Dekker's Dozen: The Last Watchmen

Flammable Kittens and Conspiracy Theories

Dekker's Dozen #002

Vesuvius clenched her teeth and groaned. Pressing thumbs against her temples, she hoped the pressure would drown out her headache. The constant, monotonous chanting began the day they'd arrived back at Earth. At first, the protest rally amused her, and then it irked her. Now, it went beyond tedious, growing torturesome.

Following the Osix mission, the Dozen laid over at their earth-side headquarters while Dekker tracked down the next authentic lead. They often refused jobs that felt dirty and their high standards kept them in good graces with those who booked higher-class, legitimate jobs. Of course, that hadn't stopped the felinoid Dachan from organizing the protest which had become a daily nuisance.

Because of unscrupulous acts by certain Investigators, the profession walked the edge of MEA laws. Following the Krenzin Revival, the majority of Earth's populace disapproved of the trade, favoring instead the guiding principles handed down by The Pheema, the Krenzin religious leader.

Vesuvius glanced out her window. The sight of naïve, fur-loving, hippie types snapped her last nerve. Her mind boiled. I'll show them! Vivian "Vesuvius" Briggs means business.

She grabbed her weapon and kicked the shuttered window open. With a scream of rage, she leveled the barrel at the gathered crowd and squeezed the trigger.

Flammable Kittens and Conspiracy Theories

Protesters dove for cover. Panicked shouts echoed through the streets of Reef City as people ran off screaming, fearing for their lives, and fleeing the imagined weapon. The steady burst of water shot out like a laser as a wicked grin crept across Vesuvius' face.

People just don't understand the way the universe works, especially these beatnik types. Stupid Krenzin converts.

The Pheema's disciples... so wrapped up in empty-headed philosophy that they've forgotten reality—this is not the next step in societal evolution... idiots don't even know the difference between a rifle and a fire hose! She shook her head in disgust.

Vesuvius had no love for the Krenzin; nothing in the galaxy could make her respect them. Not after... Silently reflecting, she watched the drops of water fall; the abhorrent memory surfaced. Vesuvius shook it away, refused to honor it by reliving that moment. She tossed the hose aside and closed the shutter, looking for something to occupy her mind.

Guy walked past her as she wound up the water hose. "Hey, Vesuvius, you wanna take a drive? Dekker says I gotta go pick up a package; something MEA Customs wouldn't deliver. They say we gotta come get it in person."

"Yeah, sure," she said, glad for any kind of distraction.

She followed Guy to the oversized garage and swiped his keys. "But I'm driving," she told him and climbed into the speeder transport.

Reef City's alabaster buildings seemed to glisten in the mid-morning light. The entire city had been terraformed atop the ever-growing Great Barrier Reef: the world's largest living structure. Graffiti on a nearby building read, "Investigators, leave!" reminding her of how unwanted they were in the community.

Vesuvius hit the accelerator and pulled away from the Dozen's base of operations. Nerves finally calming, she sighed with relief. Her pent-up tension dissipated as she focused on a task, even one as simple as driving.

"So?" asked Guy.

Guy had long been one of her good friends, almost as long as Dekker. He was one of the few people she could ever open up to—but only on her terms. "'So' what?" she countered, forcing him to pry.