10 Minute Tales

Feb 25th (Untimed)

The rest of the ride to the station, at least, was quiet. He stepped out and marched straight to Alyssa's desk... only to see she wasn't in.

"Where's Alyssa?" he asked the nearest staff member. Said member looked over and shrugged.

"Last I saw, she was there. Musta headed out for somethin'."

"But what?" he frowned, looking at Alyssa's desk. "Got anything, Sentinel?"

"Alyssa had to attend a doctor's appointment at Crisp Hospital. It is presumed she is undergoing the next stage of her genetic treatment."

"Damnit, how long is that gonna take her?"

"Recovery for this stage is her longest, estimated to take three weeks."

"Shit... when is that ride to Sinis booked?"

"It is prepared for four day's time."

"Gh..." he huffed. "We need to get her up to Sinis."

"I have not heard this information before."

"What, want me to go up without a partner?"

"I understand now. Shall I summon a vehicle to Crisp Hospital?"

"Guess I don't have another choice." he sighed. "I'm spending way too much time moving, not enough time doing."

"My apologies, Inspector. I shall attempt to give the vehicle security priority." Queenson grumbled under his breath as he walked out again.

"I'm gonna have a holiday after this bloody case."

"Understood, Inspector."

     Alyssa had come out of the resequencing pool with no issue. She was now resting in bed, asleep as the nanobots within her bloodstream slowly worked on her DNA, slowly altering her every molecule. She opened her eyes at the sound of the door opening.

"Oh... hi, sir..."

"Alyssa." Queenson nodded briefly. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah..." she smiled briefly.

"What's this one for?"

"This is the real deal." she smiled, giggling softly. "It's the aquatic manipulation itself. When I come out I'll have working gills, I'll be built to swim, I'll be... well, I think I'll be beautiful."

"You just took this one because you like water, right?"

"Yeah, there's going to be a water planet out there somewhere." She closed her eyes again, still smiling. Queenson smiled too, though his was short-lived.

"When can you come out of here?"

"Typical process for this stage is about three weeks."

"... I need you in four days."

"What?" she opened her eyes again, her smile gone. "Four days?"

"... Sentinel, kill the feed. I'm gonna need some privacy."

"As you wish." a curtain hologram formed around the bed; though a shimmering translucent image on their side, the other was opaque. Sound dampeners helped the conversation stay silent, too.

"Sir, what's going on? You've been acting weird ever since the Saivom case."

"... it's a hell of a story."

"Start at the beginning?"

"Well..." he sighed, closing his eyes to gather his thoughts. "I think this is a terror campaign."

"Huh?"

"Every victim's been unaugmented with any Geoco stuff. They've all been killed by an illegal arm aug, but we haven't been able to track it at all. Around the same time, before we even release a report, Geoco announces a new bunch of augs based around self-protection. Nearly all victims didn't have a G.A.T.E. chip. I try to talk to the president about it, but he specifically tells Sentinel not to tell me that he refused to arrange a meeting. See where I'm going?"

"Yeah, it's hard not to... but where does Sinis come in to all this?"

"One of the inmates up there knows how to get to the President. Abe says she'll-"

"Ugh, Abe? I told you to knock off contact with him years ago."

"Yeah, yeah, just listen. He says that she'll only talk to you. Remember Flora?"

"Ugh, please don't tell me I'm going to have to go talk to Flora when I've still got unstable genes. I looked her family history up, you know, and guess what?"

"What?"

"Three generations. I'm related to her by my mother's grandfather."

"Shit... sorry to hear it."

"Yeah, I'm related to a serial killer. She even took the same hereditary language course I did and I didn't even know!"

"... I don't know what to say."

"Just..." she sighs. "I'll try and get up, if you think it'll help get some answers from the president."

"Four days. Think you can manage that?"

"We'll see..." she sighed. "Just get my security suit washed, okay? I need the sterile environment, my immune system's going to hate me by then." Queenson nodded.

"I'll take care of it myself."

"No, get a professional. I've seen what you call washed." she smiled again, and Queenson couldn't help but chuckle.

"Right, right. G'night." he turned to leave, waving briefly to Alyssa. Alyssa just nodded.