The Collab...

Chapter 20

By AC

Tasser and Byrce had finished taking the statement of a shopkeeper in the south part of the District when they saw the stranger.

The woman had a plain look about her; her clothing had a body-armour style to it, but not like police or military armour, which was designed to intimidate. In fact, it had a stylish, "civilian", appearance and Byrce found himself attracted to her -- slightly; after all he never allowed personal feelings to get in the way of his duty. What Tasser thought about her he didn't know -- and didn't want to know, considering his experiences with his partner in the past few years. Why was it that bad cops were a dime a dozen around here?

But it wasn't the stranger, nor Tasser's potential attitude toward her that made them both reach for their weapons; it was the metre-high six-legged /thing/ that walked beside her. When she got within five metres of them, they raised their guns. "State your name and business," said Tasser, his voice cold.

The woman stopped, and the thing -- Byrce thought it resembled an insect that had its head and abdomen lopped off -- stopped also to some unseen and unheard command. "Is this the usual way you treat newcomers?" she asked.

Before Tasser could reply, Byrce decided a little diplomacy was in order, and spoke first. "Sorry about the guns, Ma'am, but this has been a strange night; everybody's a little on edge right now. If you could give us your name and citizenship card..."

"I have no citizenship card," the woman said. "My name is Paula ter Maarden, and I am a representative of the Human Compact, a commonwealth of worlds descended from Old Earth. My business, as you put it, is to help you save your world."

Tasser and Byrce eventually lowered their weapons, not because they considered her safe, but because they were too dumbfounded.

"Paula" had given them quite a story, about the Compact from which she supposedly came, about how their world was a "lost colony" with a treasure that they were destroying by harvesting Ether. She promised them technologies that would make thier lives so much better, using a device on her belt to produce three-dimensional images of lush valleys and clean, pleasant, cities.

"... so it's imperative that I speak to your leaders as soon as possible," she concluded. "I take it you're part of law enforcement, perhaps you could escort me to your mayor or governor or king?"

Byrce blinked, and said, "Just a moment." He and Tasser went to one side. "What do you think?" he asked his partner, keeping his voice low.

"She's certifiable," Tasser replied, his voice equally low. "I say lock her up and let the Chief decide what to do with her. Although..." He looked aside at Paula and licked his lips. "...I hope the chief takes his time."

"Do you think that's necessary? Locking her up, I mean." Byrce looked at Paula and the thing she called a "ranger". "Maybe she's nuts, but she's not violent --" /Yet/ "And maybe she's telling the truth."

"Always the boy-scout, huh?" Tasser shook his head. "With an attitude like that you'll still be patrolman while I make Captain. Besides, I outrank you and /I/ say we take her in."

"And that thing she's got?"

"Just plug it and leave it here. It's just a machine."

"I still don't know..." Byrce looked back at Paula. Tasser had a point, but... the whole thing stank. Besides, if Paula was telling the truth...

"Fine, then I'll take her in, get the promotion, and get you busted back to a desk job." Tasser sneered. "Now are you in or out?"

Byrce knew he'd lost... again. "In," he said, and he watched another piece of his integrity dissolve.

Paula was getting nervous. What was taking those officers so long? Surely they could see what she had to offer!

Finally, the officers turned back to her. The officer called "Byrce" looked dismayed; and she wondered what they had decided.

Their intentions were made clear when "Tasser" pulled his gun and fired three times.

The first shot hit the ranger right in the sensor cluster; the second tore through its shell and lodged itself somewhere inside the delicate quantum logic modules -- a lucky shot, part of her thought. The ranger spasmed and collapsed to the ground, its six legs still.

The third shot caught her in the gut.

If it hadn't been for the protective suit she wore, the shot would have gone through her body and she would be on the ground. Instead, the suit absorbed the shock, and nanites dismantled the bullet.

Even so, Paula staggered from the force of the shot. It /hurt/. Combined with the suddenness of the attack, Paula was stunned for a moment, in more ways than one.

Byrce's mouth dropped open when she remained standing, and straightened, intact.

"What..." she said, trying to catch her breath, "... was... that for?"

Byrce stammered for a second. "Tasser...," he said, glancing at his partner.

Tasser's face was a portrait of anger. "So you're a little tougher than I thought," he said to Paula.

Paula took a step back fumbling in her pocket. "I-I thought you were policemen." Where was that stunner?

Tasser raised his gun again. "I bet your head isn't as tough as the rest of you..."

Byrce had lowered his weapon, and looked at his partner. "Wait--"

Tasser ignored him. "So put up your hands, Miss Compact-Representative and maybe I won't spill your brains over the street."

Paula's hand found the stunner, and she brought it out. Her hands were shaking.

Tasser looked at the small disc she held. "And what's that supposed to be?"

"A s-stunner," she replied, closing her eyes and thumbing the trigger.

There was no light, no sound. Due more to luck than skill, the shot caught Tasser in the hips and he collapsed to the ground, swearing. "I can't feel my legs!"

"It'll wear off -- in an hour," Paula said, her voice and hands a little steadier now. She turned the stunner on Byrce, who constantly shifted his gaze between her and his fallen partner, his weapon pointed at her.

Tasser lifted his torso off the ground, his gun in one hand. "You're dead, bi--"

And Byrce made his decision. He pointed his gun at Tasser. "Don't," he said.

Tasser looked at him with surprise. "We're on the same side!"

"Are we? Police officers don't just kill people."

The surprise turned to disgust. "Have it your way, boy-scout." In one fluid motion, Tasser turned his gun on his partner and squeezed the trigger.

The shot whizzed by Byrce's head. On instinct he fired once, and Tasser crumpled to the ground, a hole in his heart.

Paula stared open-mouthed at him, uncertain what to do now.

Byrce dropped his gun. "I'm ruined," he said. "My career, my life..." He looked at her. "I never wanted him dead, understand? But I couldn't let him kill you."

Paula lowered her stunner, placed it in her pocket. "Thanks-I-think," she said, slowly recovering from the events of the past minute. "Can you take me to your leaders?"

"I think so," he said. "Are you really from another star? Because I've just bet my life on your story."

"I am," Paula replied. "I meant everything I said. I've got something that could do everybody here a lot of good. Now, where do we go?"

Byrce picked up his gun and put it in his holster. "The Core. That's where the Ministry is located. This way." He started down the street.

Looking at her unexpected, but not unwelcome, ally, Paula followed him.