by Tom Andry
Ted tilted his head, looking Chris over, "I never heard of a Chris before."
My smile widened, "Well, you can't say that anymore. Chris, Tinkerer. Tinkerer, Chris.
Ted paused and then shrugged. He stood, his hand extended, "Nice to meet you."
Chris took his hand cautiously, "Nice to meet you."
Ted smiled, "Let me get the drinks." He crossed to the bar, "Chris, you want something?"
"No thanks." Chris held up his half full milk, "I'm still good."
I looked at my glass. It was nearing dinner time, and I was feeling pretty hungry. This was probably the last place on...or in this case above...Earth I should be buzzed. "I'm okay too. Knock yourself out."
After a few minutes of clanking bottles and blended ice, Ted returned with a drink in a martini glass. The liquid was blue, the rim of the glass was lined with what I hoped was either salt or sugar and not something illicit, and an orange slice floated in the center. A yellow mist wafted out of the glass and over his hand. Chris stole a glance at me, his mouth threatening to break into a smile. I winked at him.
"What?" I managed not to smile, "No umbrella?"
Ted looked at his drink, "Why? You got one?"
I shook my head. I heard a small sound escape Chris that he covered with a cough. Ted placed the drink on my desk after a sip and picked up the rectangular devices, "Now, I don't know what Mo told you so far, but let's start from the beginning. These are USBs. Universal Status Beacons. These are mine. Basically, they transmit your stats to everyone else wearing them. They set your security status, provide communication, and offer a bit of protection. Now," Ted picked up one of the devices, "Chris, do me a favor and come here." Chris walked over and Ted pulled up Chris' sleeve and put the USB on his forearm. Suddenly, the four cables extending from the corners came to life and wrapped around his arm. Chris cried out and pulled his arm back, trying to pull the USB off. It wouldn't budge.
I found myself on my feet, "What the hell, Tinkerer!"
Ted was laughing and pointing at Chris, "Oh, you should see your face. Classic tippy! Man, that is priceless!" When Ted's laughter subsided, he explained, "See, it's sort of like a wristwatch. Except a lot more." Ted put out his hand, asking for Chris' arm again. Chris hesitated, but eventually complied. "Just put your thumb here," Ted directed Chris' thumb to the top of the device. It started to glow a bright white and then settled down into something a bit duller. I couldn't make it out exactly, but I could tell there were controls. Ted pointed to the device, "This button makes a call. Just talk into it and say the name of whoever you want to talk to. If it is a super," Ted shot a look at me, "you need to use their super name for the system to recognize it. Otherwise, first and last name will do. Other than that, works just like a phone. This other button is for distress. Press it, and you'll have more supers than you can shake a stick at on site in seconds. Usually."
"Usually?" I interrupted.
Ted sipped his drink and shrugged, "Yeah. Depends on where you are. In Proving Ground...well, don't go there. But if you did, they'd be on hand. If you are in one of these buildings or in the cellar, it depends on where the supers are."
"Cellar?"
Ted moved toward me, the second device in his hand, "Yeah. Some call them the catacombs, but I just call it the cellar. It's where the engines are supposed to be. Plus all the other stuff that runs the City."
Ted grabbed my arm and pulled up my sleeve. "Supposed to be?" The latching on process wasn't painful, but it certainly was dramatic. I could see why Chris reacted the way he had.
Ted flopped back down on the chair as I started playing with my new USB, "Yeah, that's just the thing." Ted eyed Chris then looked at me, "He trustworthy?"
I winked, "He's my attaché. Of course he is."
Ted glared at Chris again before shrugging, "You want to know my problem with Doe? It's this damn City."
I looked around, "Really? Seems like it'd be right up your alley."
Ted shook his head, "No, I like it fine. It's just...it flies, you know?"
"Yeah," I nodded, "I'm aware."
"But how?"
I paused, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't I added, "Are you asking me?"
Ted threw his hands up, "At this point, I'm asking everyone. No one knows. Only Mo knows. And he ain't telling. For all his, 'Tinkerer, you're so brilliant' shit, he won't even give me a hint as to how this place is floating."
I shook my head, "I just figured it was anti-gravity or something."
Ted shrugged, "If it is, I can't figure out how. And you know me, Bob. I'm pretty good with this stuff."
I did know Ted and he was pretty good. But he'd always had a very inflated opinion of his abilities and his importance. Knowing Ted, if he couldn't figure it out, he'd conclude it must be a conspiracy. But I'd used Ted's conspiracies against him before. No reason I couldn't do it now.
"So what are you saying?"
Ted leaned forward, his head in his hands, "I'm saying it shouldn't work. It shouldn't fly. I've been searching for the propulsion method. Been all over the cellar. Nothing. There's nothing down there that would make this place fly. I just can't figure it." Ted took another huge sip from his drink.
I stole a glance at Chris who was looking at me quizzically, "Tell you what, Tinkerer," I began, "if you want, I'll look into it for you."
Ted's head slowly rose. His smile was huge and his eyes searched my face, "Would you? Oh, Bob, that would be great."
I glanced down at my new USB, "What did you say about security and these things?"
Ted started talking faster, "Yeah, yeah, they are encoded with your clearance. That way you don't accidentally walk into the wrong place and get vaporized."
I sighed, "Oh well, I'll do the best I can then."
Ted's brows furrowed, "Huh? What do you mean?"
"Well, I can't very well do a thorough search if I'm limited to specific places." I stood and smiled, "But I'll do my best."
Ted looked around like there might be someone watching. He called out, "Tint. Opaque." The windows went black. He stood and waved us around the desk, "Okay, I'm not supposed to do this, but..." He grabbed a tool off his belt and started adjusting our USBs. "This will give you full access. Even to Level 5 stuff. But," he made eye contact with both of us, "seriously, be careful. Some places around here are real dangerous to tippys."
I nodded seriously, rolling my eyes at Chris when Ted wasn't looking.
Ted continued, "You'll notice that your USBs glow white. They may also create a white glow around you. That means that someone nearby is using an offensive power. It lets them know not to target you and provides a fairly decent force field. Won't stop everything or every power, but should keep you safe. Now, with the modifications I've made you can do this." Ted pressed two spots on the side of the USB on Chris' arm and the light changed color from red to orange to green and on through the spectrum. "The ones you want to worry about are white - your natural color - red and green. If you see red, you need to run. If I were a tippy, I'd start banging on that distress button at the same time. Reds are supers that are actively in or looking for a fight. You get no protection with that one. You'll mostly just find that in Proving Ground. Now, greens are healers. Even if you aren't hurt, if you see someone sporting a red and there is a green nearby, head for the green. No one risks hitting a green. When you have a ruptured spleen, the last thing you need is to look up at a healer that lost an arm because you were careless.
"You guys can change your color at will, but I wouldn't. The last thing I've added to our USBs is this." He tapped the same spots in a short pattern. The white light disappeared as if he'd flipped a switch. "This is like a covert mode. You can't receive calls, it won't light up, and your movement through doors won't be tracked. They'll still open for you, but the sensors that record that opening are blocked."
I glanced down, trying to activate the covert mode. Ted had to help me before I got the right tempo. "So, in covert mode, do we still get the prote
ction?"
Ted shook his head, "No. No tracking, no light, no distress beacon, and no protection. So, you know, be sure that's what you want." Ted sat back down, his hands behind his head, "This is great. I can't believe you're here. Now we'll get to the bottom of it!"
I nodded, smiling.
Ted smacked the top of his legs with his huge hands meatily, "Well, I'll let you get to it. Just remember to call me if you get anything."
"Wait," I interrupted, "aren't you worried about people overhearing?"
Ted shrugged, "Supers are so paranoid about privacy, they haven't even wired any of these places for sound or video. Except for Proving Ground and that's just for training purposes."
"So," Chris finally interjected, his voice hoarse, "we don't have to worry about being recorded or monitored?"
"Here?" Ted laughed, "Bob, tell him." Ted looked back at Chris, "Bob'll tell you; I'm pretty paranoid. I've scanned not only my own flat, but lots of other high-target areas and none of them have been wired. No, you just need to make sure no one can physically see you. Well, except for a super with one of those visions. I think they are changing the name to V-ray vision since people started suing the State because X-rays cause cancer. Anyhow, just be cautious and you should be okay. Supers have got a lot of distractions other than to watch a couple of tippys." Ted waved and the big gun returned to his hand. He smiled and let himself out.
After a few moments, Chris sat back down. I did the same.
"Wow. He's just..." Chris' voice took on a richer, baritone quality, "something."
"That's Ted. Did you catch how he said 'our'? 'Our' USBs. He modified his for his own purposes and let us have the mods." I thought for a second, "Probably some watered-down version of the mods. Anyhow, now we have full access. And that's something."
Chris glanced at his wrist, "Yeah. But what do we do with it? I mean, the City is obviously floating. So, I'm not sure what we should be looking for."
I shook my head, "Nothing. Ted's right; I do know him. And I know he can't stand it when someone gets the drop on him...technology-wise at least. Doe did that and it is eating at Ted."
"So, he's a genius? He didn't look like one to me."
I laughed, "That's his PPP. A Portable Persona Projector. He can change his appearance at will. It's all an illusion, but it's a good one. He usually keeps it pretty close to his own size so that it doesn't mess up like it did when he crossed his arms." Chris shrugged, he hadn't noticed. "He's also got a thing that changes his voice. Ted almost never looks the same when I see him."
"You sure Ted's a him?"
I paused, "I suppose not really. But if he's a chick, she certainly acts like an under-sexed, spoiled brat of a frat boy."
Chris laughed, "So, we do nothing?"
"Oh, we do a lot. But I don't think there is anything to Ted's problem. It's just more of the same. We'll keep our eyes open. Maybe we see something he didn't, some room with big engines in it. Then he'll be happy that he knows how it flies and we get unfettered access. Everyone wins."
"Sounds good. So, what now? I'm about ready to get out of..."
A roar of wind stole the rest of the words from Chris' mouth. I pulled my arm back from my eyes as a voice, hard and shrill, shot into my office.
"Bob! What the hell are you doing here?"
Chris and I turned to the door. Standing there, five yards of white fabric whipping around her, propelled by microbusts of wind, was my ex-wife. Gale.
And she looked pissed.
* * *
Chapter 8
Chris was covered in the last of his milk. It dripped from his suit jacket, completely unnoticed. The glass was somewhere on the floor under my desk. I'd managed not to drop my drink, but I was squeezing the glass so hard, I was afraid it might break. I swallowed, set the glass down on the desk, and stood.
"Gale. Hey." I managed a smile.
Gale's green eyes were hard behind her white eyemask. She flicked a glance over at Chris that made him take an involuntary step back. She took two steps into the room, the door sliding shut behind her. A silver, embroidered 'B', the trademark of the Earth defense force, the Bulwark, and de facto leaders of the Super State, flashed by on the end of the fabric.
"What are you doing here, Bob?" she asked again, softer but no less angry.
I shrugged, "Duty called. I answered."
Her eyes narrowed, "The Vice President? He asked you?"
"He said on your recommendation."
She threw her hands up, "You were an example. One I thought I made clear wouldn't be right for the job. I said, 'Someone like Bob'."
"I'm like Bob."
"You're going to cause trouble."
I watched as the fabric's pace slowed. Gale used her power over the wind to keep it on the move. She wore very little underneath. When she first started doing that, it'd been a chore. Now she didn't have to think about it. But it always let on to her mood. The slowing was good.
I took a deep breath, "I'm just here to do a job. Nothing more."
"Yeah, right," Gale scoffed. "I'm serious, Bob; if you cause trouble, I'll throw you out of the City myself."
An image of Gale tossing me over the side of the Super City came unbidden. I gulped. I'd hoped that she'd be happy to see me but I couldn't say her entrance surprised me. Would a favor from the VP be worth her wrath? When it could mean help in finding Nineteen or the other clones? Absolutely. I set my jaw.
"So," I sat, "you seem to be misplacing ambassadors."
"Is that what he told you? Now, don't get any ideas, Bob. This isn't like that Doc Arts thing."
I winced, "Hadn't crossed my mind."
"We've got notes. I bet he didn't tell you that."
"Notes?"
She nodded, "I'll show you later. Notes. Quitting, can't take it anymore, going to spend more time with my grandkids...the usual."
"Yeah?"
Gale came forward and a chair formed out of one the triangles on the carpet. Chris moved around the desk and sat on the side.
Gale looked at him, "And who are you?"
"Chris," he answered.
Gale looked at me. I smiled.
"You don't know a Chris."
"That's obviously not true."
Gale looked back at Chris. He simply smiled.
"You two are up to something."
"Now," I put my hands up, "why would you say that?"
She threw her hands up in the air, "Oh, I don't know. History? Experience? The fact that I know you better than anyone."
I simply smiled back at her. Her eyes grew tight again.
"Fine," she spat. "But I'm warning you."
I nodded genially, "Consider me warned."
Gale stood, her voice taking on an official quality, "Now, the reason I'm here is to introduce you to your sentry."
"I have a sentry?"
She sighed, "You do now. The Vice President insisted. Some of the other ambassadors have them too. Seems there are rumors," she spat the word, "floating around that some have gone missing."
"And you're sure these notes are legit."
She sighed, "Of course. We looked into it."
"But not Ted."
Gale rolled her eyes, "Ted. That guy..." she took a calming breath. "You know Ted. He sees slights everywhere. It's like dealing with a child."
I grimaced, a pain in my chest. I couldn't tell if it were for Nineteen or Abigale, the child Gale and I had lost. I forced a smile, "I know. But he does have a point."
"We looked into it. So did Doe. We're not sure how they got off the City, but there are ways. We know that."
"So, if you are right, why? Why leave?"
Gale shook her head, "Money, most likely. It would take a lot of it, but there is a lot up here. Why kill someone in the midst of all these supers? Why take the chance when money will do it with much less risk?"
"Who?"
Gale waved a hand, "Could be any of the governments. They are all trying to secure trading rights with the Super State. We're t
alking trillions at stake, Bob. With a 't'."
I frowned, "People have killed for less. Much less."
"I just don't see it. We have notes. We know there was no evidence of any blood. And don't think that we didn't check their rooms out on a microscopic level. We did. There was nothing. NOTHING."
I put my hands up. "Fine. Nothing. So, I don't have anything to worry about."
"Not with me here."
I jumped out of my seat. Chris slid off the edge of the desk and stumbled back. Standing directly next to me was a woman, easily six feet tall. All I could see of her clothing was a grey cloak that completely covered her and reached all the way to the floor. She could have been a chess piece on a life-sized board.
"Jesus!" I took two steps back, "Who the hell are you?"
Her voice was rich and deep. It oozed confidence, "I'm your sentry. You can call me Chevalier."
"Where did you come from?" I stammered.
Gale was positively beaming, "Even the great Bob Moore can be surprised?"
I threw a glare her way, trying to keep Chevalier in my sights simultaneously, "Even the great Bob Moore needs a change of underwear."
Gale laughed, "Well, you're under her charge now. Word has been sent. No one would dare mess with you."
I looked back at the grey clad super, "Yeah?" She hadn't moved an inch while we'd talked. Her hood was pulled forward so that a shadow covered her features. "She doesn't look like much to me."
In a flash, the super was in motion. Before I could fully register the movement, my eyes locked on the glinting off the tip of the sword only centimeters from my nose. I froze, perspiration running down the small of my back under my shirt. I gulped.
"Okay, I get it. Good with a sword."
Chevalier didn't move. I tilted my head.
"Put out your hand." Chevalier's hand never wavered, the sword as steady as if it were hanging on a wall.
I complied. Chevalier slowly rotated the sword over my hand. I didn't feel or see anything.
"What? Did you split an atom or something?"
Chevalier whipped the sword around and it disappeared inside the cloak. I saw a flash of grey armor and leather as well.
"Look closer."