes to stop the inevitable, or the world would send it self on a chain reaction of destruction.How do I know this, again?I remember. He contacted me two weeks ago. A man told me this would happen, a man who's face I've never seen; a man who I've never met; I man who I don't even know, and yet, I believe every word he says.I stormed up the staircase into the third floor of the musty apartment building. The corridor was exactly like the previous one, and I had no idea which door the target was in.
I stormed toward the end of the hallway and stopped myself. I tried to catch my breath and frantically make sense of what I knew, and then make a decision.
Suddenly the pay phone behind me rang. I turned around and I ran up to it before it had a chance to stop ringing.
I picked up the receiver.
"Hello?" I was out of breath.
"What happened? Your cell phone is off." It was him, as usual.
"The battery died." I tried to catch my breath.
"I told you to bring a replacement."
"I forgot."
I looked around me at the empty hallway and then down at my watch. The digital counter was ticking down from four minutes.
"What floor is the sniper on?" I asked him.
"He's on the fifth floor in apartment 5F. You know, this is cutting it close."
I looked around and checked my pistol for ammo. The stopwatch was ticking down toward three minutes.
"Roger that, I'm going in," I told him.
"Wait--Remember what I told you."
"...Yeah." I hung up the phone and headed up the next flight of stairs.
Outside, I could hear the crowd cheering as the limousines drove up the street. I entered the fourth floor hallway and made a dash for the next floor. The hallway was dark and there were no windows. I could see the dust floating in the air and the paper peeling of the walls. Every time I ran I kicked up more dust from the old carpet.
Suddenly a middle-aged woman walked out of her apartment and I brushed past her. I reached the next staircase at the end of the hall and pulled myself up onto the fifth floor.
2:00
1:59
1:58
1:57
I took a moment to catch my breath. Then I pulled out my pistol from its holster and turned off the safety mechanism. I checked each side of the hallway for the apartment numbers.
5B... 5C...
5F.
The noise of the crowd could be heard even louder from up here.
The door was right in front of me and I turned the knob. Unsurprisingly, it was locked. I pulled out my ID card and sliced it into the side of the door, hoping to break the lock open.
It wasn't working. I tried again, and again and I kept shoving it, but it still didn't open.
BEEP BEEP. My watch hit the one minute point. I had 60 seconds left. The seconds ticked away and I had to regain my cool.
The ID card wasn't working. I tried it again and shoved my whole body into the door. I made a slight bang and the door jarred open.
The room was empty. It was run-down, just like the whole building. The air was dusty and the walls were old and rotting away.
40 seconds.
I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins.
I slowly walked forward, looking left and right. He had to be in the bedroom; he had to be. I approached it from the left. I carefully pushed the door open, refraining from any unnecessary sounds.
The bedroom warily revealed itself as I pushed the door foward. Every second that passed I could hear the crowd outside and my watch ticking down.
There he was: a middle-aged man wearing a leather jacket, staring out the window. He had the sniper locked in his hands and he was preparing for the kill. His back was to me and he was completely unaware of my presence. I had to act now.
20 seconds.
I had my gun drawn and ready to fire. I approached him from behind, he still being oblivious to my presence.
"Drop the weapon." I said it as calmly as I could.
The shooter, still with his back to me, didn't move or make a noise.
"Drop the weapon!" I tried to sound as if I meant it.
13 seconds.
"DROP THE WEAPON!" I took two steps forward.
The attacker suddenly turned around and aimed his gun at me.
I fired my gun and the bullet flew out. The room shattered in echoes from the loud noise. The bullet connected to his forehead and the blood splattered against my face and my clothes.
I couldn't breathe. I needed to get used to killing other people.
I tried to rub the blood off my face and jacket. Face down on the floor, the sniper lay dead in front of me.
Beep, beep, beep.
0:00
I took a sigh of relief and tried to breathe normally again. It was over-I did it.
I looked out the window at the bright, cloudy day and I could see the UN ambassador exiting his car down on the street. He was greeted by his security guards and the other ambassadors. My eyes took a moment to adjust to the glaring light. It was a long way down. No one would ever know.
Suddenly the phone rang from the entry room. I walked back into the main room and spotted the green phone on a small table. I picked it up.
"Hello?" I answered.
"You hesitated." He always knew where to find me.
"I killed him."
"With five seconds to spare."
"The ambassador's alive. That's all that counts."
"That's right. Maybe I can trust you after all."
"So, who are you? Really?" I asked.
"Another time, another place. But good job on the kill. I'm going to have to wait and see if the history records update."
I stood there in the apartment and took a seat on the chair next to the phone.
He spoke up again. "We did it. The ambassador will finish the peace talks in the next week. You successfully averted the third world war."
I looked across into the bedroom and could see the sniper's body laying on the floor. The window allowed a slight breeze to enter the room. By killing one man, I saved another, who would save millions more.
"You know how hard that is to believe, right?" I said.
"For you, yes. But it doesn't matter now. The world is saved. Good job Mr. Kent."
I looked out across the room and took a deep breath. I didn't feel like a hero.
"So now what do I do now?" I asked.
"You do nothing. Go back to work. You will be a forgotten hero in the history of mankind, but I'm sure you can live with that."
I took a deep breath. "Will I ever talk to you again?"
There was silence. I could hear him thinking.
"Perhaps, if ever the time comes," he said.
"Are you sure you can find a phone?" I asked.
"Positive."
Labels: Sci-Fi
Avatar
"What if... We were just a simulation in a construct?"
I sat down at my personal desk and logged into my file. The virtual world was up and running again on schedule. I controlled my avatar and sent him to work to make money. He woke up, brushed his teeth, got in his 97' Cadillac and drove down to the city into a parking garage. I made him get out and enter the office building where he signed in for work.
Everyday for him, nine to five, making one-hundred thousand a year.
I watched as the virtual world spun around him and he did his job.
"Mr. Collins, please report to the front desk."
I looked up again, making sure that I just heard what I didn't want to hear.
"Mr. Collins? Front desk please."
I headed out of my cubicle and walked over to the receptionist. There was a tall man in his mid thirties in a business suit standing next to the entrance. He was carrying a briefcase and waiting for someone.
"Mr. Collins, this is the man from department. You're supposed to show him around today?" The receptionist said while working away at her desk.
"Oh, yes, of course. Right this way please," I motioned to the man.
The stout man in the business suit followed me back to my cubicle.
"My name is Victor Collins, I'm just another employee here doing the standard avatar job," I told him.
"I'm Kerry Barber, nice to meet you. So how do things work around here?" He asked.
"Well..." I said as I sat back down at my terminal. "We all have our own avatars and are trying to promote them in the virtual world," I answered.
"So... how does that relate to work?" He inquired."Some people just think it's fun and games but there's real money to be made. When your avatar gains virtual currency, it's worth almost twice that amount in real life. So you can image how profitable it is to be in the virtual world."
He crossed his arms in amazement. "Really? How is that possible?"
"Apparently, for some people the virtual world is worth more than the real world."
"So you sell things in there?"
"That's right."
I turned around to face my screen and watched my avatar do his job.
He took a seat next to me and leaned over my shoulder. "So what're you doing now?"
"Uh, nothing. My avatar is logged into his work shift, and gaining virtual cash."
My little character was on the screen, sitting at his desk, somehow gaining money.
"Don't you have to do something?" He asked.
"They have their own artificial intelligence that kicks in for basic commands. You know, like, working, eating, that sort of stuff. You have to control them though in where they go, what they do, and when they do it. But they can do the individual operations themselves." "What happens if you give them nothing to do?" He questioned.
"Well... they automatically try to resort to fulfill their needs. They'll eat, sleep, drink, have fun, that sort of thing."
"And what if you work them to the bone?"
"Ah you can't do that. They need to rest, relax, do different stuff. It's the basic needs for every avatar. Sometimes I give them a break."
"Very interesting."
I took a sip of coffee that was sitting next to my terminal.
The business man looked around at the other cubicles.
"So how deep is this virtual world, really?" He said.
"Well... I would say it's a complete recreation of Earth. It lives like Earth, it looks like Earth, and it acts almost the same way. You can go anywhere, do anything, and it's not like there's any loading screens."
"So it's literally an exact copy of Earth?"
"I guess so. This wouldn't have been possible back in say... 2000. But technology has changed. Ever since they harnessed the ability to store data in a single photon, we can do things never ever dreamed of."
"So how much different is this virtual world from our world?"
"...Not much. It's just that it's fake, and we're in control of it. And... you can make a lot of money in it." He took a pause. "So then, our world could also be virtual."
"...What?"
"It seems possible from what's capable today. What if the real world was a virtual world, and we're just players in a giant game? You know, like what you're doing. After all, how would we know?"
"Is that a serious question?"
"What's so unbelievable about it? How do you know this isn't a game?"
"Well, for one thing, I make my own choices. I know what I want and what I need. I can stop doing anything or just walk out of this office if I want. It's not like someone's controlling me."
"Maybe we're all just avatars. Maybe your choices are really someone else's choices. Maybe anything you choose is just really your creator doing it for you."
"I know what I am. Nobody's controlling me."
"But what if all your desires and impulses are just artificial intelligence, or the way your creator makes you do something?"
"Are you getting at something?"
"I just thought it was interesting how you controlled a person just like you, doing the same things, except in another world. I can't see why it doesn't apply to our world."
"Because it's ridiculous?"
He started to formulate a question in his mind. "Let's say I was an... 'avatar' in a virtual world. And my job was to inspect private businesses for the government. Today, my creator sends me to the Sy-Tech corporation to inspect it and thus gain virtual money in the process. And part of this inspection is to talk to one of their employees and see how they work in their jobs, which happen to be related to virtual worlds. What's so ridiculous about that?"
I stared into his face and gave my response. "I think your tour is over."
"It was just a question," he conceded.
He stood up and walked toward the exit.
I stared back down at my avatar. I would need to get him out of his office and over to sell real estate soon, or I would be behind for today's quota. But first I had to take care of his needs before he left the office.
I sent him over to the vending machine to get a drink (Thirstiness 10%) and then have a chat with the other employees there (Sociliaztion 25%). His popularity levels rose slightly. I then got him to check his e-mail (Daily Schedule 2%) before he left for the parking lot. He exited the office building and got in his car, then I sent him en route to his destination. His driving skill was 85% so chances of an accident were minimal.
After this deal, that would make my avatar more powerful than 95% of the population and that would make me rich.
I stared away from the screen for a second, with an urge to go buy lunch across the street. Maybe I could have a chat with George on the way out.
No, I'm not an avatar. That's impossible.
Labels: Sci-Fi
Cyber-Reality
So today's the day. He's finally breaking.
Then that's our queue?
That's what they said.
Just pull the plug right? No explanation in his world?
None at all. Just let him out of here. It's over.
It was a normal day for Harry Carver. 28 years old, promising job, good home, a bright future. Everything was looking good.
His job: to maintain the cyber-reality programming. Every day he would walk into the office and make sure all the programs ran smoothly. Smoothly being, you couldn't tell you were in the real world; exactly what the customers wanted.
Routine checks here and there, and the day was a breeze. All the customers would walk in and out satisfied. Occasionally they would add new features or block out things that were unexplainable, but it was a fairly solid program. The Cyber-Reality couldn't be told from the real world.
On a normal day dozens of customers would walk in during one hour and sign on. They would be escorted to one of the many cyber chambers on the other side of the facility. Some people logged in for as long as 5 hours, which meant big money for the company. As long as the customer's happy right?
5 hours of virtual reality. 5 hours of your wildest dreams. There's no trace of the false 0101 world, only reality. And all of it for a small fee. You could do whatever you wanted in there. And it was all real, thanks to people like Mr. Carver.
People like him who worked in their small cubicles, tampering with the programming, making everything just right, day after day. It was a simple job, do it right, and life was a breeze.
That didn't bother him at first: people living in a false world for a fraction of their lives. It payed well to maintain the machines. That was what he'd studied for in college after all. He'd been doing this job for the past 5 years. Why should it bother him now?
Maybe the ethics side finally got the better of him. Maybe it was the constant bickering in the media about the morality of the thing. His whole company was caught in the midst of controversy. Maybe all of it added together and then maybe he just finally broke.
So it was a normal day. Normal, except for his intentions. He wanted people to start living in the real world. Why was he helping them live in a fake one? Why was he helping to make it even more real for them? Why was he allowing them to think a cyber-reality was a real reality?
It was 2:00; coffee break. Most of the other personnel left their stations. The white office was empty and the sun was shining through the window. He turned around and saw this world he lived in. The city could be seen for miles from the skyscraper. People didn't need to live in a fake world when there was a real one right in front of them. All he had to do was pull the plug and they would wake up.
But then he asked himself again, "Why?" To give the customers a reality check? But what's the use, someone would just turn it on again. And he would probably be fired after this anyway. So, "Why do it?" Why pull the plug?
He just called it a gut feeling; one he couldn't ignore.
The dozens of cyber-chambers shut off. He could imagine it now: all the customers sitting in their chairs, surrounded by nothing but blackness. That's what they were really doing the past 5 hours. Sitting in a chair, staring at the black wall.
Of course everyone would be in an uproar. Then an image would flash on his desk, telling him to fix it, now. But something in him didn't click. He just sat there, staring at the black screen of his monitor. Just sat there, staring.
Pull it, now.
Got it.
He woke up. He was sitting in a chair, staring at a black wall.
He's out. You think he remembers?
Remembers what? He's been in that cyber world for 5 days now.
You think he remembers why he's here?
No, I don't.
...So it's a success.
Just wait 'till we talk to him.
He was sitting in a chair, staring at a black wall. He didn't have the words to think the the thoughts he wanted. He didn't have the thoughts to carry out the action he desired. He just sat there, staring.
The door behind him opened. Light entered the room for the first time. A silhouette of a tall man appeared.
"Mr. Carver. Wake up."
He managed to get one word out of his mouth,"Where?"
"Do you remember anything Mr. Carver?"
"Yes."
"What is your job?"
"Cyber..."
"Take it slowly."
"Cyber-World Industries..."
"How long have you worked there?"
"5... 5 years."
"How old are you?"
"28."
"Are you sure of all this?"
"Yes..."
The tall man waited. "Thanks for your answers. I'll be back for you."
Harry Carver sat in his chair, waiting. He blinked his eyes and thought of getting up. He managed to stand up from the chair, and turn his head towards the door. It was closed.
He breathed in and out. The simple process seemed quite alien to him.
The door opened again and light flooded his eyes.
The tall man was there.
"How old are you Mr. Carver?"
"I just answered this."
"I would like you to answer again."
"28."
"I see. Come with me, and everything will be all right."
Harry followed the man down a darkly lit corridor. The walls were somewhat curved and dark grey. The floor was made of steel grating.
They came to a stop.
"Right in here." He pointed into another room with another chair. The room was also small and all black. The chair was by itself and had more hightech equipment on it. Reluctantly, Harry took a seat and the door shut behind him, leaving the room filled with darkness.
"Your memory will come back to you in a moment, just relax."
It was as if nothing ever happened.
Two men in black suits were waiting as the door opened behind him. Harry stood up and faced them.
"So, when am I going to do the experiment?" Harry asked enthusiastically.
"You already did it. It's over," one of them responded.
"...What are you talking about? I just sat down and you guys said you were going to copy my--"
"If you'll check your watch, it's Friday. The experiment's been over."
"It is? Oh, well... how'd I do?"
"You preformed excellently."
Harry was still surprised. "Well, that's good."
"Come with us and you'll be escorted out of here."
He followed the two men towards the exit.
So it was a success.
I guess so.
And how ironic is it that the world you created for him was the world of your own? I bet you wanted to see if he would do the same thing in your situation.
Maybe. Who said that his cyber-reality had to be a fake enviroment?
Are you going to take action against Cyber-World?
That's for the bureaucrats to decide. We've done our part with the experiment. So now... It's up to them.
What about the subject? He still thinks he's in cyber reality?
He'll be fine. He probably doesn't even remember after that memory transplant.
So that covers it then. Cyber-World Industries does have a problem on their hands.
Yeah... and to think we just sent a mult-billion dollar corporation crashing.
If... you can prove it.
We just did.
Labels: Sci-Fi
The Exchange²
...I look straight in his eyes. "One-hundred thousand right?" "...That's right," he replies. He's also holding a briefcase of his own. "You got my stuff?" I ask him. "Right here." His gruntled voice still reminds me of a pig. He shows me his briefcase. I throw him my case and he prepares to open it. He keeps his eyes on me, being as cautious as possible...The Exchange²
...Now.
I lunge forward and kick him in the face. He falls backward and hits the ground. His body makes a crack as it hits the stone wall. I wouldn't be surprised if the wall almost broke behind him because of his size. I pull out my gun simultaneously and aim forward. Both black briefcases lie on the ground next to him. The sewage is still loud and disgusting. It's dark and desolate down here. Nobody else can hear or see us. He sits on the ground and I aim my gun at him. He is breathing heavily. The murky water continues to splash onto the sidewalk.
I pull out my communicator and say nothing, continually staring at him.
A little alien is on the screen.
I speak into the transponder. "I got him. Send in the pick-up unit."
I keep my eyes on him while I speak into the communicator.
Grun looked up. "Who are you..."
I look down on him and I keep my mouth shut.
The little alien responds to me. "North exit, rendezvous in three minutes."
"Roger that," I reply.
"What are you a bounty hunter?" Grun asks me.
I try to restrain myself from laughing but manage to make a smile.
"No... nothing like that," I blurt out.
"So you're a cop..." He says.
I don't reply, but he knows it's true.
There is a moment of silence.
I take out a pair of restrainer cuffs from my trench coat. They're small and pale blue. I throw them to Grun.
"Put those on. If you don't, I'll shoot you."
He stares at me and puts them on. He stands up and then I remember just how massive he really is.
"Pick up the briefcases," I order him.
He walks over and manages to grab both briefcases with his hands. All the while I'm keeping my distance, still aiming my gun at him.
It's dark and dirty down here, and he's twice my size.
I pull out my communicator again. "How many minutes?"
The little alien responds. "Just one--"
BAMI look away from him for one second to respond; fatal mistake.
The blow from the briefcase hits me in the eye. It feels like a splinter just ran through my skull. I fall down and splash in the gutty water. My body is engulfed in the disgusting stuff and I lose my perception. He starts to run away with his briefcase filled with drugs.
I leap out and drag myself onto the sidewalk, wet and in pain.
The communicator is on the ground several feet from me. A voice shouts out from it. "What happened? Did he escape?"
I manage to get my strength back and crawl over to the communicator. I can hear Grun's loud foosteps running away.
"Yeah... can you track him?" I ask.
"You'll have to hurry..."
I start the chase.
To Be Concluded.Labels: Film Noir, Sci-Fi
