passages.
“What the-”
And then I was back in the sterilized steel bar, the smell of human funk festering in my nose.
I coughed.
Throughout the hallucination I’d managed to keep hold of Paxton’s wrist. I looked around still a little fazed from my momentary break in reality.
‹ “Kali, what the fuck just happened? Am I going crazy, or was I just in front of a waterfall for a few seconds?”›
‹ There was a malfunction with one of the Mnemosyne-mytes. It terminated itself and exploded. The release of energy stimulated your neural pathways. Because you were thinking of a waterfall at that exact moment, it triggered a memory . ›
‹ “That wasn’t just a fucking memory, it was like I was literally there. Memories aren’t that detailed.”›
‹ You are correct. I am sorry, sir. I was attempting to simplify what happened for your understanding. I have failed. Would you like me to give you a detailed explanation of what occurred ? ›
Paxton, seeing I was distracted, tried again to pull free.
‹“Never mind, we’ll discuss it later. Set a Priority Two recall for the conversation.”›
‹ Recall set . ›
I turned my attention back to Paxton, and shook my head.
“I have a family,” Paxton pleaded. It didn’t quite sound like an genuine plea, more like a simple statement of fact.
Goddamn breeders. I thought about beating him with the bible just for trying to play that lame ass card.
Rather than following through with the thought I replied, “And were you thinking of them when you decided to try and Houdini my cube?”
He said nothing.
With his free hand Paxton straightened his shirt and lowered his head, having played his trump card.
Praise the Lords of Lucidity, Hallelujah! I half suspected he was going to play every ‘pity me’ card ever dreamed up and go on all day.
I looked the man I still held in my grasp up and down and gave an ever so slight nod of approval. I hated any man who didn’t own up to his actions. The change in his attitude and demeanor boosted his standing in my opinion.
“What the fuck were you thinking? I’d already identified you. Not to mention I’d warned you not to pull a stunt like that,” I said, giving Paxton a look that demanded an honest answer.
“I need you to take me with you,”
He seemed serious. Like he was so afraid of this Van Horne guy that he’d steal from an Inquisitor and risk getting sold into servitude. Or worse.
Remembering we weren’t alone I looked around the bar with an unsettling glare at the other patrons. A few heads quickly turned back to the drinks in front of them, while the other half dozen patrons knew their place and were eavesdropping by audio only. Either that, or they simply didn’t give a shit about anyone other than themselves.
Loud enough for everyone to hear, I announced, “I think an Inquisition is in order. By the authority of the Unified Republics of North America, under Public Law 127-13, I hereby place Paxton Jackson Thrass under arrest for attempted theft and for further investigation into possible Chrono/myte tampering.”
I looked over the place again but this time none of the nosey shit sacks dared look our way.
With Paxton’s wrist still in hand, I easily maneuvered him in to the standard arrest position. I reached into compartment 14 and removed a black collar with metal nibs on the inside. I placed the Taser™ restraint around Paxton’s neck. If he was stupid enough to attempt to run he’d receive an excruciating shock at five meters distance from me. If he somehow managed to get more than seven he’d receive a large enough shock to render him unconscious. As a built in safety measure for me, if Kali detected that I’d suffered bodily harm she would automatically deliver an incapacitating dose. If I were to receive lethal harm, so would the person under restraint.
‹Shall I notify the local authorities that you’ll be bringing Mr. Thrass in for processing?›
Not yet. I want to
“What the-”
And then I was back in the sterilized steel bar, the smell of human funk festering in my nose.
I coughed.
Throughout the hallucination I’d managed to keep hold of Paxton’s wrist. I looked around still a little fazed from my momentary break in reality.
‹ “Kali, what the fuck just happened? Am I going crazy, or was I just in front of a waterfall for a few seconds?”›
‹ There was a malfunction with one of the Mnemosyne-mytes. It terminated itself and exploded. The release of energy stimulated your neural pathways. Because you were thinking of a waterfall at that exact moment, it triggered a memory . ›
‹ “That wasn’t just a fucking memory, it was like I was literally there. Memories aren’t that detailed.”›
‹ You are correct. I am sorry, sir. I was attempting to simplify what happened for your understanding. I have failed. Would you like me to give you a detailed explanation of what occurred ? ›
Paxton, seeing I was distracted, tried again to pull free.
‹“Never mind, we’ll discuss it later. Set a Priority Two recall for the conversation.”›
‹ Recall set . ›
I turned my attention back to Paxton, and shook my head.
“I have a family,” Paxton pleaded. It didn’t quite sound like an genuine plea, more like a simple statement of fact.
Goddamn breeders. I thought about beating him with the bible just for trying to play that lame ass card.
Rather than following through with the thought I replied, “And were you thinking of them when you decided to try and Houdini my cube?”
He said nothing.
With his free hand Paxton straightened his shirt and lowered his head, having played his trump card.
Praise the Lords of Lucidity, Hallelujah! I half suspected he was going to play every ‘pity me’ card ever dreamed up and go on all day.
I looked the man I still held in my grasp up and down and gave an ever so slight nod of approval. I hated any man who didn’t own up to his actions. The change in his attitude and demeanor boosted his standing in my opinion.
“What the fuck were you thinking? I’d already identified you. Not to mention I’d warned you not to pull a stunt like that,” I said, giving Paxton a look that demanded an honest answer.
“I need you to take me with you,”
He seemed serious. Like he was so afraid of this Van Horne guy that he’d steal from an Inquisitor and risk getting sold into servitude. Or worse.
Remembering we weren’t alone I looked around the bar with an unsettling glare at the other patrons. A few heads quickly turned back to the drinks in front of them, while the other half dozen patrons knew their place and were eavesdropping by audio only. Either that, or they simply didn’t give a shit about anyone other than themselves.
Loud enough for everyone to hear, I announced, “I think an Inquisition is in order. By the authority of the Unified Republics of North America, under Public Law 127-13, I hereby place Paxton Jackson Thrass under arrest for attempted theft and for further investigation into possible Chrono/myte tampering.”
I looked over the place again but this time none of the nosey shit sacks dared look our way.
With Paxton’s wrist still in hand, I easily maneuvered him in to the standard arrest position. I reached into compartment 14 and removed a black collar with metal nibs on the inside. I placed the Taser™ restraint around Paxton’s neck. If he was stupid enough to attempt to run he’d receive an excruciating shock at five meters distance from me. If he somehow managed to get more than seven he’d receive a large enough shock to render him unconscious. As a built in safety measure for me, if Kali detected that I’d suffered bodily harm she would automatically deliver an incapacitating dose. If I were to receive lethal harm, so would the person under restraint.
‹Shall I notify the local authorities that you’ll be bringing Mr. Thrass in for processing?›
Not yet. I want to
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