Theodore

by Marcus LaGrone

  “That explains the level of trust.”

  “Indeed! But with regard to the governor, he just knows our reputation: rude, surly, never inside budget and highly effective. We seem to eat and breathe harassment lawsuits...” she grinned. “On the other hand, we've never lost in court: criminal cases or lawsuits! Doesn't mean we don't cause some serious waves.”

  “I have a distinct impression that your unit fares so well in court because so few people make it that far.”

  She flashed Theodore a sinister grin, “There is a certain truth and utility to that...”

  “Um, is what Mr. Turpin said about Agent Telmark true?” he asked sheepishly.

  She frowned as they continued out the building, “From what we can tell, yes. Stinks, but that's the flavor of it.”

  “Arguing with the rain just gets you wet...”

  Pat laughed, “I do love some of those off world expressions... So have you thought about why the Bella-Shoana are after you?”

  “Um, not since the initial attacks... just came up a blank.”

  “Oh, you're a sharp lad, think about the recent events and conversations...”

  Theodore noodled a bit and came up with the absurd, “My math paper? No way...”

  Pat grinned, “It does explain why Dr. Barvelt was killed. With him gone the paper is languishing in publishing hell and the two of you seemed to be the only ones to 'get it.'”

  Theodore's mind raced, “It was amazing that the paper was accepted in the first place. It was more of a heuristic solution that would provably converge. But it wasn't elegant in the classical sense.”

  “Math is not my forte; what made whatever you did unique?”

  “Um, well, it was computationally fast on every single data set we tried. We proved it converged to the correct solution for all spaces over which it was defined. Its worst case was still inside the bounds for the classical solutions.”

  “So it was fast. Was it very fast?”

  “Quite fast. In some cases ridiculously fast...”

  “Okay,” she grinned, “now what did it do? And use small words! My masters was in forensic pathology, a far cry from math!”

  He laughed, “The simplest version would be it was analyzing signals to detect nonrandom aspects buried in the noise. That's a gross simplification of course.”

  “Of course! So possibly used for data decryption?”

  “We thought of that, analyzed some of the Foreign Office's one time pads. Came up blank on those. Kinda expected, they work hard to make sure those are truly random.”

  “I thought there were no perfect algorithms for creating truly random numbers.”

  “Algorithms, not so much. But methods, yes. Mostly based on radioactive or quantum noise, those are well plowed. The biggest area when we had unexpected fun was analyzing deep space signals for EM traffic. We could isolate a few planets about 400 light years away. But using it for deep space rescue is a little impractical: light is too slow.”

  Patricia laughed at that, “Light is too slow... This is why I was in biology.”

  “Okay, light is fast, but space is bloody huge!” grinned Theodore.

  “I'll take that! Would it work for gate-synced comms, maybe military purposes where you are trying to receive a message through jamming?”

  “Looked at that. We could show that there was an embedded signal, but not recover it.”

  “How about gambling?” asked a mountain of a man that approached them as they started up the steps of the student union.

  “Theodore, meet Jax,” began Pat. “Do we have a lead?”

  Jax quickly shook Theodore's hand and continued, “Maybe. One of the reviewers of his paper, a Dr. Felskoot. Apparently he lost a graduate student about seven months ago. Student's background was in probability theory. Moonlighted for the local gaming commission.”

  “Here or offworld?”

  “Blair VII. Way out there...”

  “But right in the middle of Bella-Shoana territory.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Grad student's death wasn't suspicious?”

  “Auto-erotic asphyxiation mishap. Was ruled an accident.”

  “I think I lost something in translation,” interrupted Theodore.

  “Nope. Just like it sounds. Kinda way out there in my book, but far more common than you might think.”

  Theodore cringed, “Okay, I don't want any grief from you people over my dating habits.”

  “Engaged, aren't you?” asked Pat.

  “Yes, ma'am. I've already warned Anna.”

  “Anna Westmore,” replied Jax.

  “That's the one.”

  “Not worried about the other girl? The Highlander... Meagan?” asked Pat.

  “No, ma'am! Her father is an impressive man. He served with the Shukurae's 517th CSOG.”

  “That is good to know... Okay, everyone!” grinned Pat as they approached a full table in the middle of the canteen. “Ones you haven't met: Paul, Alicia, Toni, Everett, Mark and Alfonso. If they aren't at this table, we don't trust them.”

  “Oughtn't we be doing this in a secure room?” asked Theodore.

  “I prefer wide open. That way you can see who is coming by to risk a peek. Okay people, we have two tasks, protect this young man until the DSS relieves us and find and destroy the Bella-Shoana on our fair planet. Theodore confirmed that it was indeed Albert Turpin in the hospital yesterday. Any quick questions before we get started?”

  Theodore had a million questions but it was Toni who asked the first one, “The Taik that attacked him that is now in the hospital, how do we interrogate him? He's sedated right now, and my understanding is if he wakes up he's going to pull a Live Steel stunt on us.”

  Eyes went to Theodore, “It is possible to break the connection one has with Live Steel. Normally I'd say ask one of the constables back home. But after everything I've been through, I think I might be able to do that. Either way, I'd love the chance to kick his ass again.”

  Pat grinned, “Good attitude.”

  37

  Theodore soon found himself in an empty parking garage in the downtown of the city. It had to be a heavy industry building for there to be so many open levels in the garage. It was a dank, dark, nasty place and apparently it suited Agent Tamilton well.

  “Wake him up,” she barked.

  Jax nodded and carefully administered a small hypo to the unconscious form before them.

  Six of Pat Tamilton's team formed a large semi-circle around their prey. Far in the gloom in the direction of the open end of the circle were two others of the team, waiting in the shadows.

  Theodore stared at the form starting to squirm on the ground. He was angry, furious. Especially at the quip about killing Anna, but Theodore had a job to do. A job he had never even tried before, but was definitely willing to give it his best.

  “Wakey, wakey,” grinned Theodore as the Taik started to stir.

  “Where... where am I?”

  “The short answer is 'in deep trouble,'” replied Theodore as he got right down in his face. “Do you have a name?”

  The Taik's eyes narrowed, “I remember you!” A parade of expletives followed as he staggered to his feet. Threats of violence soon laced the next round of verbal abuse.

  “You couldn't take me before, what makes you think you can take me now?” grinned Theodore, trying to be as sinister as possible. Sinister was new to him...

  The Taik's eyes flared with rage and he invoked a Live Steel sword and thrust it directly at Theodore.

  Theodore was glad he was so easy to bait, with the mind clouded by the cocktail of sedatives the man was sloppy, very sloppy! With a quick step he was clear of the lazy thrust and moved and kicked the man's legs out from under him. They both crashed to the floor and Theodore reached out with his left hand and grabbed the man's sword just below his own grip.

  Theodore's fur flared as he worked to rip the sword from the Taik's hand, not by brute force, but by willpower alone. The blade served the man, bu
t Live Steel could be made to serve anyone, anyone with the proper control. The blade lashed out at Theodore's mind, it already had a master! The blade seemed to burn in his hand and in his mind as he fought for control. Control of a Highlander's most precious weapon. His mind turned a notch as he challenged the Live Steel sword's notion of who was and wasn't a Highlander. Live Steel served the Highlands... No... that wasn't quite true... They didn't serve a place... they served an ideal... He would murder Anna with you... She's a human... She was taken in... She's a human... She was taken in: she is a Highlander... Theodore strained as he kept fighting at the blade, it didn't want to let go of its old master, but that just made him try harder.

  The Taik suddenly screamed as he realized his sword was gone, ripped from his very hand and now serving another.

  “Karl Blackoak of the Western Pines,” announced Theodore as he casually stood and approached Patricia Tamilton. “He murdered a man there and then fled to the Altshea lands. Four others have fallen because of him, one more on Afon in the Altshea lands and the other three on the Eglesteiner colonies.”

  “His sword told you that?” grinned Tamilton.

  “Pretty much. Can't make out much more, unfortunately. It would have been a lot harder if he hadn't murdered someone back home.”

  “It looked pretty tough on you as it was,” replied Tamilton.

  “That... that was the first time I'd ever had to do that. I'll be better for it next time...”

  Karl screamed in rage and rushed Theodore only to have the wind knocked out of him by a perfectly placed shot with a riot control round from Jax.

  “Can he raise his armor?” asked Agent Tamilton.

  “No. The sword acts as the keystone for the rest of the Live Steel. He's defenseless. But don't be savages. Stooping to his level is beneath you.”

  “Oh come, come!” grinned Tamilton. “After what he has done and threatened to do, I figure removing a few teeth might help his attitude.”

  “The blood in his mouth will make him hard to understand,” offered Jax matter-of-factly.

  “Declaw the kitty?”

  Theodore's fur spiked, “That... That is sick and wrong.”

  “Well, maybe he'd like to tell us where to find his boss...”

  A burst of obscenities came as a reply.

  “That's a 'no,'” observed Jax with a sinister grin. “Shall I get the tools out of the car?”

  “Please! Oh, Theodore, you can do that spot stasis thing if he starts to bleed out too much, right?”

  Theodore was shocked, “Um, yes ma'am. But we aren't going there!”

  “You may not be...”

  “Be careful when hunting monsters...”

  “Maybe I don't mind being a monster,” replied Tamilton evenly.

  Theodore snarled at Agent Tamilton and turned to Karl, “I think she's crazy enough to do it...”

  “The bitch will never get away with it...”

  “We're in a parking garage underground. No one is around and there are no cameras,” observed Theodore sympathetically. “I... I'm not really one to defend you after what you said about Anna. But I'm not going to be part of this crap, so I guess I'm just going to have to walk out and try to find a taxi home...” He turned and started to leave.

  “You can't leave me with her! She's an animal!”

  Theodore cringed as he watched Jax carry a case back towards Patricia Tamilton. “And you are a murderer. Maybe I should have just killed you last night and saved us both the trouble... I'm going home... and getting drunk...”

  Screaming erupted as Jax approached Karl. Horrible filth laden screaming until at last he blurted out, “Rothworth's Casino... one of the penthouses... I don't know which!”

  Theodore turned and looked back.

  Karl started blubbering at Jax's feet and finally Pat waved him clear. She walked forward and grinned, “Who's a good kitty! Oh, who's a good kitty! Next time, try that without all the foul language and we'll all be happier!” She grinned as she looked over her shoulder, “Jax, open the case.”

  Karl screamed as Jax opened the case with sinister glee and dumped out... nothing... the case was empty. “Normally have my field radios in that case,” grinned Pat. “Not that you knew that.”

  Theodore was dumbstruck, “The whole thing was an act?”

  Pat grinned, “Sorry, I thought that was obvious. I usually get stuck playing 'good cop' and Jax gets to play 'bad cop.'” She giggled lightly, “It was fun reversing roles, but Jax is still much better at it that I. Hey, I'm mercenary and rude; I'm not a monster...”

  Pat giggled and poked Theodore playfully as they drove back to the federal transfer jail. “You did perfectly, smile!”

  Theodore's stomach was still in a knot, “Ma'am, it may have been all an act, but it still tore up my stomach. Don't do that to me again.”

  She nodded, “Fair enough. All you signed up for was disarming him. Next time we have something like that, we'll remove you from the loop.”

  “Please!”

  “You are a good and decent young man; I don't want my nasty habits rubbing off on you,” she grinned. “I hadn't planned on doing any of that here... but after your 'savages' comment...”

  Theodore shuddered, “Me and my big mouth...”

  38

  “Hi! Busy?” grinned Agent Patricia Tamilton as she poked her head in Theodore's dorm room.

  “This is becoming a habit, ma'am,” he murmured. “I'm finishing up homework, but it could wait. It all depends...”

  “Nothing that would insult your delicate sense of propriety,” she grinned.

  “You are smiling way too much,” observed Theodore. “Is this about Karl?”

  “Nah, we're done with him and he's being deported to Afon as we speak.”

  “I thought deportations usually got tied up in courts for weeks and things.”

  “With his lawyer present, he claimed he came here to work for the casino security.”

  “Okay...”

  “No work visa!”

  “Surely it was more complicated than that!”

  “Well yes... but it was a given that deportation was in the cards. The question was Afon or the Eglesteiner colonies.”

  “The Altshea Confederation on Afon doesn't have a death penalty...”

  “And there you have it!”

  “Is this something that is going to piss off the DSS?”

  Pat shrugged, “Wouldn't know. They still haven't reported in yet...”

  “You have someone stalling them...”

  “Would I do that?” she asked as she batted her eyelashes.

  Theodore just stared at her. “Yes. Yes, you would. So, what do you want?”

  “Um, watching the video of the train cars and things, you jumped off a hundred meter high rail, smashed into the ground and just walked away...”

  “Yes. It's often referred to as an 'armor slam.' Live Steel drags around its own inertial coordinate frame.”

  “Well, it would have to, if you invoked it on two different planets, the relative motions would be insane.”

  “Well, then, nice that I don't have to explain that...”

  “Toni did,” she interrupted.

  Theodore sighed and articulated slowly and carefully, “What do you want?”

  “I need a distraction. A Highlander doing an armor slam on someone's penthouse balcony would be both wonderful and ironic...”

  “Someone's penthouse?” grinned Theodore. “Mr. Turpin's?”

  “Well, you never did get to say 'goodbye' properly...”

  “I'm in!”

  “I'm in,” he had said. What in the world had he been thinking? It was ten at night, the sun long since gone and he was standing on the edge of a repulsar news craft almost half a kilometer above the ground. The balcony in question was only a hundred and fifty meters below... only! There was a big difference between jumping from a monorail to avoid certain doom and jumping off the side of a repulsar craft because some stupid crazy lady had talked him into i
t. “This isn't right.” Well, his comments were far more colorful and far less complementary that that...

  “Expect machine-gun fire almost immediately; that and a herd of stun grenades. Keep your armor up!” came the bit of encouragement over the com link.

  Keep your armor up! No kidding! Theodore just resigned himself to an ulcer as he slowed his breathing and prepared for the jump. Calm... stay calm...

  “Go! Go! Go!” barked the ear bud.

  Theodore pushed off without thinking. If he had been thinking, he wouldn't have pushed off! His Live Steel armor exploded around him instantly. He tucked and rolled in the air as he lined himself on his target. Dodge the swimming pool... And don't land on anyone! The landing was far more graceful than he had expected. Granted only days earlier he had pulled off the same stunt with a human family along for the ride. But this time, it was all about presentation. His landing cracked the balcony deck, but it was a credit to the designers (and building codes) that it held and didn't crumble. All around Theodore people ran for cover, ran back deeper into the apartment. He was glad his armor was up because when the stun grenades went off, there were a lot of them! But the two goons still on the back deck didn't catch enough of the crack or flash to be bothered. They had their eyes on Theodore!

  As expected, they opened up on Theodore, submachine guns blazing. Not nearly as rough as the rifle caliber machine-guns he had stood down at the space port half a year before. They were more of a nuisance than anything else; his Live Steel armor and adrenaline made sure of that. What he hadn't expected was a grenade launched round: it smacked into his armor, failed to detonate and rolled into the swimming pool. The annoyed look on grenadier's face was cut short as one of Tamilton's troopers hit the man with an electrified tangle grenade. That was kind of uncool...

  Theodore's eyes went wide as he saw a man step out of the shadows with a handgun at the ready. Stepped out right behind one in Tamilton's group. The pistol was all but at head level and Theodore had no idea if he was getting ready to watch an execution or a hostage situation. Neither suited his tastes. Delicate sense of propriety... that was what Patricia had said. Theodore's sense of propriety ran rough, heavy of violence as he lashed out at the gunman. With the practice demonstrated at that fateful night of summer dance, a Live Steel arrow crashed through the offending weapon. Pressing home, the arrow pinned the man's hand to his shoulder as the arrow struck and held fast to the wall behind him.