“I’ll see ya around, Jax.” Max scurried in before the bot could respond.
Max sighed as he walked up to the booking window. He expected praise for capturing one of New Wave City’s most wanted, but also a good tongue-lashing for knocking out an old lady in the process.
First thing’s first. “Afternoon, Jake. Are your guys done processing my catch?”
Jake Cunningham let out a chuckle. “Well if it ain’t the man of the hour himself. Yeah, we’re done putting a bow on Esposito for ya. It’s a good thing, too. The chief wasn’t too thrilled with how you went about collaring him.”
“Yeah, I was expecting that. We’ll chat later, if I still have an ass to sit on.” Jake roared as Max walked off for the main offices.
A round of applause greeted Max as he walked towards chief Norman Hanlon‘s office. Max smirked, raising his hands. He used them to tamp down the air in front of him. Keep it down, already.
He was less than thrilled to see that the big man himself was in his office. Hanlon had his hands folded over his ample gut, peering through his spectacles at the computer screen on his desk. He didn’t bother to look up when Max knocked on his door. “Come in, Kincaid.”
Max closed the door behind him and stood in front of the grand inquisitor. “How ya doing, Norm?” Hanlon raised an eyebrow, but continued to study his computer screen. “Sit.”
Hanlon sat up with a grunt and ran a meaty hand across his balding head. “I hear you had one helluva day today, Kincaid.”
“You could say that, yes.” Max couldn’t read Hanlon’s face. It was annoying the hell out of him. It always did. “I think it all worked out alright in the end.”
Hanlon sighed. “I think the innocent old lady you stunned might not feel the same way.”
“Aw jeez, Norm! It’s not like I was aiming for her. There’s a reason I was using stun and…”
“And she’s perfectly fine. You might want to drop a card to Houston in Drug Enforcement, though. That’s his mother.” Max looked mortified. Hanlon smirked. “I’m just messing with you.”
Max shook his head and grinned. “Why you gotta do that to me, Norm? Honestly… That old lady though, she really is okay, isn’t she?”
Hanlon nodded. “She’s fine. She’s pissed, but frankly I don’t blame her. I think we can smooth things out. Lucky for you that you did it making one hell of a catch.”
“Oh, so you’ve heard?” Max was still grinning.
“Yes, I’ve heard. Old Victor is pissed off too, but I’m not so worried about that. He was yelling from one end of the precinct to the other about how he was getting out tonight, Don Adesso was going to punch our tickets, the usual bullshit.”
Max leaned back and put his foot up on his knee. “But something was different this time…”
Hanlon grinned. “Old Don’s people called. They disavowed having any business with the bozo. They don’t want anything to do with him! And if they don’t want anything to do with him…”
“Then he‘s dead to them. If Victor wants to be anywhere right now, it’s here under the protection of the police.”
“How sweet it is. I bet you he’ll be singing like a bird by this time tomorrow.” Hanlon pulled open a desk drawer and produced a pair of cigars. He offered one to Max. “I’d say this is the least you’ve earned, today.”
Max shook his head. “Not my thing, boss.”
“Trying to live forever? Eh…” He tossed it down on the desk in front of him. “Take it as a souvenir, then.” He lit his own and talked around it. “I also don’t want to see you tomorrow.”
Max cocked his head, grinning. “That’s not necessary, Norm.”
Hanlon pulled the cigar and leaned forward, blowing out smoke as he talked. Max wrinkled his nose. “I never said it was! But that’s the way it’s gonna be.” He leaned back and poked at his computer screen. “Get outta the city, maybe. Get some air.”
“Plenty of air in town, boss.” Hanlon looked at him over his spectacles. Max got the message. “I’m sure I can find something to do with myself. Um… Thanks, I guess.”
Hanlon nodded. “You did good, Max. Go play.”
Max stood up and waved a dismissive hand. “Sure, boss. Sure. We’ll talk later.” Hanlon grunted and went back to his computer screen.
Jax was still standing sentry when Max reemerged from the precinct. “I trust all went well, Max?”
“Just fine, buddy. Just…” Max turned his head slightly to look past Jax. He saw a familiar blue windbreaker. “Excuse me, Jax.”
“Of course, sir.” He watched Max jog a short distance up the street.
He returned a moment later. Jax tilted his head. “Is everything alright?”
Max distantly nodded. “Yeah. Saw a ghost.”
“But ghosts aren’t real, Max!”
“Yeah.” Max looked back over his shoulder. “Except for when they are.”
Max shut his car door and stretched in the morning sunlight. He watched the morning rush unfold around him, a look of bewilderment on his face. He sighed, adjusted his tie, and made his way onto the sidewalk.
People of all walks of life zoomed around him. At times he felt like he was moving in slow motion. Everybody had someplace to be. They had a purpose.
Max had a day off.
He smirked, shaking his head. What in the hell was he doing, anyway? He figured he might as well start today like how he started most. Max strolled in the general direction of Sam’s Diner, still feeling like a turtle surrounded by hares.
A squat red newsbot was positioned at the street corner. Well there was a start. The bot was about two feet tall and barrel-shaped. A comically small head about the size of an apple sat atop its oddly shaped body. An OLED screen on the front of the bot showed “Catch the Wave… NEW WAVE TODAY”
The tiny head spun as Max approached. The robot made a series of excited beeps and squeaks, blinking its tiny blue eyes. Max smiled. “Morning there, Robby!”
Robby the newsbot spun in a circle, making more cheerful noise. Max was always happy to see the little bot. He had become a semi-regular part of the detective’s morning routine.
“What’s news today, huh?” Robby beeped and spun his little head around. A sampling of the morning’s headlines scrolled by on his OLED screen.
Max smirked at the top story. “Senator Robert Quade to Push Synthetics Regulation” read the headline. It was about time.
“Alright. Looks good. I’ll take one.” Robby beeped cheerfully. A small square pad slid out of the newsbot’s body and angled down. “Twenty-five bucks now? Almost more than my coffee, Robby!”
The newsbot made a sad sound. “Oh, don’t be like that. I’m still getting one.” Max pressed his thumb on the pad. It beeped twice a couple of seconds later. A small, tinny male voice said “Thank you!”
The pad retracted back into Robby. Something inside the newsbot whirred and clicked. A slot opened on the bot’s front panel a moment later. A thin 8”x10” piece of clear plastic slid partially out.
Max grabbed it and pulled it the rest of the way out. The slot sealed shut. Max stood and tapped the corner of the sheet. All the day’s news filled the sheet in glowing blue letters.
“Thanks a million, Rob old boy.” Max tapped the edge of his fedora. Robby beeped cheerfully and spun his head once more. Max walked away smiling.
He paused and tapped the corner of the newspaper before tucking it under his arm. He started walking again, trying his best not to be a deterrent to those that had a place to be. He began to cross the street to Sam’s and stopped mid-stride.
Was that… He spotted a familiar blue windbreaker amongst the ocean of gray and black sport coats and business suits. The figure turned toward him. He zoomed in with his synthetic eye.
Max stumbled forward with an “Oomph!” A bright green minivan blared its horn as it swerved around the cursing detective. “What in the blue hell!”
A green and yellow delivery bot walked around him. “My humble apologies, good sir!”
The bot held up a bag holding two sub sandwiches. It bore Jax’s familiar goofy grin. “A rush order!”
Max rolled his eyes and flashed his badge. “Be more careful, robot.”
The goofy grin was gone. “Oh, my! My apologies, Detective Max Kincaid!”
“Yes, yes, fine. Get a move on, would ya?” Max pointed at the growing line of cars behind the delivery bot.
It skittered off without another word. Max followed it across the street and gratefully watched it continue down past Sam’s Diner. He swore the more complex the robot, the more potential it had to get itself into trouble. “Give me Robby any day.”
Max shoved the door to the diner open and made a beeline for his usual spot at the end of the counter. He sat down on the stool with a huff. He slapped his newspaper down on the counter and tapped it awake.
Sam slipped a customer on the other end of the counter his bill and walked over to where Max was sitting. “What’s the matter, hon? You seem grumpier than usual for a Wednesday morning.”
Max shook his head without looking up. “Old Norm gave me the day off.”
Sam broke out laughing. “Why, that mean old son of a bitch. How could he? I better get you a drink.” She threw Max a wink and waltzed over to the coffeemaker.
“Ha ha, Sam. Norm thought I earned it, dragging Esposito in. I mean, I suppose there are worse things he could have done to me…”
Sam sat a fresh cup of coffee in front of Max. “Yeah. He could have given you the rest of the week off! That would have made you miserable as hell.”
“Come off it, lady. I just don’t know what to do with myself, that’s all. Didn’t help that I had a bot try to push me off into traffic. Damn things…”
“Oh, they’re not all that bad. I seen you smiling at that cute little newsbot on the corner before. You seem to get on alright with that Jax at the precinct, too.”
Max waved a dismissive hand. “Yeah, some of ’em are alright I suppose. The more sophisticated they make them, the more of a pain in the ass they seem to become. Don’t even get me started on Synthetics.”
Sam leaned on the counter and shook her head. “I’ll be the first to admit that those walking mannequins are creepy as hell. Even so, you wouldn’t still have two eyes if it wasn’t for them.”
Max slowly looked up, the bespoke synthetic eye glowing slightly in the dimly-lit diner. “They’re the worst of all.” Max returned his gaze to his paper. “I don’t owe them anything.”
Synthetics were the next step in the evolution of robots. Designed to be humanlike in appearance and mannerisms, they also sported an artificial intelligence that was bordering on humanlike consciousness. Their eyes, while superior to humans, were kept purposefully artificial in appearance by law to make Synthetics easy to distinguish from humans.
It was for this reason that Max’s own synthetic eye could not match his other. To Max, it made him look like a freak. It also served as a constant reminder whenever he came across a mirror that he owed his stereoscopic vision to them.
Max was snapped out of his revelry by the reflection of a familiar blue coat appearing on his newspaper. He was on his feet in the blink of an eye. He hoisted blue windbreaker off the ground by his namesake jacket. “You and I need to talk!”
Sam gaped. “Max! What are you doing?”
Max kept his eyes locked on blue windbreaker. “This dipshit has been trailing me ever since I bagged Esposito. And now he’s going to tell me exactly why that is!” He accentuated his point by letting the man drop.
Blue windbreaker staggered backward, coughing. He grabbed at his neck. “Yes! I am… I do want to talk, but I’ve been scared.”
“You damn well should be scared, pissing off a police detective!” Sam tossed looks from Max to blue windbreaker and back, looking worried. Max saw her out of the corner of his eye and got the message.
He sighed heavily, but quieted his tone. “Alright, fine. Sit down, right here.” Max jabbed a finger at the stool beside his. Blue windbreaker sat down quietly. Max took his seat and sipped his coffee. “Start talking.”
“My name is Daryl Marston and well, to be blunt… I think someone is trying to kill me. I thought you could help…”
Max sighed, rubbing his face with both hands. “Look kid, if you really think your life is in danger, you can go down to the police station and…”
“No!” Daryl shrunk back at the loudness of his own voice. “No… I tried that already. They basically said I needed help, but not the kind they offer. They said I was hallucinating from taking drugs. They said I was…”
“Crazy, right? So why do you think you’ll get a different result from me, after stalking me, no less.”
“I wasn’t stalking you! I was afraid you’d say the same thing as the police at the station. Look… I saw how you handled that Exposition… Episode… that Victor guy.”
Max smirked “Esposito.”
Daryl’s face lit up. “Yeah! That guy! I heard he was a pretty big player in the mob and I figure if you can find a guy like that, then you can find whomever is trying to kill me. You know, maybe like as a favor…”
Max’s face darkened. “A favor… For what?”
“Well I mean I did kind of help you catch him.”
Max leapt to his feet. “I’ve had just about enough of you, kid! You got lucky and stuck your foot out at the right moment. That’s all!”
Daryl’s brow lowered, his eyes looked odd. “I’d say it was you that got lucky!”
“That’s it!” Max grabbed Daryl by the collar once more and made to drag him clear out of the diner.
“Maxwell Kincaid! You put that young man down now!” Max raised an eyebrow. Sam looked about ready to jump the counter. He’d rarely ever seen her so cross. “I said now!”
Max dropped Daryl roughly to the ground. He didn’t catch himself this time and crumpled to the floor. Sam shook her head. “What is with you, Max? You help people! Here’s someone that needs help.”
“The only thing I need help with is keeping this hothead away from me.” Daryl stood up, dusting off his windbreaker.
“You shut your mouth.” Sam stared darts at Daryl.
Daryl’s eyes went wide. “Y-yes ma’am.”
Max spread out his hands. “You gotta understand, Sam. I don’t have time for this. He already talked to the boys. What more can I do?”
Sam crossed her arms. “Weren’t you the one wringing your hands about what to do with all your free time?”
“Well yeah, but…” Sam’s glare cut him short. Max sighed. “Yeah… fine.” He fished out a business card and thumped it against Daryl’s chest.
“If something goes down…” Max looked at Sam. “Call me.” He jabbed a finger into Daryl’s chest. “But don’t you cross me again. Clear?”
Daryl nodded dumbly. “But are you going to look into my case? I don’t want to die!”
Max sighed. “I’ll try to make some time. You’re already on file at the precinct by the sound of it. In the meantime, try to keep your nose clean. Now skedaddle!”
Daryl looked uneasily from Max to Sam and back. Defeated, he drooped his shoulders and quietly walked out of the diner. Max let out a long breath and sat back down at the counter.
Sam glared at him for a few seconds before cracking up. “Skedaddle? Who in the hell says that?”
Max’s cheeks glowed a faint red. “Men of great distinction, obviously!”
“Distinction my ass!” Sam punched Max in the arm. “But seriously though Max, what gives? Why’d you treat that poor kid like that?”
Max sighed. “I don’t know, Sam. It’s just… I got bigger fish to fry. Esposito could be a lynchpin in our case against Don Adesso. That…” He gestured toward the diner’s front door. “…Is beat cop stuff.”
Sam leaned forward. “You know what that sounds like? Sounds to me like someone suddenly thinks they’re too important for something like that. Where’s the Max that I know?” She propped her chin on her fists, flashing her eyelashes.
> Max smirked, shaking his head. “Curse your evil ways, woman. Look, I said I’d look into it…”
“Yes, you did.” Sam winked and flicked his hat before walking back to the sink.
Max chuckled to himself. “Women…”
Sam stopped mid-stride. “What was that?”
“I said I’m on it!” Max stood up and made a hasty exit.
The sun broke free of the clouds as Max eased his old blue car onto the highway that wrapped around New Wave City. He didn’t lie to Sam. He was going to look into Daryl’s case. He was simply taking the scenic route to work.
The road before him rose up and up into the sky as it slowly skirted him out towards the Atlantic ocean. This was the closest he ever got to getting some fresh air, but it was good enough. The ocean air always did him good.
Max nosed the old bird up to 100 MPH and poked the Cruise button. Other vehicles passed him on the left at a steady pace. He shook his head. People were always in such a hurry.
His attention was torn between the ocean now just off to his right, and the blue and silver towers of the city gleaming in the sun to his left. There were many things about the city to frown about, but its looks wasn’t one of them.
All too soon, the highway curved back towards the city, and back to earth. Max thumbed the Cruise button and let the car slow itself down. The engine cut out a moment later. “Error!”
Max smiled and shook his head. “You son of a bitch.” He pressed the start button. The engine sputtered and died. “Perfect.”
He drew up the closest repair facilities on the center console. The car continued to lose speed. “Ha! There’s luck…”
The old blue car came up on a major intersection. Max hit a switch, turning on red and blue lights in the windshield and back window. The light changed from red to green for him. It was an emergency, right?
He hung a slow right followed by another right into an Aero dealership. The vehicle slowed to a stop just outside the auto shop. “Just like I planned it.”
An auto technician greeted him as he stepped out of his car. “She giving you trouble, boss?”
“You could say that. The engine control module needs re-flashed. Trust me.” He tossed the tech his key fob.
Preservation Protocol Page 2