Twenty's Mission Log

Our scooter was just as we left it, with its fierce little guardian standing close by. I thanked him for his efforts and tipped him another two Pandas. He beamed with pleasure and I assured him we would use his services the next time we were at the market.

As we mounted the scooter and strapped on our helmets, I could feel Millie’s gaze on my back.

“What was that for?” she asked me, puzzled by my generosity.

“He stood by his promise to us” I answered. “That should be recognised”. I felt that too many promises would be broken by the time this over.

I started the engine and we rolled out onto the street. Our next destination was the Metro station in the burb known as Washima, or the Wash to the locals. This was the location of the station lockers that I had found the smart key for.

The late morning traffic streamed by as I weaved us through it. Riding the cherry red scooter with Millie at my back was something I always enjoyed, no matter how dark the day could otherwise be. She had her arms snugged tight around my waist and I could feel her warmth against me. It was with a small sense of disappointment that we arrived at the station and I parked in the bike bays.

With the bike secured under the watchful lenses of the station security cameras, we went inside. I had my Demons cap pulled down low over my eyes in a futile attempt to look as little like a Guard as I could. With my height and build it was hard to disguise so I felt vulnerable as we strode past the Guard post.

A Jack and a Jill stood sentry at the post, watching the commuters move to and fro. They were both in full combat harness and carrying assault rifles, the 5mm caseless weapons they used for urban areas. The Jack was wearing his helmet but the Jill was only wearing a peaked cap.

This was unusual I knew. Full armour was not typical for civilian patrols. The battle with the Golem must have triggered an alert to all the Guard squads. There would likely be other armoured Guards and some Police Auxiliary out on patrol in the area.

“Excuse me citizen” called out the Jill and stepped towards us. I was going to move on past, but I saw her partner raise his weapon and assume a ready stance. If I refused to acknowledge her, they may well respond with force. I could not risk that with Millie beside me and innocent civilians near by.

I stopped and turned to face her, keeping my head down under my cap. Millie had stopped too and was looking apprehensively at the female Guard.

“Anything the matter, Officer?” Millie asked, trying to sound nonchalant. To me her voice was a bit high and strained. I knew the Jill would detect this as well.

The Jill was standing easily, her own weapon held down low with her right hand. Trying to appear friendly and non-threatening. It was one of the reasons they created the female clones. As an outsider I realised how futile that thought was. We were nearly as tall as the male Guard and every bit as dangerous. People could see that, no matter how handsome or beautiful they made our bodies.

“Just a routine check” the Jill said evenly. “There have been some attacks in this district and we are performing Ident checks”.

Millie and I carefully brought our Ident cards out and showed them to the Jill. Unlike me her right eye was enhanced and she scanned them using that directly into the network. She looked over Millie, then asked me to lift my head. I did so and looked her in the eyes.

It was hard to look at my own face like that. Her expression was blank and with her buzz cut hair and cybernetic eye I knew it was not me. Yet I knew she could be me. She had the same potential I did, if only circumstances had given her the chance I had been granted.

I felt some emotion wash over me as I met her gaze. I guess it might be pity, but it felt stronger than that. Guilt over the squad members I had cut down to earn my own freedom was part of it. My eyes burned a little and my face was starting to twist with emotion.

The Jill looked at me solemnly and stated “My apologies citizen Hargreaves if this random check has caused you distress. Please be on your way”. She handed us back our Ident cards and stepped backwards.

“Thanks” said Millie, relieved. We pocketed our cards and moved into the main station concourse. We were nearly out of sight when Millie turned and gave the Jill a wave. I missed a step in surprise then looked back towards the Jill out of the corner of my eye. She lifted her left hand and gave a little wave back.

“You never know how these things turn out” Millie said and headed off. I smiled at her back and followed her. You never do know what results your actions can bring, even something as small as a friendly wave.

=====

“Here it is” Millie called out and examined the locker. It was one of a bank of fifty, each about a meter tall and half that wide. They were in a large alcove set to one side of the main station thoroughfare.

They could be hired for a day or a week at a time. There was a small pay machine at one end that took the money and dispensed two disposable smart keys for each locker. Luckily they were date and location stamped so we could find it without trouble.

The locker had been rented for a week only three days previously. It still registered as being in use, so the locker hire had not been cancelled. Security cameras overlooked us so it might be possible to get J and Zeke to dive into the net and see what visual logs there were.

“No use delaying any further” said Millie and used the key to open the locker. I admit to tensing up as I half expected either a bomb to go off or the head of Jacob Tan to roll out.

“Bummer” said Millie “Just some luggage”. She looked at me. “I was expecting to find a decapitated corpse all crammed up inside here”. We both have some very dark thoughts at times.

She pulled out the luggage. It was a black travel case on wheels, hand luggage sized for travelling on airplanes. “It could still have his head in there” suggested Millie.

“Milli, stop that!” I replied. She gave me a grin.

“That’s my old orphanage name” she said proudly.

We decided to move to another place to check inside the case. There was no where really private so I suggested the public restroom. The ladies had a larger stall for mothers with children so we went in there. An old lady watched the two of us enter with a look of disapproval so Millie could not resist a glib “It’s OK, she’s my mother” and pointed to me.

“Why do I have to be the mother?” I demanded once we were inside and the door was latched.

“Because there is no way a big woman like you came out of tiny little me” she said and put the case on a baby changing stand.

We both looked at the case. It was a hard plastic type, with a hinged side and a lock on the other. The lock was a simple smart key design. Simple to crack for anyone with the right tools. We did not possess those tools here in the toilet.

“It should not be hard for me to break it open” I suggested to Millie. “I just need a hard edge to strike the lock against”. We both looked around the cubicle and our eyes alighted on the ceramic toilet bowl. Millie lifted the lid out of the way and eyed it dubiously.

“Shame it isn’t one of those metal ones they use in other places” she said. “Think it will be hard enough to crack the lock?”

“Just you watch” I said confidently and moved her out of the way. I lifted the case over my head, judged the angle of my blow, and slammed it down hard. With a loud crack the lock burst apart and the front half of the toilet bowl shattered.

Millie and I jumped back in alarm as water splashed over the floor and across our boots.

“What is going on in there?” called out a querulous voice from a neighbouring cubicle. It was that old lady again.

“Sorry” yelled Millie. “Mom had a real bad one just now. It may need a bit of time to flush”

I gave Millie a horrified look. “Why did you say that was me?” I whispered loudly to her.

“Well, it was you!” she stage whispered back. “Now hurry up and see what is in the case.”

We put the case back on the change table and lifted the broken lid. Inside was some clothing for a man, a toiletry bag and male shoes. Fancy leather ones. There was also a bundle of four pistol magazines, empty.

I checked the lid section and saw it had a zippered pocket against the inside. Running my hand around in there I pulled out a printed sheet. It was scrunched into a ball down at the bottom of the pocket and must have fallen out of something or just been forgotten.

Laying out the sheet on the top of the closed case, it was a receipt for office rental. A temporary one month lease of rooms at a business park here in the Wash.

“It is our lucky day” said Millie and beamed at me.

“I am calling the station attendants” called out the lady next door and we heard her shuffle out of the restroom.

“We need to go” I said to Millie. She gave me an anxious look all of a sudden.

“Actually, I really need to go right now” she replied.

“You will have to hold it in” I admonished her. I folded up the receipt and put it in my vest pocket, then hustled her out of the restrooms.

As we exited I spotted the lady talking to one of the station staff. I turned Millie in the opposite direction and we walked quickly away.

=====

Millie was very insistent so we rode our scooter to a burger chain and parked in the lot. While she rushed into the ladies room I bought us a burger each, fries to share and some awful fizzy red soda that I knew she adored.

She rejoined me at a table I had picked at the rear of the establishment. Our seats backed against the wall and we could watch the entrance. Old habits let you grow old as Daniel-san always said to us.

“What’s the plan from here?” Millie asked me as she hungrily ate most of our fries. I pulled the bag of fries out of her reach and pushed a burger in front of her. She made a face then started in on that, eating in big gulps as always.

“I have checked the location of the rented office against my internal map. It is quite close by. I think we should go have a look now and see who or what is there” I answered. I ate the rest of the fries before Millie could take them back.

“What if the bad guys have another Golem stashed there?” Millie pondered. “Do we need to pick up your Rail Gun?” She had already finished her burger and was eyeing off my half eaten one on the table. “Do you want that?” she asked and nodded at my lunch.

“Yes I do” I admonished her. “I’m the one with the fast metabolism. I actually need to eat more than you do just to stay alive”

She sighed and slurped down some of her soda.

“And no, I don’t think carrying a Rail Gun around in public would be a good idea” I added. “We’ll just take a look and see what is going on there.”

I finished the rest of my burger and took a sip of Millie’s drink. It was as awful as I remembered from last time. “Let’s go” I said to her. She knocked back the remaining soda and burped appreciatively.

“Copy that” she replied and we headed to the door. She dumped our wrappers and the cup in the recycling as we went past.