Chicken Run

On Patrol

In the subtle shades of dusk even the industrial sector of Newport City looks tranquil; the deep oranges and reds of sunlight, scattered through the bacterial cloud, reflect off the large sprawling shapes of the factories giving them an unworldly look. Everything was still, except for the occasional flash of movement from the automated security systems, and the hum of generators running at minimum power. A small green and grey stone appears from behind a large warehouse, breaking the tranquillity, and rolling onto a long straight accessway.

* * *

"Great, another empty road!" Leona Ozaki was standing in the top hatch of her custom tank Bonaparte looking around at the dark still surroundings with less than full enthusiasm. "Bonaparte's a high-performance crime-busting machine. He shouldn't be forced to do graveyard shifts in these backwaters. This is just a chicken run." She waited for a response from within the tank; her partner and driver Al had been playing a waiting game for the last few hours hoping Leona would talk herself out this depression.

As the silence lengthened he'd realised he had to say something. "Well you know what the Chief said. He wanted to try and soften our image and improve the standing of the Tank Police with the city. Things have been quiet recently, and there have been questions about whether the Tank Police are really necessary."

"Why all the way out here? If we want to improve our standing then we should get out into the community, but the Chief's stuck us out here; the others are still pulling residential duty."

Al winced at the memories the statement brought back. "Maybe the Chief decided our skills are better suited to protecting valuable industrial capacity. I mean that last civic patrol wasn't exactly covered with glory."

While the thought of guarding important facilities appealed to Leona she took exception at Al's last remark. "I don't know what you mean. I though it was very successful. Didn't we rescue that child's cat that had escaped, and was stuck up a pole?"

"... with a TASER."

"We got it down didn't we, and it wasn't smoking too much. And what about that car thief - didn't we stop him; and made an arrest."

"In the ambulance before they took him to the trauma centre; after you had me drive over the top of the car."

"Well he shouldn't have stopped!" Leona pouted as Al picked holes in what were perfectly acceptable Tank Police procedures. "Then there was that late-night party: disturbing the peace. We stopped that didn't we?"

Al took a deep breath and sighed, "Yes; however, I think it may have been the tear gas and loud hailers at two in the morning that finally convinced the Chief against having us pull even night patrols in the suburbs. I mean it's not as if the others are having much..." He stopped, looking at the screen in front of him and the message appearing on it.

"What is it?" Leona leant down into the turret to see the screen, her depression temporarily forgotten.

Al turned Bonaparte round, "We've got a silent alarm tripped at the research facility of the DeStuda vehicle plant - looks like you may get your wish."

"Okay, let's go! But keep it quiet. We don't want to disturb them ... until we're ready."

* * *

It was a big machine hall with a row of prefabricated office units down the centre. Scattered around the hall were test stands with pieces of vehicles and engines mounted for investigation. In a clear area towards one end was a tarpaulin covering something. The area was dark apart from a spill of light from one of the offices. It cast a shadow against the wall. The shadow was definitely female, with long full hair and just a hint of cat-like ears.