Jia looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
“She controls my PNIU, remember?” Erik offered with a grin. “I can’t have any secrets with my ghost mother-in-law haunting me. Why don’t you read what the message says, Emma?”
The AI harrumphed. “‘G, but that doesn’t mean we will go. I’ll finish my current batch quickly just in case.’”
Jia furrowed her brow, her expression darkening. “You’d think Alina would let us know rather than playing games with us, especially since she’s gone through the trouble of telling Lanara.”
“Nah, because it’s easier for us to get ready for a mission than it is for Lanara to make sure the ship’s ready if she’s in the middle of upgrading it. At least we got to go to your mom’s party. Now that we know from Lanara, we’ll probably get an Alina invite in the next few days.”
Jia sighed. “I hope not.”
“Really?” Erik asked. “You’re the one who said it’d be within a week.”
“I believe that, but I also feel like I need one more week off to recharge.”
Erik nodded slowly, surprised by the admission. “I’ve got something special planned. It’s between a real date and training. It’s something I’ve been thinking about doing, but we were always on standby, so I kept pushing it off.”
Jia leaned forward, eagerness in her eyes. “Now I want to know.”
“No. Some things are better as a surprise. And…” He frowned as his PNIU beeped. “That better not be Alina.”
Jia leaned back with a smirk on her face. “That’s what you get for planning something.”
Erik read the message. “It’s the 1-2-2. Captain Ragnar wants to talk to the two of us.”
“About what?” Jia asked.
“It doesn’t say. The little Grayhead party, I’d assume.”
“That wasn’t his enforcement zone,” Jia complained.
Erik grabbed a beignet for the trip. “I hope this doesn’t end with us hijacking the jumpship and fleeing the system.”
Emma vanished. “I think that’s unlikely, though it might be amusing.”
Chapter Eleven
Jia didn’t know if the near emptiness of the station was a good sign, but it did help reduce the number of conversations they needed to have before they ended up at Captain Ragnar’s office.
She didn’t mind talking to her old colleagues, but now that she knew Alina might be calling them up, she’d prefer to spend time with Erik without explosives or gunfire involved.
When they finally arrived in front of the captain’s office, the bearded man waited inside behind his desk, as large as Jia remembered him from their last meeting. He used to be one of the few people she regularly talked to who could make Erik seem small in comparison, an impressive feat.
Captain Ragnar gestured for them to enter.
He was smiling, but reading too much into that might be premature. Jia didn’t regret downing the terrorists and was ready to defend their actions to anyone who might question them. If they’d waited, more people might have died. She and Erik hadn’t been willing to take that chance.
Being on the commerce level had also given them opportunities the NSCPD would have had trouble with, even if they had retaken control of the systems as quickly as Emma—an unlikely possibility at best.
Erik and Jia stepped inside. She closed the door behind him, waiting for the captain to start the conversation. He’d helped them a lot during their time at the 1-2-2, and she would always be grateful for that, but situations changed with time.
They didn’t need more enemies at home. It was time to feel him out subtly and take control of the conversation from there if necessary.
“So, what’s the deal?” Erik asked.
Or they could be blunt and to the point, she thought.
Captain Ragnar’s smile broadened. “You two never change. That’s good.” He leaned back. “I know you asked the local EZ and TPST to keep your names out of it for the media, but it’s not like they’re not going to put things on internal NSCPD reports. It’s hard for the old 1-2-2 not to take notice when the Obsidian Detective and Lady Justice are involved in a major local incident.”
“We weren’t going to stand by and let people die.” Jia folded her arms. “It was as simple as that.”
“Calm down, Det…” Captain Ragnar sucked in a breath. “Damn. It hurts when I realize you don’t work for me anymore, but it’s the same thing. I’m not here to chew your asses out. If anyone was going to do that, it would be the TPST commander or the captain of the 4-3-1. This little incident reminded me of what I lost when you two left us.” He gestured to the empty seats in front of him. “You two are worth twenty detectives, not to mention that you work with an AI worth the entire NSCPD digital forensics department.”
Emma materialized in a police captain’s uniform with a smile. “I’m glad you appreciate my worth. You’re reasonable for a fleshbag, which is rare. I enjoy that.”
Captain Ragnar chuckled. “I forgot how…colorful you are.”
Erik settled into a seat, nodding to Jia, who nodded back. The tension had evaporated, and now Jia felt foolish to have ever worried that Captain Ragnar would come down on them for taking out terrorists. If it weren’t for him, the 1-2-2 would not have become an enforcement zone worthy of pride.
“What’s this about, Captain?” Jia asked. “I assume you didn’t call us here just to tell us how much you missed us.”
He took a deep breath and slowly let it out before scratching his eyebrow. “I don’t know everything that’s going on with you two and why you left the police department, but I do know you’re working with…” He frowned. “Emma, can you make sure this conversation stays here?”
“Trivial,” she responded with a wave of her arm. “Feel free to talk.”
Jia’s eyes narrowed. This wasn’t the casual chat she’d been led to believe it would be. Erik’s demeanor didn’t change.
Captain Ragnar cleared his throat. “I know you’re still working with Colonel Adeyemi, which implies certain things about the scope of your professional interests.”
“Like?” Erik asked, his voice low.
The captain raised a hand. “I’m not here to pump you for information on things I don’t need to know. I am aware that part of the reason I was brought to this EZ was that certain people, including Adeyemi, knew I could be trusted. There was probably more behind the spike in terrorism that hit Neo SoCal than bad luck and lazy cops.”
Jia sighed and looked away. “We’re limited in what we can share.”
“Good.” The captain nodded. “That’s the way it should be. I’ve been around enough ghosts in my time to smell the ID all over you two, and I assume that’s where you dragged Malcolm off to as well.”
Jia's eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything. Erik chuckled, more amused than concerned.
“Again, don’t worry about the details,” Captain Ragnar added. “I’m only saying this to make it clear I understand your situation. I also understand that certain things happened here because of what you were likely involved in, even before the ID showed up and started making demands.”
“No offense, Captain,” Erik twirled a finger in a circle, “but can you get to the point?”
“Yes, I should, shouldn’t I?” Captain Ragnar leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in front of him. “Whenever terrorists show up on Earth or Neo SoCal, it’s a big deal, but I’d make the argument that when it involves you two, it’s an even bigger deal because it might mean something more.”
“Okay.” Erik nodded slowly. “Does it mean more this time? I wasn’t sure about those guys. They were sloppy, but being sloppy and being a tool aren’t mutually exclusive.”
Captain Ragnar shook his head. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. They’re nothing.”
“Nothing?” Jia frowned.
“Let me clarify.” He added. “They’re terrorists. Grayheads, implying everything you’d think about the kind of people who would pull a stunt like
that, but that’s it. They have no connections to anyone else, and based on their PNIUs and other CID info I received not long ago, they’ve been planning to attack that commerce tower for two months.”
Jia’s frown softened. “It was a coincidence. That’s it?”
Emma sighed. “That does explain their poor opposition and inferior skills.”
Captain Ragnar offered her a raised eyebrow. “You’d prefer it if they were tougher?”
“It’s not so much that I wanted them to be tougher. I was going for more entertaining.” Emma shrugged. “All encounters should offer enrichment on some level. Otherwise, it’s nothing more than fleshbags being pathetic.”
“You sure about all this?” Erik asked. “Some things make sense, but some don’t. They didn’t come after us right away, and they didn’t seem ready for us, but they could have been hired. From what Emma told us, they weren’t supposed to be a big deal, and now suddenly, they’re doing that kind of thing?”
“It’s because they got an infusion of cash,” Captain Ragnar explained. “From a high-level supporter who was enthusiastic about Grayhead ideals who was looking for a group that didn’t already have a firm power structure. She wanted her own pet terrorists.”
“If we know who it is, why hasn’t she been arrested?” Jia asked.
Captain Ragnar laughed. “She has. She was arrested this morning by the CID before the attack in Sao Paulo. I’m sure heads will roll over the fact they nailed her but let those guys move.”
Jia frowned. “They knew about it?”
“I don’t know the details, but from what I can tell, they thought if they nailed their funder, they’d be able to quickly follow up and take them out. It’s not as if they ignored the operation.” Captain Ragnar gestured to her. “And they were under the impression they had more time. Fortunately, you two were there. It’s not your problem to worry about or even mine. Mistakes happen, and that’s on them. I just wanted you to know there’s nothing deeper to this.”
Erik let out a sharp laugh. “I don’t know if that’s better.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I don’t know if running into random terrorists while shopping is better than knowing someone’s coming after you. At least in the second case, you can do something about it.” Erik dusted his hands. “But it’s good in the short term. I have a reservation for something tomorrow, and I didn’t want to have to cancel it.”
Captain Ragnar gave him a long, curious look before nodding. “Okay. So, I’m not going to keep you two any longer. I appreciate what you did out there. The entire NSCPD appreciates it. If you ever want to come back, I’m sure no one would complain, and I’d give you your old office.”
“It’ll be a while yet,” Jia offered, standing. “Once we finish our current…tasks, I think both of us are going to want a long vacation.”
He smiled. “I can’t think of two people who’ve earned that more.”
Chapter Twelve
September 24, 2230, Neo Southern California Metroplex, Industrial Tower 87
Jia always managed to surprise Erik.
He believed he had a good handle on her, but then she would do something that took him off-guard. Today, it was simple.
She’d allowed him to land at an industrial tower without explanation and lead her out of the MX 60 and up the elevator blindfolded while leaving her weapons and coat in the car. She had her arms folded the entire time and tapped her foot impatiently, but he’d been impressed by her level of trust and surrender of control, given her natural tendencies.
He wasn’t sure he would have been able to do it if their roles were reversed.
They stood on a small platform jutting out of a mostly empty level with a sprawling open hangar behind them, empty except for a small pile of silver boxes in the corner and dozens of small docking stations for drones, all currently empty.
The expanse of Neo SoCal spread out below. Glinting towers pierced the skies, and the colorful metal rivers of flitters and the omnipresent swarms of drones flew everywhere. It was an ecosystem of its own, despite being an artificial construct where people lived and worked far from the planet’s surface.
“You can take off the blindfold.” Erik walked toward a small but long silver box in the center of the platform that matched the pile of boxes inside the level. It contained everything they needed for the day’s activities.
Jia yanked off the blindfold, then carefully folded it and tucked it in her pocket as she took in the vista. “It’s a nice view, I’ll give you that. This isn’t the part where you reveal you work for the Core and throw to my death, is it? That would be terribly anticlimactic.”
“The opposite would make more sense.” Erik crouched next to the box and tapped in a code on his PNIU, and the lock clicked. “But I’m not here to kill you today. I haven’t checked my schedule for tomorrow.”
Jia walked toward the box. “What’s in there?”
“Active thrust wingsuits,” Erik explained, his grin growing.
Jia’s brows lifted. “ATWs?” She laughed. “Oh, now I understand why you suddenly wanted to do wingsuit scenarios during training a couple of weeks back. And here I thought you just wanted to mix things up a bit.”
“I did, but not for missions. You’ve said it yourself. And I’ve said it.” Erik tugged up a folded wingsuit, chute pack, helmet, and thrust boots out of the box and offered them to Jia. “Your brain can always sense the difference in a simulation, no matter how good it is. It’s good training, but it’s not a real experience. It’s not going to make your blood pump as hard. It’s not going to be as fun. We should have some fun before Alina tosses us back into our monster hunt.”
Jia eyed the equipment incredulously, then looked at the box, at Eric, and back at the box. “So, let me get this straight. Your idea of something mixing dating and training and fun is both of us jumping off a tower.” Her eyes narrowed. “On purpose?”
“Yeah, that about sums it up.” Erik nodded at a nearby door. “You can go in there and get changed.”
“I know I’ve done this in training, but I’m assuming because of the equipment and location, we’re doing this via a company and not just trying to get ourselves arrested?” Jia sounded amused.
Erik chuckled. “You have had parachute and escape-pod training as part of your pilot’s license. I pulled some strings so we could do this without an instructor and a bunch of training you’ve effectively already done. Why waste time?”
“I hope I don’t regret that on the way down,” Jia muttered through the smile that had formed on her face.
“The company was rather insistent on safety drones,” Emma explained. She didn’t appear, though. “We’re standing in front of their hangar. I’ve taken the liberty of accessing their system and will control all the safety drones. That’s far safer than their automated system or some foolish fleshbag instructor. Don’t worry, I knew Erik had this planned, so I had plenty of time to infiltrate the system without making them aware. As far as they know, Erik has a team of trained professionals monitoring everything.”
“I’m both honored and a little scared to hear that,” Jia admitted.
Erik walked to the edge and pointed down. “Once we jump, you’ll see an AR overlay of the permissible flight area. Normally, the safety drones will grab you if you try to go past them, but we have a little broader play area because Emma’s in charge.”
Jia nodded at her helmet. “I don’t think we should go crazy. If we zoom around the entire city, I think the company and the police might notice.”
“Sure.” Erik winked. “We won’t go crazy, but we’ll have fun. Believe it or not, I put some skull sweat into this. I picked a location and a time of day with minimal traffic.”
“A-hem,” Emma interrupted. “His planning mostly consisted of saying, ‘Emma, find me a location and time of day where we’ll have room to play.’ I suppose that does count as planning.”
He rolled his eyes. “I was making good use of my local resource
s.”
Jia smiled. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. At least this isn’t as insane as a drop pod.”
Erik gave her a serious look. “You never know when we might need this, and yes, it’s a lot more fun than dropping from orbit.”
“Even when you’re not under fire?”
“You can’t see shit in a drop pod,” Erik explained. “Not really. Sure, you have feeds, but it’s not like this, and you’re falling damned fast until the very end. You’re not experiencing anything. You’re stuck in a big metal shell with minimal thrusters and less grav compensation. It’s like being in a vibrating coffin.”
Jia’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “Let’s avoid that. I’m comfortable waiting until I’m dead before I’m in a coffin.” She headed toward the door. “Let’s get changed. Do try not to die on our date.”
“You jump first,” Erik suggested. “I’ll follow.”
“What does it say about us that jumping off a building is one of the less insane things we’ve done lately?” Jia raised an eyebrow.
“It says we’re damned fun people who keep our days and nights exciting.” Erik grinned and motioned to the edge of the platform. “Now, are you going to jump, or am I going to have to push you?”
“I knew this was an assassination attempt.” Jia finished securing her helmet and AR goggles and tapped on the side. “Full integration achieved. Signal check.”
“Signal received,” Erik replied. “Emma?”
“You’re both fine in my system,” she replied. “You may pointlessly risk your lives whenever you’re ready.”
Jia advanced toward the edge of the platform, the tight wingsuit fitting her like a glove. Erik hadn’t thought of that fringe benefit when he’d planned the activity, but he wasn’t going to complain about looking at his girlfriend’s taut …backside.
“The wings are programmed to auto-deploy after a hundred meters,” he explained. “Since it’s your first time doing the real thing, I figured we shouldn’t mess with the deployment altitude. Also, remember the thrusters in the boots aren’t powerful enough to generate much lift without taking advantage of the wings, so use them in combination. Otherwise, it’s just a fancy-looking parachute.”
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