Hollow Point Happiness

Case 7: A Steller Burn Out

Chris and Chuck sat in his office looking at the floating display of the news,

"Early this morning the United Nations made a unanimous vote to pass a new law that always anyone to pay to have charges against them that have not yet gone to court be erased for a massive fee that no normal person could afford, this sudden vote, and passage of the new law has caused massive amounts of controversy and backlash from all sides of the political spectrum calling for instant repel. Amazingly merely an hour ago the law was tested when an unnamed woman was cleared of over 1,300 years worth of charges for an amazing price of 3 trillion New Euro, funded by non-other than the CEO of Warmage Arms. His wife was seen walking out of the police headquarters into his private ship. We asked Mr. Warlo..."

Chris cut the display off and spun his chair to face Chuck who sat behind his desk, "What are we supposed to do. She has her arm so far up the UN's ass that she uses them like a puppet."
"I don't know Chris, this is spiraling out of control. First, it was a few murders, some theft, and then it changed into large scale assassination, which is why I brought you on, now she can make the fucking stars align at her whim."
Chris pulled at his chin, "So, after what we saw today, it safe to assume its only one girl, not a group. Mana... She also seems aware of the false DNA and fingerprints. If she can change her body then that covers the fingerprints, and as much as I hate it she seems to be able to produce fake DNA somehow."
"That's how it seems, but she can also seemingly impersonate others' DNA, faces, and fingerprints. Which means if she wanted..."
Chris sighed, "We would never find her, ever. Oh, another thing, I shot her-"
"You did what!"

Chris glared at him, "Like I was saying... I shot her and she healed from it in a matter of seconds, and her body is inhumanly cold. Her hands were like ice on my skin."
Chuck looked at him, "You don't think... she's not human?"
"I'm not sure anymore Chuck, truthfully, I don't know anymore."
"Well, we can't do anything now. Even if they repel that law, the case is closed. We have to wait for her to make another move."
"Unless..."
Chuck slammed a fist down, "Don't even fucking think about it. I nearly got 2 life-sentences last time you pulled some shit Chris!"
"Hey, this is different, last time I was working for the mob, now I'm hunting a fugitive that can bend the galaxy's government and laws around herself for fun. Entirely different."

Chuck rubbed his forehead, "You know what... fuck it... I'm sure I'm already a joke to everyone after all this so it can't get much worse." Clearing his throat, "From now on your not acting as a cop, and anything you hear from me is tapped information, not communication."
Chris smiled, "I know the drill Chuck."
"First, we should talk to Millie, she seems to know about her past. We can get a lead from her."
"Yay, about that..."

Chris walked out of the front of the Police station and got into his car, "AVA take me home."
"Gates Mr. Cartwin?"
"Sure, I want to see Ash asap so just floor it."
"Calculating fastest route, Mr. Cartwin."

Chris walked into his house late that afternoon after picking Ash up from her elementary school and walked home with her. They ate dinner, watched her favorite show, and then read books until she fell asleep. As he walked out of her room he placed the book back on the shelf when another book caught his eye, 'The History of the Interplanetary Police', he laughed to himself.

"I can't believe that I probably just had the biggest fuck up ever, right next to you Dad. I had one of the most dangerous people in the galaxy in a locked room in the middle of headquarters, and she slipped right through my fingers."

Chris opened the book and flipped to the end of it and started to read:

"The Head Chief of Police, Alex Cartwin was mocked for decades due to a terribly timed announcement speech. He was quoted announcing that the Interplanetary Police would be changing their name to the Interstellar Police Force before the news broke 10 minutes later that all of the interstellar colony ships had gone dark, marking millions of causality and forever keeping mankind locked to the galaxy they had called home since the beginning of time. Thus, the derogatory name for the Interplanetary Police was made, 'Stellers' a play on the words Intersteller and Steller for the chief's 'steller timing' of his announcement."

Chris closed the book and laid down on his bed, "I've got to fix this. There has to be some way to fix this."

His phone buzzed.