“Amazing, all the waste is literally flushed away. I don’t smell anything foul like our sewers.”
“The waste is pretreated before it flows below the surface,” said Flint. “You could actually drink it if you were thirsty.”
“No, thank you. The idea of drinking sewer water just doesn’t appeal to me.”
They reached the door and found an old touch pad that dimly glowed, like the greenish color of an old florescent watch. Rev placed a thumb to the pad triggering a voice to respond. “We’re not open for business,” came the voice of a woman.
Rev pressed his thumb again.
“Come back later,” said the voice a little more short tempered.
Rev thumbed the pad repetitively until whoever was inside couldn’t take it any longer.
“All right, just stop with the buzzer.” The lock released with a resounding click and the heavy ironclad door swung inward.
“Who’re you and why are you making such a fuss?” asked a beautiful brunette. Like all Tsunamians, Rev noticed her perfect proportions. She wore a rather revealing two part outfit that hugged her round mounds and a skimpy bottom which revealed well-shaped legs.
“I’m Rev Smalley and this is Flint,” said Rev, indicating the automaton as they entered into the center of the room.
The woman got a glance at Flint and with the movements of a cat she produced a las-pistol which streamed a lethal blast at the small machine. Rev’s reflexes reacted when he saw the weapon and struck the arm up enough to make the shot go awry by a hair’s breath.
“Whoa,” said Rev, disarming the woman with his free hand. “Let’s not be so hasty here.”
“That thing’s a government spy,” she screeched. “He’ll report this place to the authorities.”
“Flint,” said Rev, getting the machine’s attention. “You won’t report her to the authorities now will you?”
“Actually, I was just about to tell her she was under arrest,” said Flint.
“See. I told you,” she moaned. “I’m doomed.”
“No, no. You’re not doomed at all. Flint is going to forget the location of this establishment and we three are going to sit down, have a drink, and chat for a spell.”
The woman stared dumbfounded. “We are?” said the woman and Flint at the same time.
“We are,” commanded Rev walking to an elaborate bar with rows and rows of different colored liquids in decorative bottles lining the wall and sat down on a stool, scanning all of his choices before pointing out one with a finger. “Let’s try the red one on the second shelf, just left of the green decanter.”
Flint puttered over and hovered above the stool on Rev’s left side while the woman decided she had no choice in the matter. She brought the red liquor to the counter top and set three snifters in a row; pouring about a jigger’s worth into each glass.
“I’ve never served an automaton before,” she said, sliding the snifter to Flint. “No hard feelings about the pistol.”
Flint shook his body.
“My name’s Sybil.”
Rev reached out and shook her hand. “Like I said, I’m Rev Smalley and this is Flint, my guide while I’m on your planet.”
“You’re human aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Damn, you’re the third human I’ve met this week.”
“Since there’s been only three humans on this planet ever, that makes you a very remarkable woman.”
“I guess it does indeed,” said Sybil. “You must be looking for your friends.”
“I am,” said Rev looking at her expectantly for more information.
“They were here and gone. What makes you think they are still at my place?”
“It seems coincidental that your address would be found at the murder scene. My friends are professionals and not likely to leave a clue behind haphazardly.”
“A murder? Really? I bet the government is just busting at the seams to shush that mess up.”
“That’s why I’m here,” he said. “My friends went missing looking into the murder and then someone left your address on the corpse.”
“You can’t tie me to any murder,” she said defensively. “I don’t know anything about it.”
“I believe you since you don’t fit the description of the murderer,” said Rev, tasting his drink for the first time and not liking it very much. Too sweet for his taste.
“What description is that, may I ask?” She frowned.
“My guess is a bipedal creature, about four meters tall with a taste for Tsunamian flesh.”
“We call that thing the Beast,” she remarked.
“So there is such a creature?” asked Flint.
“Yep,” she said. “It’s been seen late at night prowling down below.”
“By whom?” asked Rev.
“By me.”
Then she leaned forward as if the creature could hear and she whispered, “It’s the scariest damn thing that’s happened to me in my forty thousand years.”
* * *
SYBIL NOTICED THE HUMAN’S dislike for his drink and poured it down the sink. She then retrieved another bottle, sat a shot glass in front of him and filled it to the brim. “A real man’s drink. Not that sissy stuff.”
Rev sipped the brown liquor and immediately recognized it to be Jack Daniel’s Black Label. “I didn’t expect to taste Jack until I got back home.”
“It’s quite popular here. One of my biggest sellers actually,” she said.
“Sybil, when did you see the Beast?” asked Rev.
She shuddered at the thought. “Six days ago, I think. Maybe seven.”
“That would be just about the time of the murder,” said Flint.
Sybil continued, “There I was with my regulars and the girls who help with the sex trade. A couple of new Deviants were here until closing. I tanked up the new boys with their last drinks and shooed them on home. Then my girls left to get some sleep before they had to go to their day jobs, leaving me all alone. That’d be about two hours past midnight.”
She took a dirty tumbler, ran water over it and rubbed it dry with a dish towel. “I heard something outside like sniffing and a splash, so I opened the door and flicked on the tunnel light. It’s not very bright but I saw what I saw. Huge it was, muscles everywhere with a coarse hairy hide. The Beast saw me and bellowed. I’ll never forget that sound as long as I live.”
“What did you do?”
“Do? I slammed the door shut fast and bolted it tight. That’s what I did! Then I stacked furniture up against the door to slow it down if it got through. I don’t think I could’ve stopped it if it really wanted me but I had to try.”
“Why don’t you think it wanted you?”
“Well, there was a lot of sniffing and it splashed around for awhile, then it was like it smelled what it was looking for and made that bellowing sound again and was off without even knocking on the door.”
“You think the Beast was tracking someone then?” prompted Rev.
“I thought so at the time,” she said. “All I know is; I’m thankful the Beast wasn’t after me that night.”
“Could the Beast be after one of your patrons or the girls?” asked Rev.
“Seems reasonable to me,” she said and then a thought seemed to upset her. “Just who was murdered?”
“A woman who worked for the Eugenics Laboratory,” answered Flint.
“Don’t tell me it’s one of my girls, Tee or Willa,” she pleaded.
“I’m sorry,” said Rev. “It was Tee.”
“Oh, no, not my girls,” she moaned rubbing her hands and starting to cry.
Rev went around the counter, helped her to one of the rustic tables in the room and pulled a chair for her to sit down on. She took the seat and Rev pulled an adjacent chair out making a scraping sound in the sudden silence and sat next to her. Flint floated over carrying their drinks and placed them in front of everyone and waited for the silence to break.
“Sybil,” said Rev. “We ca
n’t bring Tee back but we can help Willa.”
“Why would Willa need help?” she asked.
“That’s a good question. I’ll tell you what I think and you can see if it makes any sense to you,” he said. “Tee and Willa work together at the Eugenics Lab, they’re both sex Deviants and there’s some new creature that roams your planet. Does that sound like a coincidence?”
“No, it doesn’t,” she said, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“You said the Beast wanted someone specific and my guess is it was after Tee.”
“So Willa is in trouble too?”
“I believe so. When did you see her last?”
“The night your two friends came by. The woman—”
“Cassie,” interrupted Rev.
Sybil nodded. “Cassie asked me a bunch of questions about strangers and such, which I didn’t have any answers to and the man—”
“Braz,” interrupted Rev again.
“Braz took Willa to the back to talk to her alone. It wasn’t long before Willa and Braz came back in a fuss and left with Cassie without even saying goodbye. I haven’t seen any of them again. I was going to ask the authorities about Willa but they don’t like helping Deviants.”
“So you have been waiting for word from Willa for five or six days?” asked Flint.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you try to reach her at her home or the lab?” asked Rev.
“I tried but the service to her apartment says there’s no one assigned to her number and the Eugenics Lab says there’s no such person who works there anymore. I figured she’d get in touch with me when she could, so I stopped trying.”
“What’s Willa’s last name?” asked Rev.
“Thoust, her last name is Thoust,” she said starting to cry again.
“Now we know who she is and where she works,” began Flint. “Should we be off to secure her safety?”
“It’s getting too late for visitors to go to the lab,” said Sybil. “You two drink up and go first thing in the morning. If she’s still working, she’ll be there just after sunrise.”
Rev picked up his shot of whiskey and downed it.
“What’s wrong with your automaton? Too good to drink my liquor?”
“You said you don’t drink.” The P.I. turned to his temporary partner. “Does that mean don’t or won’t?”
“Of course he can drink,” said Sybil pointing a finger at Flint. “He can handle most bodily functions when he wants to. At least that’s what other automatons can do.”
“Drink,” commanded Rev.
“I, ah—” stammered Flint. “Do not handle alcohol very well.”
“A machine not able to handle his liquor,” roared Rev. “This I’ve got to see.”
“Must I?” pleaded Flint.
“Drink,” said both of them.
Flint extended a slender tube from his body and sucked the red cordial up. Rev watched in fascination as the fluid traveled up the tube and formed an inner sphere of red liquid inside Flint.
Sybil gave Flint a stern look.
“Swallow it,” commanded Rev.
Flint made a gulping sound and the red cordial spread out evenly throughout his white-transparentish globular self. His inner workings flickered and Rev swore he could actually see Flint’s inner parts relax.
“I do not feel so good,” said Flint as he hiccuped.
“The boy’s right,” said Sybil. “He can’t handle his liquor. You better take him home and promise me you’ll find Willa tomorrow.”
“Will do,” said Rev, tucking Flint under his arm and waving goodbye.
“When you do find her,” said Sybil, holding back tears, “tell her Sybil loves her very much.”
Sybil’s last words left Rev feeling oddly aware that they sounded like a confession on a death bed. Maybe he was putting too much emphasis on his instincts, so he winked at her reassuringly and left her sitting at the table with her thoughts.
* * *
IT WAS AN ODD FEELING to be nearly alone in a huge city. Rev walked along the causeway to his apartment. Flint didn’t seem to mind that he was tucked under a big arm like a football guarded by a running back. Flint mumbled limericks and sang songs as they went along. Finally they reached a transmat elevator and Rev pushed the button to open the doors.
“I don’t know what to do from here. How do I set it to get us to the apartment?”
“That’s shimple,” slurred Flint. “Use thish.” And a small card pushed out of his body, he held it up from a slender arm. Rev tried to pluck the card from the translucent arm but Flint waved it just out of reach. This went on for a few attempts until it was obvious Rev was losing patience and squeezed the little machine until there was almost two of him.
“Sorry,” said Flint and let Rev have the card.
“Thank you,” said Rev as he found the front end of the card and inserted it into a slot in the transmat panel. The doors closed and within a second the doors opened again. They were on the right floor of his apartment building.
Rev reached inside and felt a small panel. When his hand stroked it the lights went on. I’m not going to trip this time, he thought.
He placed the card on the kitchenette counter and carried Flint to the bedroom. Rev endured another seedy limerick about machine life. Rev pulled the bed sheets down with his left hand and tucked Flint into the soft bed.
“You get the bed tonight, partner,” said Rev.
“Partner?”
“Sure. What else could you be?”
“I’ve never been someone’s partner.”
“I don’t usually have one,” said Rev. “I like to work alone. But you showed me today you’ve got the makings of a good friend.”
“I did?”
“You could’ve ratted Sybil out. But you didn’t. Doesn’t your programming insist on being first when it comes to crime? But you did as I asked.”
“I did, didn’t I?”
“Yes, and that makes you okay in my book.”
Flint seemed to change expressions and his little body sat up. “Oh, I’ll be sent to the reformatter for not reporting her.”
“No, you won’t,” assured Rev. “Nobody has to know anything about our trip to Sybil’s.”
“But what happens if Tuloff asks me a direct question?” panicked Flint.
“Lie. Don’t tell him anything. Tell him I made you. Whatever feels right to you.”
“None of it feels right,” he said, shaking a little. “And I drank. Oh, I’ll be demoted for sure.”
“Listen Flint,” said Rev. “You’ve got to relax. Being an investigator with me means you bend the rules. If I say you drink, then you drink. Any heat and I’ll take the responsibility.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“Absolutely. We’re partners aren’t we?”
“I guess so,” said Flint weakly.
“Damn straight we are,” said Rev, pushing Flint back down in the bed. “Now relax and sleep it off. I need to think about what we’ve uncovered.”
“I could help,” Flint volunteered but another hiccup came from him and his neural brain slowed down from the effects of the alcohol.
“No thanks,” said Rev. “I’ve got to noodle alone on the problem before I go to sleep. If I don’t, I won’t ever get any rest. You take it easy and I’ll do the thinking for both of us this time.”
Flint agreed and eased back down. Within seconds he started humming a soft song to himself. Soon, a wheezing sound told Rev the little machine was asleep. He marveled at the engineering of the little automaton. Clearly it was sophisticated enough to be a slave on Tsunam but Flint had shown he could adapt to higher levels of reasoning. He’d even learned how to lie along with being fiercely loyal. Something was different about Flint. Then Rev figured it out. Flint spoke with a contraction after having his drink. Like the fall of man from the Garden of Eden, had Rev corrupted poor Flint from innocence?
Rev smiled as a crescendo of wheezing turned into
all out snores. Flint snorted and then mumbled something about how he wasn’t fit to be salvaged for spare parts. Then he let out a throaty laugh and fell back to sleep. Who would’ve known a machine could become Rev’s new best friend so quickly. Rev realized he would miss the little guy when he had to leave Tsunam.
Rev leaned back in a soft chair to recall the day’s substantial progress, chronicling each piece of evidence. All of his thoughts led him back to thinking that something bigger than just a woman’s murder was in the works. When a case smelled this bad, he knew he was in deep trouble. Not just the usual trouble all investigators get into. He felt a plot of planetary proportions was about to burst wide open.
He wondered if he should inform Magnus of his fears but thought better of it until he could corroborate some of the facts. Speculation was as bad as telling falsehoods, especially if he was proved wrong. He’d stir up more trouble just trying to warn the authorities than waiting for whatever was going to happen to come out into the light.
In the end, he was satisfied to wait and see for another day. Go find Willa and gather more intel about where Cassie and Braz were. He hoped they’d both be safe for the moment. Somehow he’d find them but the details on just how he was going to accomplish that weren’t clear. He figured he’d have to get angry and wring the truth out of someone before long. He hated it, but in his experience, he knew that violence did solve problems, especially personal ones.
Rev brushed his teeth, washed his face, and found the couch after turning the lights out. Soon the new partners were dueling on who could snore the loudest. Rev was winning.
Chapter 6
SYBIL CLOSED AND BARRED the door after her last patron stumbled away. She went to the bar, pouring herself a whiskey as her thoughts wandered to Rev and Flint. Her hands were shaking so much that she spilled some of the liquid as she poured. With trembling hands, she managed to drink most of the whiskey without spilling any more.
“You’re an old fool,” she found herself saying out loud. Her voice sounded thin as it echoed in the empty room. How did I get into so much trouble? She was just an old Deviant who liked her drink and an occasional male companion. She never thought of herself as a bad or twisted person like the authorities made her out to be.
The Beast of Tsunam (Rev Smalley: Galactic P.I. Book 1) Page 5