{"data":{"id":12829,"title":"Tales of Kid Crimson: Issue #8","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/12829-Tales-Of-Kid-Crimson-Issue-8","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/12829","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/12829","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"Tales of Kid Crimson","images":[{"id":113,"name":"MysterySerial_FI_3Crop.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/zcrgqkm79nm2fr\/source\/MysterySerial_FI_3Crop.jpg","alt":"","size":1246218,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2013-07-19T05:28:35+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/113","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/113\/similar"}],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"Yellow lightning pulsed deep in the thick storm clouds. Rain turned the red dirt into slick mud. Hidden in the dark depths of the massive canyon, we waited. We ate stittle-bugs. The cold sank into our bones.\n\nShe was close. That was all I needed. All the light and warmth in the world was here, in my arms.\n* * * * *\nMy head bounced against a window. Real world again. The raindrops on the plastic turned the lights of massive buildings into streaks as they passed outside. It took me a second but it all came back: Hannigan, the plan, the bomb, the Advocacy Agent.\n\nI tested the shackles on my hands and feet, hoping for enough leeway to work with. No good, I was bound tight. The Advocacy Agent was up front, piloting, already looking at me in the rear-view.\n\n\u201cFor a second there, I was really worried I lost you.\u201d She said. From her utterly dispassionate delivery, I could tell she meant every word. This was the first good look I got at her since the Covalex Shipping Hub. Her crisp spotless clothes and calm demeanor screamed prepared, professional.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll bet.\u201d I sat up but my head hated me for it.\n\n\u201cSo, the infamous Kid Crimson\u2026\u201d\n\n\u201cNever heard of him.\u201d My automatic response. She looked at me in the mirror, disappointed.\n\n\u201cReally? You\u2019re going with that? I feel like most of you guys can\u2019t wait to get caught. Just so you can finally gush about how notorious you are. Hurricane Wilcox was just like that\u2026well, until I shot him.\u201d\n\nMy mind tumbled. I had heard of her. Name was Raina Quell. She had quite a reputation as an uncompromising agent who punched out a couple serious players. Apparently after she pinched Hurricane, he had some of his boys try to break him out. She tore it up with all of them and was the only survivor. She took note of my silence.\n\n\u201cSo I guess I don\u2019t need to introduce myself.\u201d She said.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019ve been on me since Covalex?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d She looked at me quizzically.\n\n\u201cWere you there looking for me?\u201d\n\n\u201cI was following a tip about a cargo of slaves. That led me to you. You ran. I hunted you down.\u201d She didn\u2019t know about the drunk who originally transported the slaves. So the tip came after I boosted the cargo. That cloaked assassin fed me to her. Why? To force me to run?\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t suppose I could convince you that I was set up.\u201d\n\n\u201cI would but I\u2019ve fallen for that one too many times before.\u201d She watched me for several moments. I settled back in the seat and looked at the city pass. \u201cI checked your ship. Where\u2019d you deliver the slaves?\u201d\n\n\u201cI set them free.\u201d\n\n\u201cRight.\u201d\n\n\u201cThey\u2019re in Magnus. Defrosted on the Arshop Mining Installation. Check for yourself.\u201d I looked right at her. Didn\u2019t flinch. She didn\u2019t have anything on me. Maybe Evasion of an Advocacy Agent. But most of my old crimes were sorted.\n\n\u201cYou knew I was on your tail and knew it would be too hot travelling with slaves so you dumped the evidence.\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t traffick slaves. I came here for whoever does.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat what the LR-620 was for?\u201d I hate redundant questions so I kept quiet. She waited. \u201cWho?\u201d\n\nI saw the TU campus in the distance. The commencement was already underway. There goes that plan.\n\n\u201cYou ever hear of a man named Caro?\u201d That got her attention.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re kidding.\u201d\n\n\u201cGot intel from one of the slaves, tracked it back here, and worked up the ladder. That was the name at the top.\u201d\n\n\u201cCaro\u2019s here?\u201d She said, still guarding her expectations. I weighed telling her. At the absolute best, maybe she\u2019d believe me. More than likely, all I\u2019d be doing is confessing to the attempted assassination of a UEE Senator. I opted to hedge my bets and shut up. She was on the hook though and kept pushing, \u201cWho is he?\u201d\n\nOutside, we passed the UEE Official Landing Yard. Presumably where her ship was. I looked at her. \u201cWait, where are you taking me?\u201d\n\n\u201cLocal Police for processing then back to an Advocacy station.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou can\u2019t take me to local cops.\u201d I said. A little urgency crept into my voice. This was bad. Really bad.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s protocol. Deal with it.\u201d Quell thought I was rattled at the prospect of jail.\n\n\u201cLook, the second you put me in the system, Caro will send a team of hitters to wipe me out.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re talking about secure Advocacy channels. Caro\u2019s connected but he\u2019s not all-powerful.\u201d\n\n\u201cThink about it. How has he been able to elude capture, even identification, all this time?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou tell me.\u201d She said. I got no choice. Here goes nothing.\n\n\u201cSenator Hannigan is Caro.\u201d\n\n\u201cOkay.\u201d Quell said and turned ahead.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m serious.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sure you are.\u201d\n\n\u201cLook, take me anywhere; Advocacy HQ, your ship, the septic pits, I don\u2019t care. I\u2019ll tell you everything I know. But if they know you\u2019ve got me, I\u2019m a dead man.\u201d\n\nShe looked back at me for a second then disregarded me as just another criminal trying to weasel out of punishment.\n\n\u201cI comm\u2019d the station the second I shackled you.\u201d\n\nTwenty minutes later, Quell pulled into the local Police station and dragged me out of the back. With both my hands and feet bound, I was as good as dead if someone made a play.\n\nI scanned for anything suspicious until she pushed me into the small station. There were three cops on duty inside. They looked bored, like they haven\u2019t chased somebody down in the past decade or two. Quell parked me by the counter. The Desk Sergeant ignored me and stared at her.\n\n\u201cHelp you, honey?\u201d\n\nQuell glared at him. It took the cop about thirty seconds to fold.\n\n\u201cWhat can I do for you, agent?\u201d\n\n\u201cI need him processed and a comm-station.\u201d\n\n\u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u201d\n\nThe desk sergeant hustled around to grab me. The door opened. A tall grim-looking hulk in a soaked long-coat stepped inside. Except for the occasional squeak of his shoe. He didn\u2019t make a sound. In short, trouble.\n\n\u201cSpecial Agent Quell.\u201d The hulk said.\n\n\u201cYeah?\u201d Raina eyed him warily. Apparently her instincts were firing like mine. The hulk stared at me. He might have been at the landing yard tussle.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve got orders to commandeer your prisoner.\u201d He flashed an Advocacy ID.\n\n\u201cUnder whose authority?\u201d She laughed.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m afraid that\u2019s classified.\u201d He said, never breaking his gaze from me, until Quell stepped into his line of sight.\n\n\u201cRight. Who\u2019s your superior?\u201d Quell said, never backing down. The hulk ignored her. His hand started to move. Quell was one step ahead. Her pistol was up in a flash. I had to hand it to her, the woman\u2019s got speed.\n\n\u201cEasy there, sport, if those hands disappear from sight, I will ventilate you. Copy?\u201d Her voice didn\u2019t waiver. The hulk grinned and put his hands up. \u201cSergeant, you mind grabbing our friend\u2019s ID for me?\u201d\n\nThe desk sergeant hesitated, obviously angry at being brought into this. He slowly moved toward the hulk and reached inside his coat. The hulk just kept grinning, his eyes now locked on Quell. I glanced out the front window. Through the sheets of rain, I saw two forms advancing. They aimed.\n\nI pushed Quell to the ground half a second before a couple dozen rounds shredded the windows. The other two cops danced from the rounds punching through their bodies. The hulk didn\u2019t even flinch. He snatched the desk sergeant and snapped his neck. Quell elbowed me in the throat, probably thinking that I was trying to escape.\n\nThe hulk pulled a scattergun from the folds of his coat and flicked off the safety. Quell was quicker on the draw, she pumped four rounds into his chest. He didn\u2019t go down and raised his rifle. She double-tapped his head. He got the idea and died.\n\n\u201cUncuff me.\u201d I managed to say through the coughs, \u201cI can help.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou must be out of your mind.\u201d She reloaded. Outside, the hitters continued perforating the building. From the sound of the battery cycling, it sounded like MaxOx P4\u2019s, basically rapid-fire, energy-based room-brooms. Which meant that they weren\u2019t going to run out of rounds anytime soon.\n\nQuell crawled over to the dead desk sergeant and grabbed the hulk\u2019s ID. She dragged me toward the back. All around us, shots kicked up papers, punched through screens, and shredded a lamp.\n\nWe ducked into the back hall where there were a couple empty holding cells. Quell kept moving. Someone started shooting through the back door. We separated, each pressing against a wall. A hitter with another P4 kicked the door open. He was surprised to see the barrel of Quell\u2019s gun. She put him down and grabbed his weapon as she passed.\n\nWe kept low and moved through the ships, hovers, and cars of the impound lot in the back. The hitters out front stopped shooting up the place. We heard them enter the station. We had a moment of quiet before we slipped away.\n\n\u201cYou believe me now?\u201d I whispered. She glanced at me. I almost swore she was annoyed.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s call it a conditional yes.\u201d\n\nI\u2019ll take that.\n\n. . . to be continued","de_DE":"Gelber Blitz pulsierte tief in den dicken Sturmwolken. Regen verwandelte den roten Schmutz in glatten Schlamm. Versteckt in den dunklen Tiefen des riesigen Canyons warteten wir. Wir haben Stittle-Bugs gegessen. Die K\u00e4lte sank in unsere Knochen.\n\nSie war nah dran. Das war alles, was ich brauchte. All das Licht und die W\u00e4rme der Welt war hier, in meinen Armen.\n* * * * *\nMein Kopf prallte gegen ein Fenster. Wieder die reale Welt. Die Regentropfen auf dem Kunststoff verwandelten die Lichter massiver Geb\u00e4ude in Streifen, als sie nach drau\u00dfen gingen. Es dauerte eine Sekunde, aber es kam alles zur\u00fcck: Hannigan, der Plan, die Bombe, der Advocacy-Agent.\n\nIch testete die Fesseln an meinen H\u00e4nden und F\u00fc\u00dfen und hoffte auf gen\u00fcgend Spielraum, um damit zu arbeiten. Nicht gut, ich war fest gefesselt. Der Advocacy Agent war vorne, pilotierte und sah mich bereits in der R\u00fcckansicht an.\n\n\"F\u00fcr eine Sekunde war ich wirklich besorgt, dass ich dich verloren habe.\" Sagte sie. Von ihrer v\u00f6llig leidenschaftslosen Geburt konnte ich erkennen, dass sie jedes Wort meinte. Dies war der erste gute Blick, den ich ihr seit der Covalex Shipping Hub bekam. Ihre frische, makellose Kleidung und ihr ruhiges Auftreten schrien vorbereitet, professionell.\n\n\"Darauf wette ich.\" Ich setzte mich auf, aber mein Kopf hasste mich daf\u00fcr.\n\n\"Also, das ber\u00fcchtigte Kind Kid Crimson....\"\n\n\"Nie von ihm geh\u00f6rt.\" Meine automatische Antwort. Sie sah mich entt\u00e4uscht im Spiegel an.\n\n\"Wirklich? Willst du damit weitermachen? Ich habe das Gef\u00fchl, dass die meisten von euch es kaum erwarten k\u00f6nnen, erwischt zu werden. Nur damit du endlich dar\u00fcber nachdenken kannst, wie ber\u00fcchtigt du bist. Hurrikan Wilcox war einfach so.... nun, bis ich ihn erschossen habe.\"\n\nMein Verstand ist gest\u00fcrzt. Ich hatte von ihr geh\u00f6rt. Der Name war Raina Quell. Sie hatte einen ziemlichen Ruf als kompromisslose Agentin, die ein paar ernsthafte Spieler ausl\u00f6schte. Anscheinend lie\u00df er, nachdem sie den Hurrikan eingeklemmt hatte, einige seiner Jungs versuchen, ihn zu befreien. Sie zerriss es mit allen von ihnen und war die einzige \u00dcberlebende. Sie nahm mein Schweigen zur Kenntnis.\n\n\"Also muss ich mich wohl nicht vorstellen.\" Sagte sie.\n\n\"Du bist seit Covalex hinter mir her?\"\n\n\" Ja.\"\n\n\" Wie?\"\n\n\"Was meinst du damit?\" Sie sah mich komisch an.\n\n\"Warst du dort und hast nach mir gesucht?\"\n\n\"Ich folgte einem Tipp \u00fcber eine Ladung Sklaven. Das hat mich zu dir gef\u00fchrt. Du bist weggerannt. Ich habe dich gejagt.\" Sie wusste nichts von dem Betrunkenen, der die Sklaven urspr\u00fcnglich transportiert hatte. Also kam die Spitze, nachdem ich die Ladung hochgefahren hatte. Dieser getarnte Attent\u00e4ter hat mich an sie verf\u00fcttert. Warum? Um mich zu zwingen, wegzulaufen?\n\n\"Ich glaube nicht, dass ich dich \u00fcberzeugen konnte, dass ich reingelegt wurde.\"\n\n\"Das w\u00fcrde ich, aber darauf bin ich schon zu oft reingefallen.\" Sie beobachtete mich f\u00fcr einige Augenblicke. Ich setzte mich wieder auf den Sitz und schaute auf den Stadtpass. \"Ich habe dein Schiff \u00fcberpr\u00fcft. Wo hast du die Sklaven hingebracht?\"\n\n\"Ich habe sie befreit.\"\n\n\" Richtig.\"\n\n\"Sie sind in Magnus. Aufgetaut auf der Arshop Mining Installation. Sieh selbst.\" Ich sah sie direkt an. Ich zuckte nicht zusammen. Sie hatte nichts gegen mich in der Hand. Vielleicht Ausweichen eines Advocacy-Agenten. Aber die meisten meiner alten Verbrechen wurden sortiert.\n\n\"Du wusstest, dass ich hinter dir her bin und wusstest, dass es zu hei\u00df sein w\u00fcrde, mit Sklaven zu reisen, also hast du die Beweise entsorgt.\"\n\n\"Ich handle nicht mit Sklaven. Ich bin hergekommen, f\u00fcr den, der es tut.\"\n\n\"Daf\u00fcr war das LR-620 da?\" Ich hasse \u00fcberfl\u00fcssige Fragen, also habe ich geschwiegen. Sie wartete. \" Wer?\"\n\nIch sah den TU-Campus in der Ferne. Der Beginn war bereits im Gange. Das war's mit dem Plan.\n\n\"Hast du schon mal von einem Mann namens Caro geh\u00f6rt?\" Das hat ihre Aufmerksamkeit erregt.\n\n\"Du machst Witze.\"\n\n\"Ich bekam Informationen von einem der Sklaven, verfolgte sie hier hinten und arbeitete die Leiter hoch. Das war der Name ganz oben.\"\n\n\"Caro ist hier?\" sagte sie und bewahrte immer noch ihre Erwartungen. Ich wog ab, es ihr zu sagen. Im besten Fall w\u00fcrde sie mir vielleicht glauben. Mehr als wahrscheinlich, alles, was ich tun w\u00fcrde, ist, die versuchte Ermordung eines UEE-Senators zu gestehen. Ich entschied mich, meine Wetten zu sichern und die Klappe zu halten. Sie war jedoch am Haken und dr\u00fcckte weiter: \"Wer ist er?\"\n\nDrau\u00dfen passierten wir den offiziellen Landeplatz der UEE. Vermutlich dort, wo ihr Schiff war. Ich sah sie an. \"Warte, wo bringst du mich hin?\"\n\n\"Lokale Polizei zur Bearbeitung, dann zur\u00fcck zu einer Advocacy-Station.\"\n\n\"Du kannst mich nicht zu den \u00f6rtlichen Polizisten bringen.\" sagte ich. Ein wenig Dringlichkeit schlich sich in meine Stimme ein. Das war schlimm. Wirklich schlimm.\n\n\"Das ist Vorschrift. K\u00fcmmere dich darum.\" Quell dachte, ich sei verunsichert \u00fcber die Aussicht auf Gef\u00e4ngnis.\n\n\"Schau, in der Sekunde, in der du mich in das System gebracht hast, wird Caro ein Team von Killern schicken, um mich auszul\u00f6schen.\"\n\n\"Sie sprechen von sicheren Advocacy-Kan\u00e4len. Caro ist verbunden, aber er ist nicht allm\u00e4chtig.\"\n\n\"Denk dar\u00fcber nach. Wie konnte er sich die ganze Zeit der Erfassung, ja sogar der Identifizierung entziehen?\"\n\n\"Sag du es mir.\" Sagte sie. Ich habe keine Wahl. Hier kommt nichts.\n\n\"Senator Hannigan ist Caro.\"\n\n\" Okay.\" sagte Quell und drehte sich nach vorne.\n\n\"Ich meine es ernst.\"\n\n\"Da bin ich mir sicher.\"\n\n\"Schau, bring mich \u00fcberall hin; Advocacy Hauptquartier, dein Schiff, die septischen Gruben, es ist mir egal. Ich werde dir alles sagen, was ich wei\u00df. Aber wenn sie wissen, dass du mich hast, bin ich ein toter Mann.\"\n\nSie blickte eine Sekunde lang zu mir zur\u00fcck und ignorierte mich dann als einen weiteren Kriminellen, der versucht, sich aus der Strafe zu befreien.\n\n\"Ich habe die Station in der Sekunde, in der ich dich gefesselt habe, angerufen.\"\n\nZwanzig Minuten sp\u00e4ter zog Quell in die \u00f6rtliche Polizeistation ein und zog mich aus dem R\u00fccken. Mit gefesselten H\u00e4nden und F\u00fc\u00dfen war ich so gut wie tot, wenn jemand ein Spiel machte.\n\nIch scannte nach allem Verd\u00e4chtigen, bis sie mich in die kleine Station schob. Da drin waren drei Polizisten im Einsatz. Sie sahen gelangweilt aus, als h\u00e4tten sie in den letzten zehn oder zwei Jahren niemanden verfolgt. Quell parkte mich am Schalter. Der Desk Sergeant ignorierte mich und starrte sie an.\n\n\" Dir helfen, Schatz?\"\n\nQuell starrte ihn an. Es dauerte etwa drei\u00dfig Sekunden, bis der Polizist gefaltet war.\n\n\"Was kann ich f\u00fcr Sie tun, Agent?\"\n\n\"Ich brauche ihn bearbeitet und eine Kommunikationsstation.\"\n\n\"Ja, Ma'am.\"\n\nDer Desk Sergeant eilte herum, um mich zu schnappen. Die T\u00fcr \u00f6ffnete sich. Ein gro\u00dfer, grimmig aussehender Schiffsrumpf in einem getr\u00e4nkten Langhaar trat ein. Abgesehen von dem gelegentlichen Quietschen seines Schuhs. Er machte kein Ger\u00e4usch. Kurz gesagt, \u00c4rger.\n\n\" Special Agent Quell.\" sagte der Hulk.\n\n\" Ja?\" Raina sah ihn vorsichtig an. Anscheinend schossen ihre Instinkte wie meine. Der Hulk starrte mich an. Er k\u00f6nnte beim Gerangel auf dem Landeplatz gewesen sein.\n\n\"Ich habe den Befehl, Ihre Gefangene zu requirieren.\" Er hat einen Advocacy-Ausweis geflasht.\n\n\"Unter wessen Aufsicht?\" Sie lachte.\n\n\"Ich f\u00fcrchte, das ist geheim.\" sagte er und brach nie seinen Blick von mir, bis Quell in seine Blickrichtung trat.\n\n\"Richtig. Wer ist dein Vorgesetzter?\" sagte Quell und zog sich nie zur\u00fcck. Der Hulk ignorierte sie. Seine Hand begann sich zu bewegen. Quell war einen Schritt voraus. Ihre Pistole war im Handumdrehen hochgezogen. Ich musste es ihr lassen, die Frau hat Speed.\n\n\"Ganz ruhig, Sportsfreund, wenn diese H\u00e4nde aus den Augen verschwinden, werde ich dich bel\u00fcften. Verstanden?\" Ihre Stimme gab nicht auf. Der Rumpf grinste und hob die H\u00e4nde. \"Sergeant, macht es dir was aus, den Ausweis unseres Freundes f\u00fcr mich zu nehmen?\"\n\nDer Desk Sergeant z\u00f6gerte, offensichtlich w\u00fctend dar\u00fcber, dass er da hineingezogen wurde. Er bewegte sich langsam auf den Rumpf zu und griff in seinen Mantel. Der Rumpf grinste einfach weiter, seine Augen waren nun auf Quell gerichtet. Ich blickte aus dem vorderen Fenster. Durch die Regenschauer sah ich zwei Formen voranschreiten. Sie zielen.\n\nIch schob Quell eine halbe Sekunde zu Boden, bevor ein paar Dutzend Runden die Fenster zerfetzten. Die anderen beiden Polizisten tanzten aus den Runden und schlugen durch ihre K\u00f6rper. Der Rumpf zuckte nicht einmal zusammen. Er schnappte sich den Desk Sergeant und brach sich das Genick. Quell stie\u00df mir in den Hals und dachte wahrscheinlich, dass ich versuchen w\u00fcrde zu fliehen.\n\nDer Rumpf zog eine Schrotflinte aus den Falten seines Mantels und schnippte die Sicherung ab. Quell war schneller beim Ziehen, sie pumpte vier Runden in seine Brust. Er ging nicht hinunter und hob sein Gewehr. Sie hat seinen Kopf doppelt angetippt. Er kam auf die Idee und starb.\n\n\" Nimm mir die Handschellen ab.\" Ich konnte durch den Husten sagen: \"Ich kann helfen.\"\n\n\"Du musst verr\u00fcckt sein.\" Sie hat nachgeladen. Drau\u00dfen perforierten die Schl\u00e4ger weiterhin das Geb\u00e4ude. Aus dem Ger\u00e4usch des Batteriezyklus klang es wie die MaxOx P4's, im Grunde genommen schnell brennende, energiebasierte Raumzimmer. Das bedeutete, dass ihnen in absehbarer Zeit keine Runden mehr ausgehen w\u00fcrden.\n\nQuell kroch zum Sergeant des toten Schreibtisches und schnappte sich den Ausweis des Rumpfes. Sie zog mich nach hinten. \u00dcberall um uns herum kickten Sch\u00fcsse Papiere hoch, stanzten durch die Bildschirme und zerkleinerten eine Lampe.\n\nWir tauchten in die Hinterhalle ein, wo es ein paar leere Zellen gab. Quell bewegte sich weiter. Jemand fing an, durch die Hintert\u00fcr zu schie\u00dfen. Wir trennten uns, jeder dr\u00fcckte gegen eine Wand. Ein Schl\u00e4ger mit einem weiteren P4 trat die T\u00fcr auf. Er war \u00fcberrascht, den Lauf von Quells Waffe zu sehen. Sie legte ihn hin und packte seine Waffe, als sie vorbeikam.\n\nWir hielten uns tief und bewegten uns durch die Schiffe, Schwebebahnen und Autos des beschlagnahmten Grundst\u00fccks im Hintergrund. Die Schl\u00e4ger da vorne h\u00f6rten auf, den Ort zu beschie\u00dfen. Wir h\u00f6rten, wie sie den Bahnhof betraten. Wir hatten einen Moment der Ruhe, bevor wir weggingen.\n\n\"Glaubst du mir jetzt?\" fl\u00fcsterte ich. Sie sah mich an. Ich h\u00e4tte fast geschworen, dass sie ver\u00e4rgert war.\n\n\"Lasst es uns ein bedingtes Ja nennen.\"\n\nIch nehme das.\n\n\n\n\n. ... wird fortgesetzt","zh_CN":"Yellow lightning pulsed deep in the thick storm clouds. Rain turned the red dirt into slick mud. Hidden in the dark depths of the massive canyon, we waited. We ate stittle-bugs. The cold sank into our bones.\n\nShe was close. That was all I needed. All the light and warmth in the world was here, in my arms.\n* * * * *\nMy head bounced against a window. Real world again. The raindrops on the plastic turned the lights of massive buildings into streaks as they passed outside. It took me a second but it all came back: Hannigan, the plan, the bomb, the Advocacy Agent.\n\nI tested the shackles on my hands and feet, hoping for enough leeway to work with. No good, I was bound tight. The Advocacy Agent was up front, piloting, already looking at me in the rear-view.\n\n\u201cFor a second there, I was really worried I lost you.\u201d She said. From her utterly dispassionate delivery, I could tell she meant every word. This was the first good look I got at her since the Covalex Shipping Hub. Her crisp spotless clothes and calm demeanor screamed prepared, professional.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll bet.\u201d I sat up but my head hated me for it.\n\n\u201cSo, the infamous Kid Crimson\u2026\u201d\n\n\u201cNever heard of him.\u201d My automatic response. She looked at me in the mirror, disappointed.\n\n\u201cReally? You\u2019re going with that? I feel like most of you guys can\u2019t wait to get caught. Just so you can finally gush about how notorious you are. Hurricane Wilcox was just like that\u2026well, until I shot him.\u201d\n\nMy mind tumbled. I had heard of her. Name was Raina Quell. She had quite a reputation as an uncompromising agent who punched out a couple serious players. Apparently after she pinched Hurricane, he had some of his boys try to break him out. She tore it up with all of them and was the only survivor. She took note of my silence.\n\n\u201cSo I guess I don\u2019t need to introduce myself.\u201d She said.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019ve been on me since Covalex?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d She looked at me quizzically.\n\n\u201cWere you there looking for me?\u201d\n\n\u201cI was following a tip about a cargo of slaves. That led me to you. You ran. I hunted you down.\u201d She didn\u2019t know about the drunk who originally transported the slaves. So the tip came after I boosted the cargo. That cloaked assassin fed me to her. Why? To force me to run?\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t suppose I could convince you that I was set up.\u201d\n\n\u201cI would but I\u2019ve fallen for that one too many times before.\u201d She watched me for several moments. I settled back in the seat and looked at the city pass. \u201cI checked your ship. Where\u2019d you deliver the slaves?\u201d\n\n\u201cI set them free.\u201d\n\n\u201cRight.\u201d\n\n\u201cThey\u2019re in Magnus. Defrosted on the Arshop Mining Installation. Check for yourself.\u201d I looked right at her. Didn\u2019t flinch. She didn\u2019t have anything on me. Maybe Evasion of an Advocacy Agent. But most of my old crimes were sorted.\n\n\u201cYou knew I was on your tail and knew it would be too hot travelling with slaves so you dumped the evidence.\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t traffick slaves. I came here for whoever does.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat what the LR-620 was for?\u201d I hate redundant questions so I kept quiet. She waited. \u201cWho?\u201d\n\nI saw the TU campus in the distance. The commencement was already underway. There goes that plan.\n\n\u201cYou ever hear of a man named Caro?\u201d That got her attention.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re kidding.\u201d\n\n\u201cGot intel from one of the slaves, tracked it back here, and worked up the ladder. That was the name at the top.\u201d\n\n\u201cCaro\u2019s here?\u201d She said, still guarding her expectations. I weighed telling her. At the absolute best, maybe she\u2019d believe me. More than likely, all I\u2019d be doing is confessing to the attempted assassination of a UEE Senator. I opted to hedge my bets and shut up. She was on the hook though and kept pushing, \u201cWho is he?\u201d\n\nOutside, we passed the UEE Official Landing Yard. Presumably where her ship was. I looked at her. \u201cWait, where are you taking me?\u201d\n\n\u201cLocal Police for processing then back to an Advocacy station.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou can\u2019t take me to local cops.\u201d I said. A little urgency crept into my voice. This was bad. Really bad.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s protocol. Deal with it.\u201d Quell thought I was rattled at the prospect of jail.\n\n\u201cLook, the second you put me in the system, Caro will send a team of hitters to wipe me out.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re talking about secure Advocacy channels. Caro\u2019s connected but he\u2019s not all-powerful.\u201d\n\n\u201cThink about it. How has he been able to elude capture, even identification, all this time?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou tell me.\u201d She said. I got no choice. Here goes nothing.\n\n\u201cSenator Hannigan is Caro.\u201d\n\n\u201cOkay.\u201d Quell said and turned ahead.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m serious.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sure you are.\u201d\n\n\u201cLook, take me anywhere; Advocacy HQ, your ship, the septic pits, I don\u2019t care. I\u2019ll tell you everything I know. But if they know you\u2019ve got me, I\u2019m a dead man.\u201d\n\nShe looked back at me for a second then disregarded me as just another criminal trying to weasel out of punishment.\n\n\u201cI comm\u2019d the station the second I shackled you.\u201d\n\nTwenty minutes later, Quell pulled into the local Police station and dragged me out of the back. With both my hands and feet bound, I was as good as dead if someone made a play.\n\nI scanned for anything suspicious until she pushed me into the small station. There were three cops on duty inside. They looked bored, like they haven\u2019t chased somebody down in the past decade or two. Quell parked me by the counter. The Desk Sergeant ignored me and stared at her.\n\n\u201cHelp you, honey?\u201d\n\nQuell glared at him. It took the cop about thirty seconds to fold.\n\n\u201cWhat can I do for you, agent?\u201d\n\n\u201cI need him processed and a comm-station.\u201d\n\n\u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u201d\n\nThe desk sergeant hustled around to grab me. The door opened. A tall grim-looking hulk in a soaked long-coat stepped inside. Except for the occasional squeak of his shoe. He didn\u2019t make a sound. In short, trouble.\n\n\u201cSpecial Agent Quell.\u201d The hulk said.\n\n\u201cYeah?\u201d Raina eyed him warily. Apparently her instincts were firing like mine. The hulk stared at me. He might have been at the landing yard tussle.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve got orders to commandeer your prisoner.\u201d He flashed an Advocacy ID.\n\n\u201cUnder whose authority?\u201d She laughed.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m afraid that\u2019s classified.\u201d He said, never breaking his gaze from me, until Quell stepped into his line of sight.\n\n\u201cRight. Who\u2019s your superior?\u201d Quell said, never backing down. The hulk ignored her. His hand started to move. Quell was one step ahead. Her pistol was up in a flash. I had to hand it to her, the woman\u2019s got speed.\n\n\u201cEasy there, sport, if those hands disappear from sight, I will ventilate you. Copy?\u201d Her voice didn\u2019t waiver. The hulk grinned and put his hands up. \u201cSergeant, you mind grabbing our friend\u2019s ID for me?\u201d\n\nThe desk sergeant hesitated, obviously angry at being brought into this. He slowly moved toward the hulk and reached inside his coat. The hulk just kept grinning, his eyes now locked on Quell. I glanced out the front window. Through the sheets of rain, I saw two forms advancing. They aimed.\n\nI pushed Quell to the ground half a second before a couple dozen rounds shredded the windows. The other two cops danced from the rounds punching through their bodies. The hulk didn\u2019t even flinch. He snatched the desk sergeant and snapped his neck. Quell elbowed me in the throat, probably thinking that I was trying to escape.\n\nThe hulk pulled a scattergun from the folds of his coat and flicked off the safety. Quell was quicker on the draw, she pumped four rounds into his chest. He didn\u2019t go down and raised his rifle. She double-tapped his head. He got the idea and died.\n\n\u201cUncuff me.\u201d I managed to say through the coughs, \u201cI can help.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou must be out of your mind.\u201d She reloaded. Outside, the hitters continued perforating the building. From the sound of the battery cycling, it sounded like MaxOx P4\u2019s, basically rapid-fire, energy-based room-brooms. Which meant that they weren\u2019t going to run out of rounds anytime soon.\n\nQuell crawled over to the dead desk sergeant and grabbed the hulk\u2019s ID. She dragged me toward the back. All around us, shots kicked up papers, punched through screens, and shredded a lamp.\n\nWe ducked into the back hall where there were a couple empty holding cells. Quell kept moving. Someone started shooting through the back door. We separated, each pressing against a wall. A hitter with another P4 kicked the door open. He was surprised to see the barrel of Quell\u2019s gun. She put him down and grabbed his weapon as she passed.\n\nWe kept low and moved through the ships, hovers, and cars of the impound lot in the back. The hitters out front stopped shooting up the place. We heard them enter the station. We had a moment of quiet before we slipped away.\n\n\u201cYou believe me now?\u201d I whispered. She glanced at me. I almost swore she was annoyed.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s call it a conditional yes.\u201d\n\nI\u2019ll take that.\n\n. . . to be continued"},"links_count":0,"comment_count":63,"created_at":"2012-12-10T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"13 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-15 00:46:00","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":12828,"next_id":12830}}