Temporis XXIX - The Epicenter

The Investigator Dipper

1

- Dipper, come to my office now! Roger shouted on the phone.

- Fuck! Give me a break, chief. I'm on my day off!

- Stop fooling around. Come here now! I've got a big problem in my hands.

- What kind of problem is more important than my siesta on my day off?

- Enough with this stuff! It's a serious thing. Come over here now! You're not on your day off, you've been suspended. He hung up, furiously.

Dipper got the message. He hardly ever had his boss being so brief on a call. He usually liked to tell jokes before starting his usual criticisms. He figured that the problem was related to the organ traffic or bioterrorism. He finished his glass of whisky and went to the police station.

- Put it on my tab, robot! He told Frankie, the bartender, while he left in a rush. Frankie knew his words were humorous not necessarily biased from a human perspective. She wasn't amused by his jokes but got to use to her client's eccentric style.

Deeply Dipper was a dreamer who liked to get dressed as an old investigator. His clothes were prewar.

Averse to relationships, he always thought he lived beyond his own time.

- I hope that chief made me swallow that great scotch in just one gulp for a good reason. He thought to himself while he entered his cybermobile.

A cybermobile is usually connected mentally to his owner and therefore was not necessary to say anything or execute any manual function from two hundred feet away.

His last case almost ended in death. At least for his partner, who got badly hurt after a bioterrorist exploded himself on a lunar transmutable station. I hope Max gets well soon. I miss him so much. I don't like to drink by myself and Max is the only guy alive I know, who makes me laugh at his jokes.

He lost his legs and had a biological reconstruction. Max hated the biocybers with all his heart and would never use a temporary prothesis.

He would probably leave the hospital in six months and would wait another year for the clone's maturation until his final reconstruction.

He's a lot like me. Thought Dipper. Tough, moody, insensitive and lonely. Another loser on this goddamn Earth. He smiled.

2

-Hey, Kermo. It's me!

- Hi, Lailah. What's up? It's been a long time since we met at the simulation. Why don't you show up there so that we can flow together?

- Flow together? You mean to alienate yourself? I almost got crazy the last time. Remember? I don't have time to waste on fantasies like these anymore.

- Don't blame me. You were high. Remember, there's nothing worse than living in this goddamn existence.

- Listen carefully. I really need you to help me find Demn as quickly as possible.

- Demn, that old weird man. What do you need? I may know one thing that could help you!

- This time is different. Only Demn can help me.

- Alright. I'll make some contacts in Xeol and let you know as soon as I get something.

- Thanks a lot! Another thing. If you see Pote tell him I'm worried.

- What did he do? What did you do?

- I don't know exactly, but it's connected with this thing. I heard the alarm in his shelter when we talked and after that I couldn't contact him again. You are my only hope to find Pote and Demn. Please be careful!