{"data":{"id":18261,"title":"The Payout","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/18261-The-Payout","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/18261","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/18261","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"News Update","images":[{"id":26463,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/weozjmuuh3hwh\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":843046,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-09-19T15:49:32+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463\/similar"},{"id":27892,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/w3o9r4zgppm77\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":900916,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2021-09-06T14:48:40+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/27892","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/27892\/similar"}],"images_count":8,"translations":{"en_EN":"This short story originally appeared in Jump Point 5.11.\nI\u2019m dead, I\u2019m dead.\n\nThe words repeated on a loop in Sully Cannata\u2019s head as he raced through the winding tunnels of the abandoned factory. Focused columns of heat blasted from the vents staggered along the wall, pumping acrid smoke into the tight passageway.\n\nA series of desperate shots boomed behind him. It sounded like the hand cannon Jens was known to carry. Sully guessed he was digging in.\n\nBetter him than me, Sully thought.\n\nThe rip of gunfire was suddenly silenced by a chorus of high-speed energy weapons, bringing back those words again:\n\nI\u2019m dead, I\u2019m dead.\n\nSully cut around a corner. His feet skidded on a puddle of something and nearly came out from under him. He managed to catch one of the pipes on the wall, righted himself and raced forward. He\u2019d scouted the factory before the drop, a habit he\u2019d picked up in the past year or two, but now he was just trying to keep the terror at bay so he could remember the winding layout that led to . . .\n\nThe access door came into view ahead of him. He pushed even harder and shoved his full weight into the metal. It flung open. Sully quickly slammed it behind him and jammed a piece of metal shrapnel into the doorlock, hoping it\u2019d slow down his pursuers.\n\nThin metal stairs wound up around the walls. He wasted no time, leaping two, three steps at once even though his legs burned. By the time he hit the top, somebody crashed into the door he came through. His improvised \u2018lock\u2019 held. Sully quickly pulled on his gloves and hood as heavy impacts rammed against the door below. By the time he\u2019d gotten the goggles on, the door downstairs buckled. Heavy footsteps thudded up the stairs.\n\nSully wrenched the handle and pushed the heavy rusted door at the top of the stairs open.\n\nA swirl of dirt and dust blew into the factory. He could already feel the dull burn of the dirt through the fabric. He slipped out the door and hustled away.\n\nThe drop had been on the outskirts of Lorville. Factories out here were either automated or had outlived their usefulness. They were also within walking distance of residential areas, so it made for a convenient place to meet.\n\nSully cut into a winding alleyway to keep out of sight. He weaved his way around piles of trash leaving oddly colored fluids as he made his way towards the more populated areas. Over the wind, he could start to hear the oddly placid music intended to keep the populace calm, meaning he was close.\n\nAlthough he strained to hear the armored footsteps of his pursuers through the howling wind, he knew he wouldn\u2019t hear any voices. It was one of the most unsettling things about Executive Security, they only turned on their external speakers if they were addressing you directly. The rest of the time, they were completely silent. Their sealed heavy armor obscured all the conversations they were undoubtedly having.\n\nUp ahead, a trickle of people passed the mouth of the alley. Sully slowed as he approached and glanced around the street. He was in one of the commercial sectors, placed near a travel hub, so workers could pick up any last-minute items on their way to the factories. Sully hadn\u2019t realized how pathetic these \u2018stores\u2019 were until he\u2019d gotten offworld. The shelves in all of them were mostly bare, only displaying a handful of \u2018sanctioned\u2019 items that Hurston imported. The storefronts themselves, although they had colorful names, all bore the same \u201cOwned and operated by Hurston Dynamics, Inc.\u201d disclaimer on the sign. Almost everybody was dressed in similar clothes, wrapping up in multiple layers to protect against the corrosive dirt. Almost no one looked up, every gaze locked on the ground ahead. Kala had always said it was the mindset of the people here; keep your head down, focus on the path right in front of you. She\u2019d always been more pragmatic than Sully. At least, that was how she\u2019d described herself. He thought it was the mindset of the broken.\n\nThat was why Sully had to leave.\n\nHe kept his head down while passing a camera cluster perched above. A dozen or so lenses were aimed to spy on the entire street. Speakers embedded among them pumped out that obnoxious music. He passed underneath and slowly trudged (it took all his restraint not to run) his way up to the monorail station.\n\nAt the top, Sully glanced back towards the alley. There was no sign of his pursuers. The only security were in an enclosed observation post perched above the checkpoint. Sully queued up and waited. When his turn came, he stepped into the small antechamber. The laminate doors swung closed as he scanned his card. A moment later, the screen flashed green and the plexi doors in front opened. A monorail was just pulling into the station.\n\nSully filed into the train with the other workers. Focused pneumatic tubes fired bursts of air as each person stepped through the door of the monorail, blasting dust and dirt from their clothes. It was part of a Public Health Initiative that Hurston Dynamics had unveiled ten years ago, but like everything else from Hurston, nobody ever took it seriously. Sully slid into a seat. As the adrenaline wore off, his legs started to burn, but Sully couldn\u2019t think about that now.\n\nHe had to figure out what went so wrong.\n\n***\n\nThis was hardly the first time Sully had made a run to Lorville. Ever since he linked up with Peng\u2019s gang five years ago, he\u2019d done a handful of smuggling jobs here. As much as he despised coming back to this hellhole, the black market mostly sold stuff easily gotten off-world. You could buy a pair of DMC pants anywhere and sell it for four, sometimes five times the price here. Only tricky part, you had to get it past security.\n\nAnd that\u2019s what this job was. A breeze op running a bunch of clothes and food that nobody would look twice at anywhere else in the UEE. Once he landed, he contacted Shaw, his guy on the inside, who rerouted the \u2018specialty cargo\u2019 past the customs check and put them on a freight to the factories.\n\nOnce the customs check on the rest of Sully\u2019s cargo had been cleared, he met up with Jens and made the deal. Everything had gone as it always had. Healthy amounts of paranoia, but otherwise, respect. Jens had two of his usual enforcers there to help carry the crates. He cracked open the third crate, but instead of hydroponic growth supplements, it was jars and jars of WiDoW.\n\nJens turned to Sully.\n\n\u201cWhat the hell is this?\u201d\n\nSully was dumbfounded, he barely heard the question.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t . . .\u201d he managed to stammer.\n\nA dozen energy weapons hummed to life above them. Jens, his enforcers and Sully turned to see Hurston security lining the catwalk above, rifles already aimed.\n\n\u201cAfternoon, gentlemen,\u201d an augmented voice cut through the silence. Sully turned to see a form step from the hallway. The armor had officer markings on it. \u201cI\u2019ll be honest. The thing that usually bothers me the most is that while people are spending their day being productive, contributing to the betterment of the world by putting in their twelve hours and going home, you types try to make more money for less work.\u201d\n\nThe Security Officer calmly circled Jens and Sully. Jens\u2019 enforcers kept glancing at the security up top, while Jens locked eyes with the officer as he stepped over to the crate of WiDoW.\n\n\u201cBut this,\u201d he said as he lifted a jar of the thick black liquid. \u201cPoisoning our populace with this junk . . . well, that I just can\u2019t stand for.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe\u2014\u201d Sully started to speak when the officer backhanded him. The armor augmented the hit, sending Sully sliding across the dirty floor.\n\nJens\u2019 hand slowly drifted behind his back.\n\nThe officer unlatched his helmet and pulled it off. He was older, probably late sixties, tan, weathered skin and cold, gray eyes. He walked towards Sully and leaned down.\n\n\u201cI didn\u2019t say you could speak,\u201d the officer said.\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019s this gonna cost?\u201d Jens muttered. The security officer paused, eyes still locked on Sully, then smiled.\n\n\u201cWhat?\u201d\n\n\u201cI pay out to you boots every month, but it ain\u2019t never enough. Seems there\u2019s always someone else who wants a little slice of the action.\u201d Jens glanced around, seemingly bored with this whole interaction. \u201cSo what\u2019s it gonna be this time?\u201d\n\n\u201cI want the name of everyone you pay out to,\u201d the officer said as he turned back to Jens.\n\nSully glanced around, there was a side door maybe four, five meters away.\n\n\u201cYeah, sure. Got a list right here.\u201d Jens yanked a holdout pistol from his waistband and opened fire. His enforcers dove for their rifles.\n\nThe officer brought up his armored hand just in time to stop Jens\u2019 shots.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s do this the hard way then,\u201d the officer said with a grin and calmly drew his sidearm. Jens drew his heavy ballistic.\n\nThat\u2019s when Sully ran.\n\n***\n\nThe monorail lurched to a stop. The droll voice announced the services and alternate rail lines that were available at the station. Sully had one more to go before the pads where his ship was parked.\n\nHe went over every step of the job. The cargo was prepped on New Babbage like usual. Peng had made the delivery, but he wasn\u2019t the type of guy to mess with drugs. Peng was an opportunist who liked getting paid. He liked to play things safe rather than chase the rush of pushing boundaries. Running that kind of weight into Lorville was a death wish kinda deal.\n\nSully leaned against the window as the monorail passed into shadow. He looked up to see the monolithic Hurston Dynamics building blocking out the sun. Unfortunately for him, to get the hell out of here, he\u2019d have to go into the heart of corporate security.\n\nThe train began to slow as it approached the next stop. Sully got up and joined the other passengers clustered by the door.\n\nStriding through the monorail station, he brought up his mobi and pushed a comm to Peng.\n\n\u201cHey, what\u2019s up?\u201d Peng murmured as he appeared on the comm a moment later, clearly woken from a nap.\n\n\u201cOne sec,\u201d Sully said and headed for a crowd of people to hide his conversation from the cameras. \u201cWhat the hell did you have me transport?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat you mean, man?\u201d\n\n\u201cOne of the crates . . .\u201d Sully dropped his voice to hide it from the people around him. \u201cOne of them was loaded with damn WiDoW.\u201d\n\n\u201cQuit playing, man.\u201d\n\n\u201cDo I look like I\u2019m playing?\u201d The crowd around Sully started to move, so he kept pace. \u201cNot only that. Security were all over the drop. Jens is dead, probably.\u201d\n\nThat woke Peng up.\n\n\u201cWhoa, hold up, I don\u2019t know anything about no goddamn WiDoW, man.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen how\u2019d it get in the crate?\u201d\n\n\u201cHell if I know,\u201d Peng started getting really nervous. \u201cYou ever lose sight of the cargo?\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, man, it was . . .\u201d Sully paused. There was a gap where it was out of his sight \u2014 Shaw. His contact on the pads who slipped it past customs.\n\n\u201cHey, look, you, uh, you need to get the hell outta there.\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, thanks, Peng. What do you think I\u2019m doing?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, right. Anyway . . . don\u2019t contact me \u2019til you\u2019re clear.\u201d Peng dropped the comm.\n\nSully muttered to himself and broke from the crowd to head towards the pad. He knew Peng was probably cleaning house; deleting any records of Sully from his comm, datapads, whatever. Playing it safe again.\n\nSully stepped inside Archimedes Flight and glanced around. Pilots were clustered around the various terminals, trying to order their ships to get the hell out of there. Cameras covered every square inch of the space.\n\nHe scanned the faces of the employees and found Michael Shaw staring vacantly into space as some customer in an ill-fitted flight suit yammered at him. Sully quickly made his way over and stepped behind the customer.\n\n\u201c. . . it\u2019s important that my ship is kept covered,\u201d the customer droned on. \u201cI\u2019ve read extensively about the atmospheric conditions here and I will not have my hull tarnished by whatever\u2019s floating around in the air.\u201d\n\nIt took a few moments before Shaw noticed him standing there. When he did, he turned to the customer.\n\n\u201cGo away.\u201d\n\nThe customer stopped speaking, utterly shocked. Shaw\u2019s expression hadn\u2019t changed. He just stared at the customer until he moved away, then turned to Sully.\n\n\u201cHi, welcome to Archimedes Flight,\u201d Shaw said in an unconvincingly chipper tone. \u201cHow can I help you?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, I seemed to have some difficulty with my cargo.\u201d\n\n\u201cSorry to hear that. We do our best to make sure that our clients are satisfied, but sometimes accidents do happen.\u201d\n\nSully leaned in close.\n\n\u201cWe need to talk.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sorry, I can\u2019t do that at the moment,\u201d Shaw replied with a placid smile. He then typed something on his datapad. \u201cI\u2019ve updated your hangar file with some relevant info. Thanks.\u201d\n\nSully turned and walked away. Once outside, his mobi pinged. There was a message from an unregistered user that simply said, \u201cBay four. Ten minutes.\u201d\n\nA pair of ships, marked with Hurston Security livery, blasted overhead towards the factory district where Sully had come from.\n\nThis was not good.\n\n***\n\nShaw was already ten minutes late. The bay was dark, empty. Sully passed the time scanning the Hurston spectrum for any kind of alert or notification. It was quiet. The announcer was cheerfully explaining how worker productivity was up over this past quarter, leading to a two percent profit growth.\n\nFinally the door to the hall slid open, spilling light inside. Sully ducked behind a terminal. It was Shaw, strolling in like nothing was wrong.\n\n\u201cAbout time,\u201d Sully muttered as he stepped out.\n\n\u201cHey, when I\u2019m on the clock, you get my time when I wanna give it.\u201d Shaw popped a stim and held his arms out expectantly. \u201cSo?\u201d\n\n\u201cTurns out my package had a little extra cargo in there. About ten jars of WiDoW extra.\u201d\n\nShaw was silent.\n\n\u201cYou know anything about that?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy the hell would I?\u201d he replied derisively.\n\n\u201cOnly time that cargo was out of my sight was when you were moving it.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, I ain\u2019t in the habit of swapping boxes.\u201d Shaw took a drag off the stim. \u201cBring the stuff back and I can see if anyone\u2019s light on some WiDoW.\u201d\n\n\u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy not?\u201d\n\n\u201cBecause Hurston was all over the drop. They got it now.\u201d\n\nShaw leaned back against the wall and sighed.\n\n\u201cGuess you\u2019re screwed then.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt wasn\u2019t my stuff.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is now.\u201d Shaw took a last puff on the stim and ejected the spent cartridge. \u201cSorry, Sully. Think it might be time to disappear again.\u201d\n\n\u201cCan you bring up my ship?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, sure.\u201d Shaw walked over to one of the terminals and booted it up. After several load screens, he accessed the hangar manager and punched some commands. His expression darkened. Sully noticed.\n\n\u201cOh come on, what now?\u201d\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s a landing lock on your ship.\u201d Shaw started punching some other commands. Suddenly, he stopped, then ripped the power cable out of the wall. The terminal went dead. \u201cSecurity flagged me asking for your location. You gotta go. Now.\u201d\n\nSully started heading for the door. Shaw jogged after him. Once outside, they looked up and down the empty hall.\n\n\u201cOne more thing,\u201d Shaw turned to Sully, once he was satisfied the hall was empty. \u201cYou drop me to Hurston, you\u2019re dead an hour later. Clear?\u201d\n\nSully stared at him, shocked.\n\n\u201cGood.\u201d Shaw took off and left Sully alone in the hall.\n\nSully backed up and headed into the main atrium of Archimedes Flight. A handful of security officers suddenly appeared in the entrance. They pushed past Sully and unslung rifles as they moved towards the hangars.\n\nHe quickly pulled on his protective gear and set out into the street.\n\nWith his ship impounded, his options were dwindling. He could try and find another ride off-world, but he\u2019d have to go through customs to get out. With security locking down Archimedes Flight, it was unlikely he\u2019d even make it to customs. That left fleeing the city. If he could get to some other town, maybe there\u2019d be another way to get off the planet.\n\n***\n\nRoving beams of sunlight cut through the dark clouds to shine on the passing city below. The Hurston Dynamics building receded in the distance, its top disappearing into the rolling clouds. The train quietly sailed along the elevated rails, heading into one of the residential zones.\n\nLeavsden Square had always been one of Lorville\u2019s more depressing housing blocks. The sterile gray halls and stairwells looked more like a fortress than a home. Sully watched the dark buildings approach, pinpoints of light visible from the narrow windows. Growing up in this hellhole, he knew exactly how violent the towers could be. Clearly not much had changed in the past five years. In fact, Leavsden actually looked worse.\n\nFor that reason, leaving Lorville had never been in question. When he finally found a way out, talking his way into a trainee position on a scrap hauler, he didn\u2019t hesitate. He\u2019d left family, friends, Kala . . . but he had to. He couldn\u2019t live on this godforsaken planet one more day. Now he was going back and it wasn\u2019t a prospect he was necessarily looking forward to.\n\nSure, he\u2019d thought about coming back, see if Kala could finally cut herself loose of this place, but he knew she wouldn\u2019t. She had too many ties. She\u2019d never have that urge to see what the universe had to offer.\n\nSully glanced at the other passengers in the train. Clustered dirt-covered workers fresh off twelve hour shifts in munitions plants or sledging rock or whatever. He knew he was looking at the broken. He didn\u2019t even pity them anymore. They pissed him off. He wanted to smack them, tell them to wake up and realize that they\u2019re slaves, but he knew how they\u2019d respond. They\u2019d mumble something about life being hard everywhere, or some similar nonsense.\n\nThe train pulled into the Leavsden station. His dread about coming back here was almost as bad as his gnawing fear of Hurston Security.\n\nAlmost.\n\nThe doors opened and Sully filed out.\n\nHe walked through the common area between the four monolithic buildings. Concentric concrete circles descended into the ground into a rusted playground. A group of kids sat there, glaring at Sully as he approached, their arms and faces bare like some kind of brazen (but stupid) act of defiance. Their skin was already showing discoloration from the toxins in the air.\n\nSully knew if they stood up, it meant a fight, so he kept his pace even. The kids watched him as he passed. One of them leaned back and grinned, displaying a patch cheaply sewn into his shirt. Civilian Constable Service. Hurston\u2019s eyes, ears and (if the situation called for it) enforcers recruited from the civ-pop. They were the security cannon fodder, rats who\u2019d sell out fellow workers for a pat on the head.\n\nSully kept his head down and kept walking. The kids glanced at each other, clearly deciding what to do, but then went back to their hushed conversation.\n\nSully continued to the atrium of Tower B, gave a quick check on the kids to be safe, then brought up the directory on the wall terminal. He scrolled down until he found Kagan in the registry and punched the code.\n\n\u201cYeah?\u201d An older but still familiar voice murmured through the tinny speaker.\n\n\u201cJoe,\u201d Sully said as he leaned close. \u201cIt\u2019s Sully.\u201d\n\nThen nothing. For a full minute, Sully just stood there. Waiting. He knew this was a bad idea.\n\nThe door buzzed.\n\n***\n\nJoe Kagan looked old. It\u2019d only been five years since Sully had last seen him, but he looked like it\u2019d been ten. Still had that focused look in his eye. He looked wearier, sure, but there was still that intensity.\n\nThey\u2019d first met in the halls of Tower B when they were eight years old. Joe\u2019s family had just moved in after his dad got transferred to a new dig site, and a group of the older kids were welcoming him to the floor. Joe was about thirty kicks into the beatdown when Sully came charging in with a punch that knocked Micah Rodgers out cold. That was Sully\u2019s one good shot. He quickly joined Joe on the bottom of the kicking pile.\n\nNeedless to say, they\u2019d stuck together ever since. As they got older, they shared a defiant streak. Whatever trouble they got into, it was always worth it if it resulted in those sacred words: make Hurston pay. It took over ten years of being inseparable to finally figure out what divided them: Joe decided that pranks and sabotage were pointless if they didn\u2019t coincide with real efforts to change. Sully just liked pissing people off.\n\nThe night before Sully took off from Lorville, they\u2019d argued again. Sully called Joe delusional, Joe called him a coward.\n\nNow, Sully was sitting across from his old friend in the same two-room apartment his parents had occupied. The walls were covered in historical revolutionaries. Some bizarro music played from his speakers. Joe was in an old chair, just staring at Sully.\n\n\u201cHow are your parents?\u201d Sully finally said.\n\n\u201cThey died.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh,\u201d Sully settled back. \u201cDamn, sorry.\u201d\n\nSilence again. Except for that dreadful music.\n\n\u201cSo, you still . . . fighting the good fight?\u201d Sully said with a chuckle.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re petitioning to try to get Hurston to authorize a worker\u2019s council to oversee safety conditions.\u201d\n\nSully couldn\u2019t stifle a laugh. Joe shook his head.\n\n\u201cWhat do you want, Sully?\u201d\n\n\u201cI, uh, I need a hand getting out of the city.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou got legs, walk.\u201d\n\n\u201cI need to get out quietly.\u201d\n\nJoe stood up and walked to the kitchen where some water was boiling. He made tea and coughed slightly.\n\n\u201cLet me see if I got this. You vanish for five years then pop up. Clearly in trouble, and expect me to help?\u201d\n\n\u201cKinda, yeah.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019d you do?\u201d\n\n\u201cDoes it matter?\u201d\n\nJoe slammed down the mug. The handle broke off. He looked at it for a second and tossed it in the sink.\n\n\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d Joe reiterated, regaining his sullen composure.\n\n\u201cI was running some cargo into the city. There was a mix up with the packages and I got nabbed with some nasty stuff. But it wasn\u2019t mine. I swear.\u201d\n\n\u201cSo you\u2019re just a straight up criminal now?\u201d\n\n\u201cI was bringing in clothes, some hydroponic supplies, simple stuff to make people\u2019s lives better.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut you aren\u2019t.\u201d Joe rubbed his temples. \u201cYou still don\u2019t get it, do you? Smuggling in contraband isn\u2019t making anyones\u2019 lives better, it\u2019s putting them on a razor\u2019s edge and giving Hurston the evidence to crack down even harder when they get caught.\u201d\n\n\u201cSure, because your petition\u2019s really gonna change things,\u201d Sully snapped back. \u201cI\u2019ll bet the execs are laughing their asses off.\u201d\n\nThey fell silent again.\n\n\u201cLook, I need your help,\u201d Sully said, his voice calm again. \u201cHelp me and I\u2019ll never see you again.\u201d\n\nJoe thought for a few moments.\n\n\u201cI can\u2019t,\u201d he finally said. \u201cI know you couldn\u2019t care less, but we\u2019re trying to change things here. I can\u2019t get my people mixed up in smuggling. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d\n\nSully stood and walked to the window. Though he wasn\u2019t surprised by Joe\u2019s response, the walls of his situation felt like they were closing in. He couldn\u2019t hide out in the city for long. Not now.\n\nHe looked out the window, down at the common area between the towers.\n\nHurston Security were talking to the CCS kids. They pointed to Tower B. All of the Security turned towards the tower.\n\n\u201cShit,\u201d Sully muttered.\n\n\u201cWhat,\u201d Joe asked as he came rushing up to the window.\n\nHe followed Sully\u2019s gaze. \u201cShit.\u201d\n\nJoe rushed to one of his closets and pulled out some new coats, goggles, and gloves.\n\n\u201cHere.\u201d He tossed them to Sully.\n\n\u201cSo you\u2019ll help me?\u201d\n\n\u201cI can\u2019t get you out of the city, but I can buy you some time to get away.\u201d Joe pulled the front door open. \u201cYou remember the old stairwell where TwoTone used to deal out of?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah,\u201d Sully replied, quickly pulling on the new clothes.\n\n\u201cWhole things been condemned, so they cut off the power to the cameras. That\u2019ll take you all the way down. Slip out the back and make a run for it.\u201d\n\n\u201cAll right, thanks.\u201d Sully paused at the door. He held his hand out. \u201cIt was good to see you.\u201d\n\nJoe hesitated, then shook it.\n\n\u201cLet me know if you ever start to care,\u201d he said.\n\nSully took off down the hall. The building\u2019s intercom crackled to life as he ran.\n\n\u201cAttention Leavsden Square Tower residents, this is Sergeant McMannus, Hurston Security. We have reason to believe that a dangerous criminal has entered your building. We will be enacting security protocols to secure all residents until a proper search can be conducted.\u201d\n\nAll the apartment doors suddenly latched shut as automatic locks engaged.\n\n\u201cAny tenants caught outside will need to provide authorized identification.\u201d\n\nSully hit the doorway to the back stairwell. As it swung open, he was slammed in the face with a wall of rank odor. Years of mold, dirt, grime were compounded with the remnants of whoever had been using the stairwell for a toilet.\n\nHe pulled his protective hood closer to his face and descended into the pitch black stairwell.\n\nFloor after floor passed. The decrepit state of the stairs meant he had to take each step carefully and more than once almost slipped off something that he was grateful not to see.\n\nHe could hear the heavy footsteps moving through the halls outside. A few times a Hurston Security would venture a look into the stairwell, but they never lingered. One glance at the state of it was enough to convince them that no one in their right mind would be in there willingly.\n\nSully finally reached the bottom floor and moved to the exit that let out in the back of the tower. He pushed the door open and slipped out. There weren\u2019t any Security in sight, so he started to hustle off towards another one of the tower blocks.\n\nThat\u2019s when he almost ran into one of the CCS kids. This was the older one who\u2019d proudly displayed his badge, but, thanks to Joe\u2019s new clothes, he didn\u2019t recognize Sully.\n\n\u201cHey, the building\u2019s on lockdown.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh yeah, I know. I already talked to security. They cleared me to go.\u201d\n\nThe kid studied Sully. He started to raise his mobiGlas to make a call.\n\nSully hit him and ran. He didn\u2019t glance back until he\u2019d made it to the next resident tower. Security were absolutely swarming the building he\u2019d just left, they\u2019d even called in some hovers to watch it from the air.\n\nHe knew he was running out of time.\n\n***\n\nSully rang the bell for Kala\u2019s apartment. Of all the things he\u2019s been through in the past few hours, this was the most terrifying yet. This waiting after he\u2019d pressed the button. Knowing that she was on her way to the door. He would\u2019ve rather never seen her again than face her like this.\n\nFinally, the door opened. Kala, wearing her uniform, was dumbfounded by the man standing in her doorway. She still took his breath away, even after all this time.\n\n\u201cHey K,\u201d he said.\n\nShe punched him in the face with a solid cross that busted Joe\u2019s goggles and snapped his head back. His legs wobbled while his head swam.\n\n\u201cWhat the hell?\u201d Sully shouted as he threw his hands up and tried to steady himself.\n\n\u201cYou son of a bitch,\u201d she muttered. \u201cWhat the hell do you want?\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s a long story,\u201d Sully replied, keeping his hands up defensively. \u201cCan I come inside?\u201d\n\nKala thought it over for a second then turned and walked inside, leaving the door open.\n\nSully walked in and closed the door. The apartment was almost exactly as he remembered it. The one difference was that the pictures had been replaced. Now they were quiet, intimate moments of Kala with some other guy. A quiet shot in the afternoon of her reading. The two of them in bar. Then, a real kicker:\n\nKala, the guy and a little boy.\n\nKala turned back to see him studying the picture.\n\n\u201cHis name\u2019s Max and he finally got to sleep, so keep it quiet.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou guys look happy.\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, we try.\u201d\n\nSully pointed to the guy in the picture.\n\n\u201cIs he here too?\u201d\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s working.\u201d\n\nSully nodded and looked back at the picture.\n\n\u201cHow long . . .\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat difference does it make?\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019d just like to know.\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know, maybe a year after you vanished,\u201d Kala responded. \u201cActually, here\u2019s something I\u2019d like to know; what the hell happened to you?\u201d\n\n\u201cI had to leave.\u201d\n\n\u201cHad to?\u201d\n\n\u201cNeeded to.\u201d Sully stepped inside and pulled off the goggles. He couldn\u2019t stop fidgeting with them, anything to not have to look at her. \u201cI couldn\u2019t do it anymore, K, I couldn\u2019t take this place. I couldn\u2019t take the fact that it was draining us all.\u201d\n\n\u201cSo you just left.\u201d\n\n\u201cI knew you wouldn\u2019t go.\u201d\n\n\u201cMaybe you should have asked.\u201d Kala rubbed the knuckles of her punching hand. \u201cI might\u2019ve surprised you.\u201d\n\nSully moved across the room to her.\n\n\u201cHow about now? I need to get out of here, like immediately. You could come with me.\u201d He grabbed her hands, seized by the excitement of the idea. \u201cYou still work in freight, right? We could use your clearance, hop a train and be out of the city in a couple hours, on a ship a few hours after that.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat?\u201d Kala pulled her hands from his and stepped away.\n\n\u201cYou can\u2019t imagine what it\u2019s like out there.\u201d He said, following her. \u201cThere\u2019s so much life it\u2019s overwhelming. People are happy. The future is full of possibilities. It\u2019s not smog and work until you die. Kala, please. Let me get you out of here.\u201d\n\nKala looked at him for a moment. She touched the wrinkles on his face that had appeared since she\u2019d last seen him.\n\n\u201cYou had your chance, Sully,\u201d she said firmly.\n\nThe wallscreen suddenly flared to life with a piercing alert noise. Sully could hear the same alert emanating through the walls from the other apartments.\n\nThe screen showed the Hurston Dynamics logo with a Security Bulletin.\n\nSully suddenly knew what was about to happen.\n\n\u201cAttention, citizens of Hurston, Security forces are on the lookout for Sullivan Cannata for illegal drug trafficking and assault.\u201d\n\nSully\u2019s picture from one of his arrests in his youth appeared on the screen alongside a frame grabbed from a camera in Archimedes Flight. The voice on the wallscreen continued:\n\n\u201cA reward of thirty thousand credits will be given for any information that leads to the capture of this individual.\u201d\n\nKala turned and looked at him. The hurt in her eyes was devastating.\n\n\u201cIt wasn\u2019t me,\u201d he said weakly, but he knew how it sounded.\n\n\u201cGet out,\u201d was all she said.\n\n\u201cMom?\u201d A young voice said from the doorway. Max stepped out, rubbing his eyes.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s okay, honey.\u201d Kala rushed over to pick him up. \u201cJust an alarm. Don\u2019t worry about it.\u201d\n\nSully walked into the bathroom and shut the door. This was it. His face was plastered over the entire world.\n\nHis gaze drifted down to the edge of the sink. Kala must have left her ID and clearance badge there when she washed her face after work.\n\nHe could take it, maybe he could still make it to a freight train. There was a chance that the alert hadn\u2019t gone global yet. And who knows how many people really pay attention to that . . .\n\nThen he thought out what would happen to Kala if he took it. She\u2019d probably get locked up for aiding a fugitive. With their past, no one would believe that she\u2019d turned him away. She\u2019d lose her job. Maybe even lose Max.\n\nHis freedom would come at the cost of hers.\n\nHe looked down at his mobiGlas.\n\n***\n\nSully stepped back out into the small living room. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of one familiar picture. Taken six years ago, it was Sully, Kala and Joe tremendously drunk one night at Felix\u2019s bar after they\u2019d sloppily assembled for a picture.\n\nHe hadn\u2019t thought about that night for years.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m serious, Sully, you need to get out of here,\u201d Kala said as she exited Max\u2019s room and shut the door.\n\n\u201cI know.\u201d\n\nThe sound of sirens approaching rose above the howling wind.\n\nKala rushed to the window and looked out. Hurston Security transports and hovers swarmed down the street and swept around the building.\n\n\u201cYou gotta go, Sully.\u201d\n\n\u201cDo me a favor,\u201d Sully replied. He was calm, resigned. \u201cYou guys should do something fun, okay?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d\n\nSully stepped close and took her hands.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m really sorry, you know. As much as I wanted to leave this place, leaving you was the one thing I never got over.\u201d\n\nKala studied him for a second, realizing how eerily resigned he was.\n\n\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d\n\nSully smiled and backed away towards the door.\n\n\u201cSully?\u201d\n\n\u201cBye, K.\u201d He pulled the door open and screamed at the top of his lungs: \u201cYou sold me out!\u201d\n\nSully ran out, shouting the whole way as he thundered down the stairs.\n\nHurston Security stunned him in the lobby. He screamed about how Kala ratted him out until he drifted into unconsciousness.\n\n***\n\nSully came to in the back of some transport. He could feel his hands bound behind his back. He couldn\u2019t see, thanks to the black bag on his head, but figured he was heading to central booking.\n\nHe was surprised how okay he felt. Even with everything that was outside of his control and the stuff he brought on himself, he didn\u2019t mind taking this hit. Besides, he\u2019d done scattered time in Hurston jails before. It\u2019d take him a couple months probably to get his bearings, but he\u2019d have that place wired within a year. Then all he had to do was either bide his time or wait for an opportunity to escape.\n\nBest of all, thanks to the tip he dropped to Hurston Security in Max\u2019s name, Kala and her family should be getting a nice, fat reward. Like he and Joe used to say: make Hurston pay.\n\nThe transport lurched to a stop. Sully could hear the door get pulled open. Footsteps approached him. Two pairs of hands wrenched him up from the seat and half-dragged him out of the transport.\n\nSuddenly the bag was ripped off his head. McMannus, the Hurston Security sergeant who killed Jens, was standing in front of him. Sully looked around.\n\nThey stood in the middle of nowhere. No prison. No central booking. No Lorville even.\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019s . . .\u201d Sully stammered, trying to figure this out. He looked back. The only other Hurston Security officer stood by the transport, engaging in a mute conversation. \u201cWhere\u2019s the prison?\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s the thing,\u201d McMannus replied as he drew his sidearm. \u201cMoney\u2019s real tight these days.\u201d\n\nHe raised the pistol and fired.\n\n***\n\nTwo weeks later, Kala was balancing their finances while Aman cooked dinner. Max was playing with some of his toys.\n\nHer terminal pinged from an incoming message. She clicked over to it. The message was from Hurston Dynamics and addressed to Max.\n\nIt was a thirty-thousand credit reward for aiding Hurston Security in the apprehension of a dangerous criminal.\n\nThe End","de_DE":"Diese Kurzgeschichte erschien urspr\u00fcnglich in Jump Point 5.11.\nIch bin tot, ich bin tot.\n\nDie Worte wiederholten sich in einer Schleife in Sully Cannatas Kopf, w\u00e4hrend er durch die gewundenen Tunnel der verlassenen Fabrik raste. Fokussierte Hitzes\u00e4ulen schossen aus den Entl\u00fcftungs\u00f6ffnungen, die entlang der Wand gestaffelt waren, und pumpten bei\u00dfenden Rauch in den engen Durchgang.\n\nEine Reihe von verzweifelten Sch\u00fcssen dr\u00f6hnte hinter ihm. Es klang wie die Handkanone, die Jens bekannterma\u00dfen trug. Sully vermutete, dass er sich eingraben w\u00fcrde.\n\nBesser er als ich, dachte Sully.\n\nDas Rauschen der Sch\u00fcsse wurde pl\u00f6tzlich durch einen Chor von Hochgeschwindigkeits-Energiewaffen zum Schweigen gebracht und brachte diese Worte wieder zur\u00fcck:\n\nIch bin tot, ich bin tot.\n\nSully bog um eine Ecke. Seine F\u00fc\u00dfe rutschten auf einer Pf\u00fctze von etwas und kamen fast unter ihm heraus. Er schaffte es, eines der Rohre an der Wand zu erwischen, richtete sich auf und raste weiter. Er hatte die Fabrik vor der \u00dcbergabe ausgekundschaftet, eine Angewohnheit, die er sich in den letzten ein oder zwei Jahren angew\u00f6hnt hatte, aber jetzt versuchte er nur, den Schrecken in Schach zu halten, damit er sich an die verwinkelte Anlage erinnern konnte, die zu ... f\u00fchrte.\n\nDie Zugangst\u00fcr kam vor ihm in Sicht. Er dr\u00fcckte noch fester und stie\u00df mit seinem ganzen Gewicht gegen das Metall. Sie flog auf. Sully schlug sie schnell hinter sich zu und rammte ein St\u00fcck Metallsplitter in das T\u00fcrschloss, in der Hoffnung, dass es seine Verfolger aufhalten w\u00fcrde.\n\nD\u00fcnne Metalltreppen schl\u00e4ngelten sich an den W\u00e4nden entlang. Er verschwendete keine Zeit und sprang zwei, drei Stufen auf einmal, obwohl seine Beine brannten. Als er oben ankam, krachte jemand in die T\u00fcr, durch die er gekommen war. Sein improvisiertes 'Schloss' hielt. Sully zog schnell seine Handschuhe und die Kapuze an, als schwere St\u00f6\u00dfe gegen die T\u00fcr unten einschlugen. Bis er die Schutzbrille aufgesetzt hatte, knickte die T\u00fcr unten ein. Schwere Schritte polterten die Treppe hinauf.\n\nSully riss den Griff ab und schob die schwere rostige T\u00fcr am oberen Ende der Treppe auf.\n\nEin Wirbel aus Schmutz und Staub wehte in die Fabrik. Er konnte bereits das dumpfe Brennen des Schmutzes durch den Stoff sp\u00fcren. Er schl\u00fcpfte durch die T\u00fcr und eilte davon.\n\nDie \u00dcbergabe war am Rande von Lorville gewesen. Die Fabriken hier drau\u00dfen waren entweder automatisiert oder hatten ihren Nutzen \u00fcberlebt. Sie befanden sich auch in der N\u00e4he von Wohngebieten, so dass es ein bequemer Ort f\u00fcr ein Treffen war.\n\nSully bog in eine verwinkelte Gasse ein, um nicht gesehen zu werden. Er schl\u00e4ngelte sich um M\u00fcllhaufen herum, die seltsam gef\u00e4rbte Fl\u00fcssigkeiten hinterlie\u00dfen, w\u00e4hrend er sich in Richtung der bewohnteren Gebiete bewegte. \u00dcber den Wind konnte er die seltsam ruhige Musik h\u00f6ren, die die Bev\u00f6lkerung beruhigen sollte, was bedeutete, dass er nahe war.\n\nObwohl er sich anstrengte, die gepanzerten Schritte seiner Verfolger durch den heulenden Wind zu h\u00f6ren, wusste er, dass er keine Stimmen h\u00f6ren w\u00fcrde. Das war eines der beunruhigendsten Dinge an der Executive Security, sie schalteten ihre externen Lautsprecher nur ein, wenn sie einen direkt ansprachen. Den Rest der Zeit waren sie vollkommen still. Ihre versiegelte schwere Panzerung verdeckte alle Gespr\u00e4che, die sie zweifellos f\u00fchrten.\n\nVor uns passierte ein Rinnsal von Menschen den Eingang der Gasse. Sully wurde langsamer, als er sich n\u00e4herte, und blickte sich auf der Stra\u00dfe um. Er befand sich in einem der kommerziellen Sektoren, in der N\u00e4he eines Verkehrsknotenpunkts, damit die Arbeiter auf ihrem Weg zu den Fabriken noch letzte Dinge besorgen konnten. Sully hatte nicht bemerkt, wie armselig diese \"L\u00e4den\" waren, bis er von der Erde weggekommen war. Die Regale in allen L\u00e4den waren gr\u00f6\u00dftenteils leer und enthielten nur eine Handvoll \"genehmigter\" Artikel, die Hurston importierte. Die Ladenfronten selbst hatten zwar bunte Namen, aber alle trugen den gleichen Haftungsausschluss auf dem Schild: \"Owned and operated by Hurston Dynamics, Inc. Fast jeder war in \u00e4hnliche Kleidung gekleidet, eingepackt in mehrere Schichten zum Schutz gegen den \u00e4tzenden Schmutz. Fast niemand schaute auf, alle Blicke waren auf den Boden vor ihnen gerichtet. Kala hatte immer gesagt, das sei die Mentalit\u00e4t der Menschen hier; den Kopf unten halten, sich auf den Weg direkt vor einem konzentrieren. Sie war schon immer pragmatischer gewesen als Sully. Zumindest hatte sie sich selbst so beschrieben. Er dachte, es sei die Denkweise der Gebrochenen.\n\nDas war der Grund, warum Sully gehen musste.\n\nEr hielt den Kopf gesenkt, w\u00e4hrend er an einem Kameracluster vorbeikam, der \u00fcber ihm hockte. Ein gutes Dutzend Objektive war darauf ausgerichtet, die gesamte Stra\u00dfe auszuspionieren. Zwischen ihnen eingebettete Lautsprecher pumpten diese unausstehliche Musik heraus. Er ging darunter hindurch und stapfte langsam (es kostete ihn all seine Zur\u00fcckhaltung, nicht zu rennen) seinen Weg hinauf zur Einschienenbahnstation.\n\nOben angekommen, warf Sully einen Blick zur\u00fcck in die Gasse. Es gab keine Anzeichen f\u00fcr seine Verfolger. Die einzigen Sicherheitsleute befanden sich in einem geschlossenen Beobachtungsposten, der \u00fcber dem Kontrollpunkt thronte. Sully stellte sich in die Schlange und wartete. Als er an der Reihe war, trat er in den kleinen Vorraum. Die Laminatt\u00fcren schwangen zu, als er seine Karte scannte. Einen Moment sp\u00e4ter blinkte der Bildschirm gr\u00fcn und die Plexiglast\u00fcren davor \u00f6ffneten sich. Eine Einschienenbahn fuhr gerade in die Station ein.\n\nSully stieg mit den anderen Arbeitern in den Zug ein. Fokussierte Pneumatikschl\u00e4uche feuerten Luftst\u00f6\u00dfe ab, als jede Person durch die T\u00fcr der Einschienenbahn trat, und bliesen Staub und Schmutz von ihrer Kleidung. Es war Teil einer Initiative f\u00fcr die \u00f6ffentliche Gesundheit, die Hurston Dynamics vor zehn Jahren vorgestellt hatte, aber wie alles andere von Hurston, hat sie niemand jemals ernst genommen. Sully lie\u00df sich in einen Sitz gleiten. Als das Adrenalin nachlie\u00df, begannen seine Beine zu brennen, aber daran konnte Sully jetzt nicht denken.\n\nEr musste herausfinden, was so schief gelaufen war.\n\n***\n\nDies war nicht das erste Mal, dass Sully einen Ausflug nach Lorville gemacht hatte. Seit er sich vor f\u00fcnf Jahren mit Pengs Gang zusammengetan hatte, hatte er hier eine Handvoll Schmuggeljobs erledigt. So sehr er es auch verachtete, in dieses H\u00f6llenloch zur\u00fcckzukehren, der Schwarzmarkt verkaufte haupts\u00e4chlich Zeug, das man leicht au\u00dferhalb der Welt bekommen konnte. Man konnte irgendwo eine DMC-Hose kaufen und sie f\u00fcr den vier-, manchmal f\u00fcnffachen Preis hier verkaufen. Der einzige knifflige Teil war, dass man sie an der Sicherheit vorbei bringen musste.\n\nUnd genau das war dieser Job. Ein Kinderspiel, einen Haufen Kleidung und Lebensmittel zu verkaufen, bei denen niemand irgendwo anders in der UEE zweimal hinschauen w\u00fcrde. Sobald er gelandet war, kontaktierte er Shaw, seinen Mann im Innern, der die \"Spezialfracht\" an der Zollkontrolle vorbei umleitete und sie auf eine Fracht zu den Fabriken verlud.\n\nSobald die Zollkontrolle f\u00fcr den Rest von Sullys Fracht erledigt war, traf er sich mit Jens und machte den Deal. Alles war so gelaufen, wie es immer gelaufen war. Ein gesundes Ma\u00df an Paranoia, aber ansonsten Respekt. Jens hatte zwei seiner \u00fcblichen Vollstrecker dabei, die beim Tragen der Kisten halfen. Er \u00f6ffnete die dritte Kiste, aber anstelle von hydroponischen Wachstumserg\u00e4nzungen waren es Gl\u00e4ser und Gl\u00e4ser von WiDoW.\n\nJens wandte sich an Sully.\n\n\"Was zum Teufel ist das?\"\n\nSully war verbl\u00fcfft, er h\u00f6rte die Frage kaum.\n\n\"Ich wei\u00df nicht ...\", schaffte er es zu stammeln.\n\nEin Dutzend Energiewaffen summte zum Leben \u00fcber ihnen. Jens, seine Vollstrecker und Sully drehten sich um und sahen, wie Hurston-Sicherheitsleute den Laufsteg \u00fcber ihnen s\u00e4umten, die Gewehre bereits im Anschlag.\n\n\"Guten Tag, meine Herren\", schnitt eine verst\u00e4rkte Stimme durch die Stille. Sully drehte sich um und sah eine Gestalt aus dem Korridor treten. Die R\u00fcstung trug Offizierskennzeichen. \"Ich will ehrlich sein. Was mich normalerweise am meisten st\u00f6rt, ist, dass, w\u00e4hrend die Leute ihren Tag damit verbringen, produktiv zu sein, zur Verbesserung der Welt beizutragen, indem sie ihre zw\u00f6lf Stunden ableisten und nach Hause gehen, ihr Typen versucht, mehr Geld f\u00fcr weniger Arbeit zu verdienen.\"\n\nDer Sicherheitsbeamte umkreiste Jens und Sully ruhig. Jens' Vollstrecker warfen immer wieder einen Blick auf die Sicherheitskr\u00e4fte oben, w\u00e4hrend Jens dem Offizier in die Augen schaute, als er zu der Kiste mit WiDoW hin\u00fcberging.\n\n\"Aber das hier\", sagte er, w\u00e4hrend er ein Glas mit der dicken schwarzen Fl\u00fcssigkeit hochhob. \"Unsere Bev\u00f6lkerung mit diesem Schrott zu vergiften ... nun, das kann ich einfach nicht dulden.\"\n\n\"Wir-\" Sully begann zu sprechen, als der Offizier ihm eine R\u00fcckhand gab. Die R\u00fcstung verst\u00e4rkte den Schlag und lie\u00df Sully \u00fcber den schmutzigen Boden gleiten.\n\nJens' Hand wanderte langsam hinter seinen R\u00fccken.\n\nDer Offizier l\u00f6ste seinen Helm und zog ihn ab. Er war \u00e4lter, wahrscheinlich Ende sechzig, braungebrannte, verwitterte Haut und kalte, graue Augen. Er ging auf Sully zu und beugte sich hinunter.\n\n\"Ich habe nicht gesagt, dass Sie sprechen k\u00f6nnen\", sagte der Beamte.\n\n\"Was wird das kosten?\" murmelte Jens. Der Sicherheitsbeamte hielt inne, die Augen immer noch auf Sully gerichtet, dann l\u00e4chelte er.\n\n\"Was?\"\n\n\"Ich zahle jeden Monat an euch Stiefel aus, aber es ist nie genug. Scheint so, als g\u00e4be es immer jemanden, der ein kleines St\u00fcckchen von der Action haben will.\" Jens schaute sich um, scheinbar gelangweilt von dieser ganzen Interaktion. \"Also, was wird es dieses Mal sein?\"\n\n\"Ich will den Namen von jedem, den Sie auszahlen\", sagte der Offizier, als er sich wieder Jens zuwandte.\n\nSully blickte sich um, es gab eine Seitent\u00fcr, die vielleicht vier, f\u00fcnf Meter entfernt war.\n\n\"Ja, klar. Ich habe hier eine Liste.\" Jens zog eine Schreckschusspistole aus seinem Hosenbund und er\u00f6ffnete das Feuer. Seine Vollstrecker st\u00fcrzten sich auf ihre Gewehre.\n\nDer Offizier hob seine gepanzerte Hand gerade noch rechtzeitig, um Jens' Sch\u00fcsse zu stoppen.\n\n\"Dann machen wir das eben auf die harte Tour\", sagte der Offizier grinsend und zog ruhig seine Seitenwaffe. Jens zog seine schwere Ballistik.\n\nIn dem Moment rannte Sully los.\n\n***\n\nDie Einschienenbahn ruckelte zum Stillstand. Die drollige Stimme k\u00fcndigte die Dienste und alternativen Bahnlinien an, die an der Station verf\u00fcgbar waren. Sully hatte noch einen weiteren Weg vor sich bis zu den Pads, wo sein Schiff geparkt war.\n\nEr ging jeden Schritt des Auftrags durch. Die Ladung war auf New Babbage wie \u00fcblich vorbereitet. Peng hatte die Lieferung gemacht, aber er war nicht der Typ, der sich mit Drogen abgibt. Peng war ein Opportunist, der es mochte, bezahlt zu werden. Er ging lieber auf Nummer sicher, als dem Rausch zu folgen, Grenzen zu \u00fcberschreiten. Diese Art von Gewicht nach Lorville zu bringen, war eine Art Todeswunschgesch\u00e4ft.\n\nSully lehnte sich gegen das Fenster, als die Einschienenbahn in den Schatten fuhr. Er schaute auf und sah das monolithische Hurston Dynamics-Geb\u00e4ude, das die Sonne ausblendete. Zu seinem Pech musste er, um von hier wegzukommen, in das Herz der Unternehmenssicherheit gehen.\n\nDer Zug begann langsamer zu werden, als er sich der n\u00e4chsten Haltestelle n\u00e4herte. Sully stand auf und gesellte sich zu den anderen Fahrg\u00e4sten, die sich an der T\u00fcr versammelt hatten.\n\nEr schritt durch die Station der Einschienenbahn, fuhr sein Mobi hoch und dr\u00fcckte Peng ein Comm zu.\n\n\"Hey, was gibt's?\" Peng murmelte, als er einen Moment sp\u00e4ter auf dem Comm erschien, eindeutig von einem Nickerchen geweckt.\n\n\"Eine Sekunde\", sagte Sully und ging auf eine Menschenmenge zu, um sein Gespr\u00e4ch vor den Kameras zu verbergen. \"Was zum Teufel haben Sie mich transportieren lassen?\"\n\n\"Was meinen Sie, Mann?\"\n\n\"Eine der Kisten . . .\" Sully senkte seine Stimme, um sie vor den Leuten um ihn herum zu verbergen. \"Eine davon war mit verdammtem WiDoW beladen.\"\n\n\"H\u00f6r auf zu spielen, Mann.\"\n\n\"Sehe ich aus, als w\u00fcrde ich spielen?\" Die Menge um Sully herum begann sich zu bewegen, also hielt er Schritt. \"Nicht nur das. Die Sicherheitskr\u00e4fte waren \u00fcberall auf der \u00dcbergabe. Jens ist tot, wahrscheinlich.\"\n\nDas weckte Peng auf.\n\n\"Moment mal, ich wei\u00df nichts von einem verdammten WiDoW, Mann.\"\n\n\"Wie ist es dann in die Kiste gekommen?\"\n\n\"Zum Teufel, wenn ich das w\u00fcsste\", wurde Peng langsam wirklich nerv\u00f6s. \"Haben Sie jemals die Ladung aus den Augen verloren?\"\n\n\"Nein, Mann, es war ...\" Sully hielt inne. Es gab eine L\u00fccke, in der es aus seinem Blickfeld verschwunden war - Shaw. Sein Kontakt auf den Pads, der es am Zoll vorbeischleuste.\n\n\"Hey, h\u00f6ren Sie, Sie, \u00e4h, Sie m\u00fcssen da verdammt noch mal rauskommen.\"\n\n\"Ja, danke, Peng. Was glauben Sie, was ich hier mache?\"\n\n\"Ja, klar. Wie auch immer ... kontaktieren Sie mich nicht, bis Sie klar sind.\" Peng lie\u00df das Komm fallen.\n\nSully murmelte vor sich hin und l\u00f6ste sich aus der Menge, um auf die Station zuzugehen. Er wusste, dass Peng wahrscheinlich das Haus s\u00e4uberte; er l\u00f6schte alle Aufzeichnungen \u00fcber Sully aus seinem Comm, den Datenpads, was auch immer. Er ging wieder auf Nummer sicher.\n\nSully trat in das Innere von Archimedes Flight und schaute sich um. Die Piloten waren um die verschiedenen Terminals geschart und versuchten, ihren Schiffen zu befehlen, von dort zu verschwinden. Kameras bedeckten jeden Quadratzentimeter des Raums.\n\nEr scannte die Gesichter der Angestellten und fand Michael Shaw, der ausdruckslos ins Leere starrte, w\u00e4hrend irgendein Kunde in einem schlecht sitzenden Fluganzug ihn anjammerte. Sully machte sich schnell auf den Weg und stellte sich hinter den Kunden.\n\n\". . es ist wichtig, dass mein Schiff abgedeckt ist\", dr\u00f6hnte der Kunde weiter. \"Ich habe viel \u00fcber die atmosph\u00e4rischen Bedingungen hier gelesen und ich will nicht, dass mein Rumpf durch irgendetwas, das in der Luft herumfliegt, beschmutzt wird.\"\n\nEs dauerte ein paar Augenblicke, bis Shaw bemerkte, dass er dort stand. Als er das tat, drehte er sich zu dem Kunden um.\n\n\"Gehen Sie weg.\"\n\nDer Kunde h\u00f6rte auf zu sprechen, v\u00f6llig schockiert. Shaws Gesichtsausdruck hatte sich nicht ver\u00e4ndert. Er starrte den Kunden einfach an, bis er sich entfernte, dann wandte er sich an Sully.\n\n\"Hallo, willkommen bei Archimedes Flight\", sagte Shaw in einem nicht \u00fcberzeugend munteren Ton. \"Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?\"\n\n\"Ja, ich schien einige Schwierigkeiten mit meiner Fracht zu haben.\"\n\n\"Tut mir leid, das zu h\u00f6ren. Wir tun unser Bestes, um sicherzustellen, dass unsere Kunden zufrieden sind, aber manchmal passieren eben doch Unf\u00e4lle.\"\n\nSully lehnte sich nah heran.\n\n\"Wir m\u00fcssen reden.\"\n\n\"Tut mir leid, das kann ich im Moment nicht\", antwortete Shaw mit einem gelassenen L\u00e4cheln. Dann tippte er etwas auf seinem Datapad ein. \"Ich habe Ihre Hangar-Datei mit einigen relevanten Informationen aktualisiert. Danke.\"\n\nSully drehte sich um und ging weg. Drau\u00dfen angekommen, pingte sein Mobi. Es war eine Nachricht von einem unregistrierten Benutzer, die einfach besagte: \"Bucht vier. Zehn Minuten.\"\n\nEin Paar Schiffe, gekennzeichnet mit der Hurston Security-Lackierung, raste \u00fcber ihm in Richtung des Fabrikviertels, aus dem Sully gekommen war.\n\nDas war nicht gut.\n\n***\n\nShaw war bereits zehn Minuten zu sp\u00e4t. Die Bucht war dunkel und leer. Sully vertrieb sich die Zeit damit, das Hurston-Spektrum nach irgendeiner Art von Alarm oder Benachrichtigung zu scannen. Es war ruhig. Der Ansager erkl\u00e4rte fr\u00f6hlich, wie die Produktivit\u00e4t der Arbeiter im letzten Quartal gestiegen war, was zu einem Gewinnwachstum von zwei Prozent f\u00fchrte.\n\nSchlie\u00dflich glitt die T\u00fcr zur Halle auf und lie\u00df Licht ins Innere fallen. Sully duckte sich hinter einem Terminal. Es war Shaw, der hereinspazierte, als ob nichts w\u00e4re.\n\n\"Wurde auch Zeit\", murmelte Sully, als er hinaus trat.\n\n\"Hey, wenn ich im Dienst bin, bekommst du meine Zeit, wenn ich sie geben will.\" Shaw stie\u00df einen Reiz aus und streckte erwartungsvoll die Arme aus. \"Und?\"\n\n\"Es hat sich herausgestellt, dass mein Paket eine kleine Extra-Ladung enthielt. Etwa zehn Gl\u00e4ser WiDoW extra.\"\n\nShaw war still.\n\n\"Wissen Sie etwas dar\u00fcber?\"\n\n\"Warum zum Teufel sollte ich?\", antwortete er sp\u00f6ttisch.\n\n\"Die einzige Zeit, in der ich die Ladung nicht im Blick hatte, war, als Sie sie bewegten.\"\n\n\"Nun, ich habe nicht die Angewohnheit, Kisten zu tauschen.\" Shaw nahm einen Zug von dem Stim. \"Bringen Sie das Zeug zur\u00fcck, dann kann ich sehen, ob jemand Lust auf ein bisschen WiDoW hat.\"\n\n\"Ich kann nicht.\"\n\n\"Warum nicht?\"\n\n\"Weil Hurston \u00fcberall auf der \u00dcbergabe war. Sie haben es jetzt.\"\n\nShaw lehnte sich zur\u00fcck an die Wand und seufzte.\n\n\"Sch\u00e4tze, dann sind Sie am Arsch.\"\n\n\"Es war nicht mein Zeug.\"\n\n\"Jetzt ist es das.\" Shaw nahm einen letzten Zug an der Stim und warf die verbrauchte Patrone aus. \"Tut mir leid, Sully. Ich denke, es ist an der Zeit, wieder zu verschwinden.\"\n\n\"K\u00f6nnen Sie mein Schiff hochbringen?\"\n\n\"Ja, sicher.\" Shaw ging zu einem der Terminals hin\u00fcber und fuhr es hoch. Nach mehreren Ladebildschirmen rief er den Hangar-Manager auf und gab einige Befehle ein. Sein Gesichtsausdruck verfinsterte sich. Sully bemerkte es.\n\n\"Ach komm schon, was jetzt?\"\n\n\"Es gibt eine Landesperre auf Ihrem Schiff.\" Shaw begann, einige andere Befehle einzugeben. Pl\u00f6tzlich hielt er inne, dann riss er das Stromkabel aus der Wand. Das Terminal war tot. \"Die Sicherheit hat mich nach Ihrem Standort gefragt. Sie m\u00fcssen gehen. Sofort.\"\n\nSully ging auf die T\u00fcr zu. Shaw joggte hinter ihm her. Drau\u00dfen angekommen, schauten sie die leere Halle auf und ab.\n\n\"Eine Sache noch\", wandte sich Shaw an Sully, als er sich vergewissert hatte, dass die Halle leer war. \"Wenn Sie mich zu Hurston bringen, sind Sie eine Stunde sp\u00e4ter tot. Verstanden?\"\n\nSully starrte ihn schockiert an.\n\n\"Gut.\" Shaw verschwand und lie\u00df Sully allein in der Halle zur\u00fcck.\n\nSully ging zur\u00fcck und steuerte auf das Hauptatrium von Archimedes Flight zu. Eine Handvoll Sicherheitsbeamte erschien pl\u00f6tzlich im Eingang. Sie dr\u00e4ngten sich an Sully vorbei und entsicherten Gewehre, w\u00e4hrend sie sich in Richtung der Hangars bewegten.\n\nEr zog schnell seine Schutzkleidung an und machte sich auf den Weg auf die Stra\u00dfe.\n\nDa sein Schiff beschlagnahmt war, wurden seine Optionen immer weniger. Er k\u00f6nnte versuchen, eine andere Mitfahrgelegenheit aus der Welt zu finden, aber er m\u00fcsste durch den Zoll gehen, um wieder herauszukommen. Da die Sicherheitskr\u00e4fte den Archimedes-Flug abgeriegelt hatten, war es unwahrscheinlich, dass er es \u00fcberhaupt bis zum Zoll schaffen w\u00fcrde. Also blieb nur die Flucht aus der Stadt. Wenn er es in eine andere Stadt schaffen w\u00fcrde, g\u00e4be es vielleicht eine andere M\u00f6glichkeit, den Planeten zu verlassen.\n\n***\n\nVereinzelte Sonnenstrahlen durchbrachen die dunklen Wolken, um auf die vorbeiziehende Stadt unter ihm zu scheinen. Das Hurston Dynamics-Geb\u00e4ude verschwand in der Ferne, seine Spitze verschwand in den rollenden Wolken. Der Zug fuhr leise auf den Hochbahnschienen entlang und steuerte auf eine der Wohnzonen zu.\n\nLeavsden Square war schon immer einer der deprimierenderen Wohnbl\u00f6cke Lorvilles gewesen. Die sterilen grauen Flure und Treppenh\u00e4user sahen eher wie eine Festung als ein Zuhause aus. Sully beobachtete die dunklen Geb\u00e4ude, die sich n\u00e4herten, Lichtpunkte, die aus den schmalen Fenstern zu sehen waren. Da er in diesem H\u00f6llenloch aufgewachsen war, wusste er genau, wie gewaltt\u00e4tig die T\u00fcrme sein konnten. Offensichtlich hatte sich in den letzten f\u00fcnf Jahren nicht viel ge\u00e4ndert. In der Tat sah Leavsden sogar noch schlimmer aus.\n\nAus diesem Grund war es f\u00fcr ihn nie in Frage gekommen, Lorville zu verlassen. Als er schlie\u00dflich einen Weg nach drau\u00dfen fand, indem er sich einen Ausbildungsplatz auf einem Schrotttransporter erhandelte, z\u00f6gerte er nicht. Er hatte Familie, Freunde und Kala verlassen . . aber er musste es tun. Er konnte nicht einen weiteren Tag auf diesem gottverlassenen Planeten leben. Jetzt ging er zur\u00fcck, und das war keine Aussicht, auf die er sich unbedingt freute.\n\nSicher, er hatte dar\u00fcber nachgedacht, zur\u00fcckzukommen, um zu sehen, ob Kala sich endlich von diesem Ort losrei\u00dfen konnte, aber er wusste, dass sie das nicht tun w\u00fcrde. Sie hatte zu viele Bindungen. Sie w\u00fcrde nie den Drang haben, zu sehen, was das Universum zu bieten hatte.\n\nSully warf einen Blick auf die anderen Passagiere im Zug. Eine Ansammlung von schmutzbedeckten Arbeitern, die frisch von Zw\u00f6lf-Stunden-Schichten in Munitionsfabriken oder beim Schlittenfahren von Felsen oder was auch immer kamen. Er wusste, dass er die Kaputten ansah. Er hatte nicht einmal mehr Mitleid mit ihnen. Sie kotzten ihn an. Er wollte ihnen eine reinhauen, ihnen sagen, dass sie aufwachen und erkennen sollten, dass sie Sklaven sind, aber er wusste, wie sie reagieren w\u00fcrden. Sie w\u00fcrden etwas davon murmeln, dass das Leben \u00fcberall hart sei, oder \u00e4hnlichen Unsinn.\n\nDer Zug fuhr in den Bahnhof von Leavsden ein. Seine Furcht, hierher zur\u00fcckzukommen, war fast so schlimm wie seine nagende Angst vor Hurston Security.\n\nFast.\n\nDie T\u00fcren \u00f6ffneten sich und Sully stieg aus.\n\nEr ging durch den Gemeinschaftsbereich zwischen den vier monolithischen Geb\u00e4uden. Konzentrische Betonkreise f\u00fchrten in den Boden hinab zu einem verrosteten Spielplatz. Eine Gruppe von Kindern sa\u00df dort und starrte Sully an, als er sich n\u00e4herte. Ihre Arme und Gesichter waren entbl\u00f6\u00dft, wie eine Art dreister (aber dummer) Akt des Trotzes. Ihre Haut zeigte bereits Verf\u00e4rbungen von den Giftstoffen in der Luft.\n\nSully wusste, wenn sie aufstanden, bedeutete das einen Kampf, also hielt er sein Tempo gleichm\u00e4\u00dfig. Die Kinder beobachteten ihn, als er vorbeiging. Einer von ihnen lehnte sich zur\u00fcck und grinste, wobei er einen Aufn\u00e4her zeigte, der billig in sein Hemd eingen\u00e4ht war. Ziviler Wachtmeisterdienst. Hurstons Augen, Ohren und (wenn die Situation es erforderte) Vollstrecker, die aus der Zivilbev\u00f6lkerung rekrutiert wurden. Sie waren das Kanonenfutter f\u00fcr die Sicherheit, Ratten, die ihre Kollegen f\u00fcr einen Klaps auf den Kopf verraten w\u00fcrden.\n\nSully hielt seinen Kopf gesenkt und ging weiter. Die Kinder blickten sich an und \u00fcberlegten, was sie tun sollten, aber dann gingen sie zur\u00fcck zu ihrer ged\u00e4mpften Unterhaltung.\n\nSully ging weiter zum Atrium von Turm B, schaute kurz nach den Kindern, um sicherzugehen, und rief dann das Verzeichnis auf dem Wandterminal auf. Er scrollte nach unten, bis er Kagan in der Registrierung fand und gab den Code ein.\n\n\"Ja?\" Eine \u00e4ltere, aber dennoch vertraute Stimme murmelte durch den blechernen Lautsprecher.\n\n\"Joe\", sagte Sully, als er sich nahe heranlehnte. \"Ich bin's, Sully.\"\n\nDann nichts mehr. Eine ganze Minute lang stand Sully einfach nur da. Er wartete. Er wusste, dass dies eine schlechte Idee war.\n\nDie T\u00fcr surrte.\n\n***\n\nJoe Kagan sah alt aus. Es war erst f\u00fcnf Jahre her, seit Sully ihn zuletzt gesehen hatte, aber er sah aus, als w\u00e4ren es zehn gewesen. Er hatte immer noch diesen konzentrierten Blick in seinen Augen. Er sah m\u00fcder aus, sicher, aber da war immer noch diese Intensit\u00e4t.\n\nSie hatten sich das erste Mal in den Fluren von Turm B getroffen, als sie acht Jahre alt waren. Joes Familie war gerade eingezogen, nachdem sein Vater zu einer neuen Ausgrabungsst\u00e4tte versetzt worden war, und eine Gruppe der \u00e4lteren Kinder hie\u00df ihn auf der Etage willkommen. Joe war etwa drei\u00dfig Tritte in der Schl\u00e4gerei, als Sully mit einem Schlag auf ihn zust\u00fcrmte, der Micah Rodgers bewusstlos schlug. Das war Sullys einziger guter Schlag. Er gesellte sich schnell zu Joe auf den Boden des Trittstapels.\n\nUnn\u00f6tig zu erw\u00e4hnen, dass sie seitdem immer zusammenblieben. Als sie \u00e4lter wurden, teilten sie eine trotzige Ader. Welchen \u00c4rger sie auch immer bekamen, er war es immer wert, wenn er mit diesen heiligen Worten endete: Hurston bezahlen lassen. Es dauerte \u00fcber zehn Jahre, in denen sie unzertrennlich waren, bis sie endlich herausfanden, was sie trennte: Joe entschied, dass Streiche und Sabotage sinnlos waren, wenn sie nicht mit echten Bem\u00fchungen um Ver\u00e4nderung einhergingen. Sully mochte es einfach, Leute zu ver\u00e4rgern.\n\nIn der Nacht, bevor Sully von Lorville abreiste, hatten sie sich wieder gestritten. Sully nannte Joe wahnhaft, Joe nannte ihn einen Feigling.\n\nJetzt sa\u00df Sully seinem alten Freund in der gleichen Zwei-Zimmer-Wohnung gegen\u00fcber, die seine Eltern bewohnt hatten. Die W\u00e4nde waren mit historischen Revolution\u00e4ren bedeckt. Aus den Lautsprechern ert\u00f6nte bizarre Musik. Joe sa\u00df in einem alten Stuhl und starrte Sully einfach nur an.\n\n\"Wie geht es deinen Eltern?\" sagte Sully schlie\u00dflich.\n\n\"Sie sind gestorben.\"\n\n\"Oh\", Sully lehnte sich zur\u00fcck. \"Verdammt, das tut mir leid.\"\n\nWieder Stille. Bis auf diese schreckliche Musik.\n\n\"Also, k\u00e4mpfst du immer noch ... den guten Kampf?\" sagte Sully mit einem Kichern.\n\n\"Wir versuchen mit einer Petition, Hurston dazu zu bringen, einen Arbeiterrat zu genehmigen, der die Sicherheitsbedingungen \u00fcberwacht.\"\n\nSully konnte sich ein Lachen nicht verkneifen. Joe sch\u00fcttelte den Kopf.\n\n\"Was wollen Sie, Sully?\"\n\n\"Ich, \u00e4h, ich brauche Hilfe, um aus der Stadt zu kommen.\"\n\n\"Sie haben Beine, gehen Sie.\"\n\n\"Ich muss leise rauskommen.\"\n\nJoe stand auf und ging in die K\u00fcche, wo etwas Wasser kochte. Er kochte Tee und hustete leicht.\n\n\"Mal sehen, ob ich das verstanden habe. Du verschwindest f\u00fcr f\u00fcnf Jahre und tauchst dann wieder auf. Offensichtlich in Schwierigkeiten, und erwartest, dass ich dir helfe?\"\n\n\"Irgendwie, ja.\"\n\n\"Was hast du getan?\"\n\n\"Ist das wichtig?\"\n\nJoe knallte den Becher zu Boden. Der Henkel brach ab. Er sah ihn kurz an und warf ihn in die Sp\u00fcle.\n\n\"Was haben Sie getan?\" wiederholte Joe und gewann seine m\u00fcrrische Gelassenheit zur\u00fcck.\n\n\"Ich habe etwas Fracht in die Stadt gebracht. Es gab eine Verwechslung mit den Paketen und ich wurde mit ein paar \u00fcblen Sachen erwischt. Aber es war nicht meins. Ich schw\u00f6re es.\"\n\n\"Also bist du jetzt einfach ein richtiger Krimineller?\"\n\n\"Ich habe Kleidung reingebracht, etwas hydroponisches Zubeh\u00f6r, einfaches Zeug, um das Leben der Leute zu verbessern.\"\n\n\"Aber das sind Sie nicht.\" Joe rieb sich die Schl\u00e4fen. \"Du verstehst es immer noch nicht, oder? Das Schmuggeln von Schmuggelware macht das Leben der Leute nicht besser, es bringt sie nur in die Bredouille und liefert Hurston die Beweise, um noch h\u00e4rter durchzugreifen, wenn sie erwischt werden.\"\n\n\"Sicher, denn Ihre Petition wird die Dinge wirklich \u00e4ndern\", schnauzte Sully zur\u00fcck. \"Ich wette, die F\u00fchrungskr\u00e4fte lachen sich ins F\u00e4ustchen.\"\n\nSie wurden wieder still.\n\n\"H\u00f6ren Sie, ich brauche Ihre Hilfe\", sagte Sully, seine Stimme war wieder ruhig. \"Helfen Sie mir und ich werde Sie nie wieder sehen.\"\n\nJoe dachte einige Augenblicke lang nach.\n\n\"Ich kann nicht\", sagte er schlie\u00dflich. \"Ich wei\u00df, dass es Ihnen egal ist, aber wir versuchen, die Dinge hier zu \u00e4ndern. Ich kann meine Leute nicht in den Schmuggel verwickeln. Es tut mir leid.\"\n\nSully stand auf und ging zum Fenster. Obwohl er von Joes Antwort nicht \u00fcberrascht war, f\u00fchlten sich die Mauern seiner Situation an, als w\u00fcrden sie sich schlie\u00dfen. Er konnte sich nicht lange in der Stadt verstecken. Nicht mehr.\n\nEr schaute aus dem Fenster, hinunter auf den gemeinsamen Bereich zwischen den T\u00fcrmen.\n\nDie Hurston-Sicherheitsleute sprachen mit den CCS-Kindern. Sie zeigten auf Turm B. Alle Sicherheitsleute drehten sich in Richtung des Turms.\n\n\"Schei\u00dfe\", murmelte Sully.\n\n\"Was?\", fragte Joe, als er zum Fenster eilte.\n\nEr folgte Sullys Blick. \"Schei\u00dfe.\"\n\nJoe eilte zu einem seiner Schr\u00e4nke und holte ein paar neue M\u00e4ntel, Schutzbrillen und Handschuhe heraus.\n\n\"Hier.\" Er warf sie Sully zu.\n\n\"Du hilfst mir also?\"\n\n\"Ich kann Sie nicht aus der Stadt bringen, aber ich kann Ihnen etwas Zeit verschaffen, um wegzukommen.\" Joe zog die Vordert\u00fcr auf. \"Erinnerst du dich an das alte Treppenhaus, aus dem TwoTone immer gedealt hat?\"\n\n\"Ja\", antwortete Sully und zog sich schnell die neuen Klamotten an.\n\n\"Das ganze Ding wurde abgerissen, also haben sie den Strom f\u00fcr die Kameras abgestellt. Das wird Sie ganz nach unten bringen. Schl\u00fcpfen Sie hinten raus und machen Sie sich aus dem Staub.\"\n\n\"In Ordnung, danke.\" Sully hielt an der T\u00fcr inne. Er streckte seine Hand aus. \"Es war sch\u00f6n, Sie zu sehen.\"\n\nJoe z\u00f6gerte, dann sch\u00fcttelte er sie.\n\n\"Lassen Sie es mich wissen, wenn Sie jemals anfangen, sich zu sorgen\", sagte er.\n\nSully rannte den Flur hinunter. Die Gegensprechanlage des Geb\u00e4udes knisterte zum Leben, als er rannte.\n\n\"Achtung, Bewohner des Leavsden Square Tower, hier spricht Sergeant McMannus, Hurston Security. Wir haben Grund zu der Annahme, dass ein gef\u00e4hrlicher Krimineller Ihr Geb\u00e4ude betreten hat. Wir werden Sicherheitsprotokolle in Kraft setzen, um alle Bewohner zu sichern, bis eine ordnungsgem\u00e4\u00dfe Suche durchgef\u00fchrt werden kann.\"\n\nAlle Wohnungst\u00fcren fielen pl\u00f6tzlich zu, als automatische Schl\u00f6sser einrasteten.\n\n\"Alle Mieter, die drau\u00dfen erwischt werden, m\u00fcssen sich ausweisen.\"\n\nSully schlug gegen die T\u00fcr zum hinteren Treppenhaus. Als sie aufschwang, wurde er mit einer Wand aus \u00fcblem Geruch konfrontiert. Jahrelanger Schimmel, Schmutz und Dreck vermischten sich mit den \u00dcberresten derjenigen, die das Treppenhaus als Toilette benutzt hatten.\n\nEr zog seine Schutzhaube n\u00e4her an sein Gesicht und stieg in das pechschwarze Treppenhaus hinab.\n\nEtage um Etage verging. Der bauf\u00e4llige Zustand der Treppe bedeutete, dass er jeden Schritt vorsichtig machen musste und mehr als einmal fast von etwas abrutschte, von dem er dankbar war, dass er es nicht sah.\n\nEr konnte die schweren Schritte h\u00f6ren, die sich drau\u00dfen durch die Hallen bewegten. Ein paar Mal wagte ein Hurston-Sicherheitsdienst einen Blick in das Treppenhaus, aber sie verweilten nie dort. Ein Blick auf den Zustand gen\u00fcgte, um sie davon zu \u00fcberzeugen, dass niemand, der bei klarem Verstand war, sich dort freiwillig aufhalten w\u00fcrde.\n\nSully erreichte schlie\u00dflich die unterste Etage und bewegte sich zum Ausgang, der an der R\u00fcckseite des Turms herausf\u00fchrte. Er stie\u00df die T\u00fcr auf und schl\u00fcpfte hinaus. Es war kein Sicherheitsdienst in Sicht, also begann er, sich in Richtung eines anderen Hochhauses zu dr\u00e4ngeln.\n\nIn diesem Moment rannte er fast in eines der CCS-Kinder. Es war der \u00e4ltere, der stolz seine Marke zeigte, aber dank Joes neuer Kleidung erkannte er Sully nicht.\n\n\"Hey, das Geb\u00e4ude ist abgeriegelt.\"\n\n\"Oh ja, ich wei\u00df. Ich habe schon mit dem Sicherheitsdienst gesprochen. Sie haben mir die Erlaubnis gegeben, zu gehen.\"\n\nDer Junge studierte Sully. Er begann, sein MobiGlas zu heben, um einen Anruf zu t\u00e4tigen.\n\nSully schlug ihn und rannte los. Er blickte nicht zur\u00fcck, bis er es zum n\u00e4chsten Wohnturm geschafft hatte. Die Sicherheitskr\u00e4fte wimmelten geradezu von dem Geb\u00e4ude, das er gerade verlassen hatte, sie hatten sogar einige Schwebeflugzeuge angefordert, um es aus der Luft zu beobachten.\n\nEr wusste, dass ihm die Zeit davonlief.\n\n***\n\nSully l\u00e4utete an Kalas Wohnung. Von all den Dingen, die er in den letzten Stunden durchgemacht hatte, war dies bisher das Schrecklichste. Dieses Warten, nachdem er den Knopf gedr\u00fcckt hatte. Zu wissen, dass sie auf dem Weg zur T\u00fcr war. Er h\u00e4tte sie lieber nie wieder gesehen, als ihr so gegen\u00fcberzustehen.\n\nEndlich \u00f6ffnete sich die T\u00fcr. Kala, die ihre Uniform trug, war verbl\u00fcfft \u00fcber den Mann, der in ihrer T\u00fcr stand. Sie raubte ihm immer noch den Atem, selbst nach all dieser Zeit.\n\n\"Hey K\", sagte er.\n\nSie schlug ihm ein solides Kreuz ins Gesicht, das Joes Brille zerbrach und seinen Kopf zur\u00fcckschnellen lie\u00df. Seine Beine wackelten, w\u00e4hrend sein Kopf schwamm.\n\n\"Was zum Teufel?\" schrie Sully, als er seine H\u00e4nde hochwarf und versuchte, sich zu beruhigen.\n\n\"Du Schei\u00dfkerl\", murmelte sie. \"Was zum Teufel wollen Sie?\"\n\n\"Das ist eine lange Geschichte\", antwortete Sully und hielt abwehrend die H\u00e4nde hoch. \"Darf ich reinkommen?\"\n\nKala \u00fcberlegte eine Sekunde, dann drehte sie sich um und ging hinein, wobei sie die T\u00fcr offen lie\u00df.\n\nSully ging hinein und schloss die T\u00fcr. Die Wohnung war fast genauso, wie er sie in Erinnerung hatte. Der einzige Unterschied war, dass die Bilder ausgetauscht worden waren. Jetzt waren es ruhige, intime Momente von Kala mit einem anderen Kerl. Eine ruhige Aufnahme am Nachmittag von ihr beim Lesen. Die beiden in einer Bar. Dann, ein echter Knaller:\n\nKala, der Typ und ein kleiner Junge.\n\nKala drehte sich um und sah, wie er das Bild studierte.\n\n\"Sein Name ist Max und er ist endlich eingeschlafen, also sei leise.\"\n\n\"Ihr Jungs seht gl\u00fccklich aus.\"\n\n\"Ja, wir versuchen es.\"\n\nSully zeigte auf den Typen auf dem Bild.\n\n\"Ist er auch hier?\"\n\n\"Er arbeitet.\"\n\nSully nickte und schaute wieder auf das Bild.\n\n\"Wie lange ...\"\n\n\"Was macht das f\u00fcr einen Unterschied?\"\n\n\"Ich w\u00fcrde es nur gerne wissen.\"\n\n\"Ich wei\u00df nicht, vielleicht ein Jahr, nachdem Sie verschwunden sind\", antwortete Kala. \"Eigentlich w\u00fcrde ich gerne wissen, was zum Teufel mit Ihnen passiert ist.\"\n\n\"Ich musste weg.\"\n\n\"Musste?\"\n\n\"Musste.\" Sully trat ein und nahm die Schutzbrille ab. Er konnte nicht aufh\u00f6ren, mit ihnen herumzuhantieren, alles, um sie nicht ansehen zu m\u00fcssen. \"Ich konnte es nicht mehr tun, K, ich konnte diesen Ort nicht ertragen. Ich konnte die Tatsache nicht ertragen, dass es uns alle auslaugt.\"\n\n\"Also bist du einfach gegangen.\"\n\n\"Ich wusste, du w\u00fcrdest nicht gehen.\"\n\n\"Vielleicht h\u00e4ttest du fragen sollen.\" Kala rieb sich die Kn\u00f6chel ihrer schlagenden Hand. \"Dann h\u00e4tte ich dich vielleicht \u00fcberrascht.\"\n\nSully bewegte sich quer durch den Raum zu ihr.\n\n\"Wie w\u00e4re es mit jetzt? Ich muss hier raus, und zwar sofort. Sie k\u00f6nnten mit mir kommen.\" Er ergriff ihre H\u00e4nde, ergriffen von der Aufregung \u00fcber die Idee. \"Du arbeitest doch noch im G\u00fcterverkehr, oder? Wir k\u00f6nnten Ihre Freigabe nutzen, auf einen Zug aufspringen und in ein paar Stunden aus der Stadt raus sein, ein paar Stunden danach auf einem Schiff.\"\n\n\"Was?\" Kala zog ihre H\u00e4nde aus seinen und trat weg.\n\n\"Sie k\u00f6nnen sich nicht vorstellen, wie es da drau\u00dfen ist.\" Sagte er und folgte ihr. \"Es gibt so viel Leben, dass es \u00fcberw\u00e4ltigend ist. Die Menschen sind gl\u00fccklich. Die Zukunft ist voll von M\u00f6glichkeiten. Es gibt keinen Smog und Arbeit, bis man stirbt. Kala, bitte. Lass mich dich hier rausholen.\"\n\nKala sah ihn einen Moment lang an. Sie ber\u00fchrte die Falten in seinem Gesicht, die entstanden waren, seit sie ihn zuletzt gesehen hatte.\n\n\"Sie hatten Ihre Chance, Sully\", sagte sie fest.\n\nDer Wandschirm flammte pl\u00f6tzlich mit einem durchdringenden Alarmger\u00e4usch auf. Sully konnte den gleichen Alarm h\u00f6ren, der durch die W\u00e4nde aus den anderen Wohnungen drang.\n\nAuf dem Bildschirm erschien das Hurston Dynamics-Logo mit einem Sicherheitsbulletin.\n\nSully wusste pl\u00f6tzlich, was gleich passieren w\u00fcrde.\n\n\"Achtung, B\u00fcrger von Hurston, die Sicherheitskr\u00e4fte sind auf der Suche nach Sullivan Cannata wegen illegalen Drogenhandels und K\u00f6rperverletzung.\"\n\nSullys Bild von einer seiner Verhaftungen in seiner Jugend erschien auf dem Bildschirm zusammen mit einem Bild, das von einer Kamera im Archimedes Flight aufgenommen wurde. Die Stimme auf dem Wallscreen fuhr fort:\n\n\"F\u00fcr jeden Hinweis, der zur Ergreifung dieser Person f\u00fchrt, wird eine Belohnung von drei\u00dfigtausend Credits ausgesetzt.\"\n\nKala drehte sich um und sah ihn an. Der Schmerz in ihren Augen war niederschmetternd.\n\n\"Ich war es nicht\", sagte er schwach, aber er wusste, wie es sich anh\u00f6rte.\n\n\"Verschwinden Sie\", war alles, was sie sagte.\n\n\"Mama?\" Eine junge Stimme sagte von der T\u00fcr her. Max trat heraus und rieb sich die Augen.\n\n\"Ist schon gut, Schatz.\" Kala eilte herbei, um ihn aufzufangen. \"Nur ein Alarm. Machen Sie sich keine Gedanken dar\u00fcber.\"\n\nSully ging ins Badezimmer und schloss die T\u00fcr. Das war's. Sein Gesicht war auf die gesamte Wand geklebt. re Welt.\n\nSein Blick wanderte hinunter zum Rand des Waschbeckens. Kala muss ihren Ausweis und ihre Unbedenklichkeitsbescheinigung dort vergessen haben, als sie sich nach der Arbeit das Gesicht wusch.\n\nEr konnte es nehmen, vielleicht schaffte er es noch zu einem G\u00fcterzug. Es bestand die M\u00f6glichkeit, dass der Alarm noch nicht weltweit verbreitet worden war. Und wer wei\u00df, wie viele Leute wirklich darauf achten.\n\nDann \u00fcberlegte er, was mit Kala passieren w\u00fcrde, wenn er sie mitnahm. Sie w\u00fcrde wahrscheinlich wegen Hilfe f\u00fcr einen Fl\u00fcchtigen eingesperrt werden. Bei ihrer Vergangenheit w\u00fcrde niemand glauben, dass sie ihn abgewiesen h\u00e4tte. Sie w\u00fcrde ihren Job verlieren. Vielleicht sogar Max verlieren.\n\nSeine Freiheit w\u00fcrde auf Kosten der ihren gehen.\n\nEr sah auf sein MobiGlas hinunter.\n\n***\n\nSully trat wieder hinaus in das kleine Wohnzimmer. Aus dem Augenwinkel heraus erhaschte er einen Blick auf ein vertrautes Bild. Es wurde vor sechs Jahren aufgenommen und zeigte Sully, Kala und Joe, die eines Abends in Felix' Bar sturzbetrunken waren, nachdem sie sich schlampig f\u00fcr ein Foto zusammengefunden hatten.\n\nEr hatte seit Jahren nicht mehr an diese Nacht gedacht.\n\n\"Ich meine es ernst, Sully, du musst von hier verschwinden\", sagte Kala, als sie aus Max' Zimmer trat und die T\u00fcr schloss.\n\n\"Ich wei\u00df.\"\n\nDas Ger\u00e4usch von herannahenden Sirenen erhob sich \u00fcber den heulenden Wind.\n\nKala eilte zum Fenster und schaute hinaus. Transporter und Schwebeflugzeuge von Hurston Security schw\u00e4rmten die Stra\u00dfe hinunter und fegten um das Geb\u00e4ude herum.\n\n\"Du musst gehen, Sully.\"\n\n\"Tu mir einen Gefallen\", antwortete Sully. Er war ruhig, resigniert. \"Ihr solltet etwas Lustiges machen, okay?\"\n\n\"Wovon reden Sie?\"\n\nSully trat nahe heran und nahm ihre H\u00e4nde.\n\n\"Es tut mir wirklich leid, wei\u00dft du. So sehr ich diesen Ort auch verlassen wollte, dich zu verlassen war die eine Sache, \u00fcber die ich nie hinweggekommen bin.\"\n\nKala studierte ihn eine Sekunde lang und bemerkte, wie unheimlich resigniert er war.\n\n\"Was hast du getan?\"\n\nSully l\u00e4chelte und wich in Richtung T\u00fcr zur\u00fcck.\n\n\"Sully?\"\n\n\"Tsch\u00fcss, K.\" Er riss die T\u00fcr auf und schrie aus voller Kehle: \"Du hast mich verraten!\"\n\nSully rannte hinaus und schrie den ganzen Weg, w\u00e4hrend er die Treppe hinunterdonnerte.\n\nHurston Security bet\u00e4ubte ihn in der Lobby. Er schrie, wie Kala ihn verraten hatte, bis er in die Bewusstlosigkeit abdriftete.\n\n***\n\nSully kam auf dem R\u00fccksitz eines Transporters wieder zu sich. Er sp\u00fcrte, wie seine H\u00e4nde hinter seinem R\u00fccken gefesselt waren. Er konnte dank des schwarzen Beutels auf seinem Kopf nichts sehen, aber er vermutete, dass er auf dem Weg zur zentralen Buchhaltung war.\n\nEr war \u00fcberrascht, wie gut er sich f\u00fchlte. Sogar mit all dem, was au\u00dferhalb seiner Kontrolle lag und dem, was er sich selbst eingebrockt hatte, machte es ihm nichts aus, diesen Schlag einzustecken. Au\u00dferdem hatte er schon \u00f6fters in Hurston-Gef\u00e4ngnissen gesessen. Er w\u00fcrde wahrscheinlich ein paar Monate brauchen, um sich zurechtzufinden, aber innerhalb eines Jahres w\u00fcrde er diesen Ort verdrahtet haben. Dann musste er nur noch die Zeit abwarten oder auf eine Gelegenheit zur Flucht warten.\n\nDas Beste von allem: Dank des Tipps, den er in Max' Namen bei Hurston Security abgegeben hatte, sollten Kala und ihre Familie eine sch\u00f6ne, fette Belohnung bekommen. Wie er und Joe immer zu sagen pflegten: Hurston soll zahlen.\n\nDer Transport kam ruckartig zum Stehen. Sully konnte h\u00f6ren, wie die T\u00fcr aufgerissen wurde. Schritte kamen auf ihn zu. Zwei Paar H\u00e4nde rissen ihn vom Sitz hoch und zerrten ihn halb aus dem Transporter.\n\nPl\u00f6tzlich wurde ihm die Tasche vom Kopf gerissen. McMannus, der Hurston Security Sergeant, der Jens get\u00f6tet hatte, stand vor ihm. Sully schaute sich um.\n\nSie standen in der Mitte von Nirgendwo. Kein Gef\u00e4ngnis. Keine zentrale Buchungsstelle. Nicht einmal Lorville.\n\n\"Was ist ...\" Sully stammelte und versuchte, das zu begreifen. Er schaute zur\u00fcck. Der einzige andere Hurston-Sicherheitsoffizier stand neben dem Transport und f\u00fchrte ein stummes Gespr\u00e4ch. \"Wo ist das Gef\u00e4ngnis?\"\n\n\"Das ist die Sache\", antwortete McMannus, w\u00e4hrend er seine Seitenwaffe zog. \"Das Geld ist zur Zeit sehr knapp.\"\n\nEr hob die Pistole und feuerte.\n\n***\n\nZwei Wochen sp\u00e4ter glich Kala ihre Finanzen aus, w\u00e4hrend Aman das Abendessen kochte. Max spielte mit einigen seiner Spielsachen.\n\nIhr Terminal piepte wegen einer eingehenden Nachricht. Sie klickte hin\u00fcber. Die Nachricht war von Hurston Dynamics und an Max adressiert.\n\nEs ging um eine Belohnung von drei\u00dfigtausend Credits f\u00fcr die Unterst\u00fctzung von Hurston Security bei der Ergreifung eines gef\u00e4hrlichen Verbrechers.\n\nDas Ende","zh_CN":"This short story originally appeared in Jump Point 5.11.\nI\u2019m dead, I\u2019m dead.\n\nThe words repeated on a loop in Sully Cannata\u2019s head as he raced through the winding tunnels of the abandoned factory. Focused columns of heat blasted from the vents staggered along the wall, pumping acrid smoke into the tight passageway.\n\nA series of desperate shots boomed behind him. It sounded like the hand cannon Jens was known to carry. Sully guessed he was digging in.\n\nBetter him than me, Sully thought.\n\nThe rip of gunfire was suddenly silenced by a chorus of high-speed energy weapons, bringing back those words again:\n\nI\u2019m dead, I\u2019m dead.\n\nSully cut around a corner. His feet skidded on a puddle of something and nearly came out from under him. He managed to catch one of the pipes on the wall, righted himself and raced forward. He\u2019d scouted the factory before the drop, a habit he\u2019d picked up in the past year or two, but now he was just trying to keep the terror at bay so he could remember the winding layout that led to . . .\n\nThe access door came into view ahead of him. He pushed even harder and shoved his full weight into the metal. It flung open. Sully quickly slammed it behind him and jammed a piece of metal shrapnel into the doorlock, hoping it\u2019d slow down his pursuers.\n\nThin metal stairs wound up around the walls. He wasted no time, leaping two, three steps at once even though his legs burned. By the time he hit the top, somebody crashed into the door he came through. His improvised \u2018lock\u2019 held. Sully quickly pulled on his gloves and hood as heavy impacts rammed against the door below. By the time he\u2019d gotten the goggles on, the door downstairs buckled. Heavy footsteps thudded up the stairs.\n\nSully wrenched the handle and pushed the heavy rusted door at the top of the stairs open.\n\nA swirl of dirt and dust blew into the factory. He could already feel the dull burn of the dirt through the fabric. He slipped out the door and hustled away.\n\nThe drop had been on the outskirts of Lorville. Factories out here were either automated or had outlived their usefulness. They were also within walking distance of residential areas, so it made for a convenient place to meet.\n\nSully cut into a winding alleyway to keep out of sight. He weaved his way around piles of trash leaving oddly colored fluids as he made his way towards the more populated areas. Over the wind, he could start to hear the oddly placid music intended to keep the populace calm, meaning he was close.\n\nAlthough he strained to hear the armored footsteps of his pursuers through the howling wind, he knew he wouldn\u2019t hear any voices. It was one of the most unsettling things about Executive Security, they only turned on their external speakers if they were addressing you directly. The rest of the time, they were completely silent. Their sealed heavy armor obscured all the conversations they were undoubtedly having.\n\nUp ahead, a trickle of people passed the mouth of the alley. Sully slowed as he approached and glanced around the street. He was in one of the commercial sectors, placed near a travel hub, so workers could pick up any last-minute items on their way to the factories. Sully hadn\u2019t realized how pathetic these \u2018stores\u2019 were until he\u2019d gotten offworld. The shelves in all of them were mostly bare, only displaying a handful of \u2018sanctioned\u2019 items that Hurston imported. The storefronts themselves, although they had colorful names, all bore the same \u201cOwned and operated by Hurston Dynamics, Inc.\u201d disclaimer on the sign. Almost everybody was dressed in similar clothes, wrapping up in multiple layers to protect against the corrosive dirt. Almost no one looked up, every gaze locked on the ground ahead. Kala had always said it was the mindset of the people here; keep your head down, focus on the path right in front of you. She\u2019d always been more pragmatic than Sully. At least, that was how she\u2019d described herself. He thought it was the mindset of the broken.\n\nThat was why Sully had to leave.\n\nHe kept his head down while passing a camera cluster perched above. A dozen or so lenses were aimed to spy on the entire street. Speakers embedded among them pumped out that obnoxious music. He passed underneath and slowly trudged (it took all his restraint not to run) his way up to the monorail station.\n\nAt the top, Sully glanced back towards the alley. There was no sign of his pursuers. The only security were in an enclosed observation post perched above the checkpoint. Sully queued up and waited. When his turn came, he stepped into the small antechamber. The laminate doors swung closed as he scanned his card. A moment later, the screen flashed green and the plexi doors in front opened. A monorail was just pulling into the station.\n\nSully filed into the train with the other workers. Focused pneumatic tubes fired bursts of air as each person stepped through the door of the monorail, blasting dust and dirt from their clothes. It was part of a Public Health Initiative that Hurston Dynamics had unveiled ten years ago, but like everything else from Hurston, nobody ever took it seriously. Sully slid into a seat. As the adrenaline wore off, his legs started to burn, but Sully couldn\u2019t think about that now.\n\nHe had to figure out what went so wrong.\n\n***\n\nThis was hardly the first time Sully had made a run to Lorville. Ever since he linked up with Peng\u2019s gang five years ago, he\u2019d done a handful of smuggling jobs here. As much as he despised coming back to this hellhole, the black market mostly sold stuff easily gotten off-world. You could buy a pair of DMC pants anywhere and sell it for four, sometimes five times the price here. Only tricky part, you had to get it past security.\n\nAnd that\u2019s what this job was. A breeze op running a bunch of clothes and food that nobody would look twice at anywhere else in the UEE. Once he landed, he contacted Shaw, his guy on the inside, who rerouted the \u2018specialty cargo\u2019 past the customs check and put them on a freight to the factories.\n\nOnce the customs check on the rest of Sully\u2019s cargo had been cleared, he met up with Jens and made the deal. Everything had gone as it always had. Healthy amounts of paranoia, but otherwise, respect. Jens had two of his usual enforcers there to help carry the crates. He cracked open the third crate, but instead of hydroponic growth supplements, it was jars and jars of WiDoW.\n\nJens turned to Sully.\n\n\u201cWhat the hell is this?\u201d\n\nSully was dumbfounded, he barely heard the question.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t . . .\u201d he managed to stammer.\n\nA dozen energy weapons hummed to life above them. Jens, his enforcers and Sully turned to see Hurston security lining the catwalk above, rifles already aimed.\n\n\u201cAfternoon, gentlemen,\u201d an augmented voice cut through the silence. Sully turned to see a form step from the hallway. The armor had officer markings on it. \u201cI\u2019ll be honest. The thing that usually bothers me the most is that while people are spending their day being productive, contributing to the betterment of the world by putting in their twelve hours and going home, you types try to make more money for less work.\u201d\n\nThe Security Officer calmly circled Jens and Sully. Jens\u2019 enforcers kept glancing at the security up top, while Jens locked eyes with the officer as he stepped over to the crate of WiDoW.\n\n\u201cBut this,\u201d he said as he lifted a jar of the thick black liquid. \u201cPoisoning our populace with this junk . . . well, that I just can\u2019t stand for.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe\u2014\u201d Sully started to speak when the officer backhanded him. The armor augmented the hit, sending Sully sliding across the dirty floor.\n\nJens\u2019 hand slowly drifted behind his back.\n\nThe officer unlatched his helmet and pulled it off. He was older, probably late sixties, tan, weathered skin and cold, gray eyes. He walked towards Sully and leaned down.\n\n\u201cI didn\u2019t say you could speak,\u201d the officer said.\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019s this gonna cost?\u201d Jens muttered. The security officer paused, eyes still locked on Sully, then smiled.\n\n\u201cWhat?\u201d\n\n\u201cI pay out to you boots every month, but it ain\u2019t never enough. Seems there\u2019s always someone else who wants a little slice of the action.\u201d Jens glanced around, seemingly bored with this whole interaction. \u201cSo what\u2019s it gonna be this time?\u201d\n\n\u201cI want the name of everyone you pay out to,\u201d the officer said as he turned back to Jens.\n\nSully glanced around, there was a side door maybe four, five meters away.\n\n\u201cYeah, sure. Got a list right here.\u201d Jens yanked a holdout pistol from his waistband and opened fire. His enforcers dove for their rifles.\n\nThe officer brought up his armored hand just in time to stop Jens\u2019 shots.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s do this the hard way then,\u201d the officer said with a grin and calmly drew his sidearm. Jens drew his heavy ballistic.\n\nThat\u2019s when Sully ran.\n\n***\n\nThe monorail lurched to a stop. The droll voice announced the services and alternate rail lines that were available at the station. Sully had one more to go before the pads where his ship was parked.\n\nHe went over every step of the job. The cargo was prepped on New Babbage like usual. Peng had made the delivery, but he wasn\u2019t the type of guy to mess with drugs. Peng was an opportunist who liked getting paid. He liked to play things safe rather than chase the rush of pushing boundaries. Running that kind of weight into Lorville was a death wish kinda deal.\n\nSully leaned against the window as the monorail passed into shadow. He looked up to see the monolithic Hurston Dynamics building blocking out the sun. Unfortunately for him, to get the hell out of here, he\u2019d have to go into the heart of corporate security.\n\nThe train began to slow as it approached the next stop. Sully got up and joined the other passengers clustered by the door.\n\nStriding through the monorail station, he brought up his mobi and pushed a comm to Peng.\n\n\u201cHey, what\u2019s up?\u201d Peng murmured as he appeared on the comm a moment later, clearly woken from a nap.\n\n\u201cOne sec,\u201d Sully said and headed for a crowd of people to hide his conversation from the cameras. \u201cWhat the hell did you have me transport?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat you mean, man?\u201d\n\n\u201cOne of the crates . . .\u201d Sully dropped his voice to hide it from the people around him. \u201cOne of them was loaded with damn WiDoW.\u201d\n\n\u201cQuit playing, man.\u201d\n\n\u201cDo I look like I\u2019m playing?\u201d The crowd around Sully started to move, so he kept pace. \u201cNot only that. Security were all over the drop. Jens is dead, probably.\u201d\n\nThat woke Peng up.\n\n\u201cWhoa, hold up, I don\u2019t know anything about no goddamn WiDoW, man.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen how\u2019d it get in the crate?\u201d\n\n\u201cHell if I know,\u201d Peng started getting really nervous. \u201cYou ever lose sight of the cargo?\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, man, it was . . .\u201d Sully paused. There was a gap where it was out of his sight \u2014 Shaw. His contact on the pads who slipped it past customs.\n\n\u201cHey, look, you, uh, you need to get the hell outta there.\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, thanks, Peng. What do you think I\u2019m doing?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, right. Anyway . . . don\u2019t contact me \u2019til you\u2019re clear.\u201d Peng dropped the comm.\n\nSully muttered to himself and broke from the crowd to head towards the pad. He knew Peng was probably cleaning house; deleting any records of Sully from his comm, datapads, whatever. Playing it safe again.\n\nSully stepped inside Archimedes Flight and glanced around. Pilots were clustered around the various terminals, trying to order their ships to get the hell out of there. Cameras covered every square inch of the space.\n\nHe scanned the faces of the employees and found Michael Shaw staring vacantly into space as some customer in an ill-fitted flight suit yammered at him. Sully quickly made his way over and stepped behind the customer.\n\n\u201c. . . it\u2019s important that my ship is kept covered,\u201d the customer droned on. \u201cI\u2019ve read extensively about the atmospheric conditions here and I will not have my hull tarnished by whatever\u2019s floating around in the air.\u201d\n\nIt took a few moments before Shaw noticed him standing there. When he did, he turned to the customer.\n\n\u201cGo away.\u201d\n\nThe customer stopped speaking, utterly shocked. Shaw\u2019s expression hadn\u2019t changed. He just stared at the customer until he moved away, then turned to Sully.\n\n\u201cHi, welcome to Archimedes Flight,\u201d Shaw said in an unconvincingly chipper tone. \u201cHow can I help you?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, I seemed to have some difficulty with my cargo.\u201d\n\n\u201cSorry to hear that. We do our best to make sure that our clients are satisfied, but sometimes accidents do happen.\u201d\n\nSully leaned in close.\n\n\u201cWe need to talk.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sorry, I can\u2019t do that at the moment,\u201d Shaw replied with a placid smile. He then typed something on his datapad. \u201cI\u2019ve updated your hangar file with some relevant info. Thanks.\u201d\n\nSully turned and walked away. Once outside, his mobi pinged. There was a message from an unregistered user that simply said, \u201cBay four. Ten minutes.\u201d\n\nA pair of ships, marked with Hurston Security livery, blasted overhead towards the factory district where Sully had come from.\n\nThis was not good.\n\n***\n\nShaw was already ten minutes late. The bay was dark, empty. Sully passed the time scanning the Hurston spectrum for any kind of alert or notification. It was quiet. The announcer was cheerfully explaining how worker productivity was up over this past quarter, leading to a two percent profit growth.\n\nFinally the door to the hall slid open, spilling light inside. Sully ducked behind a terminal. It was Shaw, strolling in like nothing was wrong.\n\n\u201cAbout time,\u201d Sully muttered as he stepped out.\n\n\u201cHey, when I\u2019m on the clock, you get my time when I wanna give it.\u201d Shaw popped a stim and held his arms out expectantly. \u201cSo?\u201d\n\n\u201cTurns out my package had a little extra cargo in there. About ten jars of WiDoW extra.\u201d\n\nShaw was silent.\n\n\u201cYou know anything about that?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy the hell would I?\u201d he replied derisively.\n\n\u201cOnly time that cargo was out of my sight was when you were moving it.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, I ain\u2019t in the habit of swapping boxes.\u201d Shaw took a drag off the stim. \u201cBring the stuff back and I can see if anyone\u2019s light on some WiDoW.\u201d\n\n\u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy not?\u201d\n\n\u201cBecause Hurston was all over the drop. They got it now.\u201d\n\nShaw leaned back against the wall and sighed.\n\n\u201cGuess you\u2019re screwed then.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt wasn\u2019t my stuff.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is now.\u201d Shaw took a last puff on the stim and ejected the spent cartridge. \u201cSorry, Sully. Think it might be time to disappear again.\u201d\n\n\u201cCan you bring up my ship?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, sure.\u201d Shaw walked over to one of the terminals and booted it up. After several load screens, he accessed the hangar manager and punched some commands. His expression darkened. Sully noticed.\n\n\u201cOh come on, what now?\u201d\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s a landing lock on your ship.\u201d Shaw started punching some other commands. Suddenly, he stopped, then ripped the power cable out of the wall. The terminal went dead. \u201cSecurity flagged me asking for your location. You gotta go. Now.\u201d\n\nSully started heading for the door. Shaw jogged after him. Once outside, they looked up and down the empty hall.\n\n\u201cOne more thing,\u201d Shaw turned to Sully, once he was satisfied the hall was empty. \u201cYou drop me to Hurston, you\u2019re dead an hour later. Clear?\u201d\n\nSully stared at him, shocked.\n\n\u201cGood.\u201d Shaw took off and left Sully alone in the hall.\n\nSully backed up and headed into the main atrium of Archimedes Flight. A handful of security officers suddenly appeared in the entrance. They pushed past Sully and unslung rifles as they moved towards the hangars.\n\nHe quickly pulled on his protective gear and set out into the street.\n\nWith his ship impounded, his options were dwindling. He could try and find another ride off-world, but he\u2019d have to go through customs to get out. With security locking down Archimedes Flight, it was unlikely he\u2019d even make it to customs. That left fleeing the city. If he could get to some other town, maybe there\u2019d be another way to get off the planet.\n\n***\n\nRoving beams of sunlight cut through the dark clouds to shine on the passing city below. The Hurston Dynamics building receded in the distance, its top disappearing into the rolling clouds. The train quietly sailed along the elevated rails, heading into one of the residential zones.\n\nLeavsden Square had always been one of Lorville\u2019s more depressing housing blocks. The sterile gray halls and stairwells looked more like a fortress than a home. Sully watched the dark buildings approach, pinpoints of light visible from the narrow windows. Growing up in this hellhole, he knew exactly how violent the towers could be. Clearly not much had changed in the past five years. In fact, Leavsden actually looked worse.\n\nFor that reason, leaving Lorville had never been in question. When he finally found a way out, talking his way into a trainee position on a scrap hauler, he didn\u2019t hesitate. He\u2019d left family, friends, Kala . . . but he had to. He couldn\u2019t live on this godforsaken planet one more day. Now he was going back and it wasn\u2019t a prospect he was necessarily looking forward to.\n\nSure, he\u2019d thought about coming back, see if Kala could finally cut herself loose of this place, but he knew she wouldn\u2019t. She had too many ties. She\u2019d never have that urge to see what the universe had to offer.\n\nSully glanced at the other passengers in the train. Clustered dirt-covered workers fresh off twelve hour shifts in munitions plants or sledging rock or whatever. He knew he was looking at the broken. He didn\u2019t even pity them anymore. They pissed him off. He wanted to smack them, tell them to wake up and realize that they\u2019re slaves, but he knew how they\u2019d respond. They\u2019d mumble something about life being hard everywhere, or some similar nonsense.\n\nThe train pulled into the Leavsden station. His dread about coming back here was almost as bad as his gnawing fear of Hurston Security.\n\nAlmost.\n\nThe doors opened and Sully filed out.\n\nHe walked through the common area between the four monolithic buildings. Concentric concrete circles descended into the ground into a rusted playground. A group of kids sat there, glaring at Sully as he approached, their arms and faces bare like some kind of brazen (but stupid) act of defiance. Their skin was already showing discoloration from the toxins in the air.\n\nSully knew if they stood up, it meant a fight, so he kept his pace even. The kids watched him as he passed. One of them leaned back and grinned, displaying a patch cheaply sewn into his shirt. Civilian Constable Service. Hurston\u2019s eyes, ears and (if the situation called for it) enforcers recruited from the civ-pop. They were the security cannon fodder, rats who\u2019d sell out fellow workers for a pat on the head.\n\nSully kept his head down and kept walking. The kids glanced at each other, clearly deciding what to do, but then went back to their hushed conversation.\n\nSully continued to the atrium of Tower B, gave a quick check on the kids to be safe, then brought up the directory on the wall terminal. He scrolled down until he found Kagan in the registry and punched the code.\n\n\u201cYeah?\u201d An older but still familiar voice murmured through the tinny speaker.\n\n\u201cJoe,\u201d Sully said as he leaned close. \u201cIt\u2019s Sully.\u201d\n\nThen nothing. For a full minute, Sully just stood there. Waiting. He knew this was a bad idea.\n\nThe door buzzed.\n\n***\n\nJoe Kagan looked old. It\u2019d only been five years since Sully had last seen him, but he looked like it\u2019d been ten. Still had that focused look in his eye. He looked wearier, sure, but there was still that intensity.\n\nThey\u2019d first met in the halls of Tower B when they were eight years old. Joe\u2019s family had just moved in after his dad got transferred to a new dig site, and a group of the older kids were welcoming him to the floor. Joe was about thirty kicks into the beatdown when Sully came charging in with a punch that knocked Micah Rodgers out cold. That was Sully\u2019s one good shot. He quickly joined Joe on the bottom of the kicking pile.\n\nNeedless to say, they\u2019d stuck together ever since. As they got older, they shared a defiant streak. Whatever trouble they got into, it was always worth it if it resulted in those sacred words: make Hurston pay. It took over ten years of being inseparable to finally figure out what divided them: Joe decided that pranks and sabotage were pointless if they didn\u2019t coincide with real efforts to change. Sully just liked pissing people off.\n\nThe night before Sully took off from Lorville, they\u2019d argued again. Sully called Joe delusional, Joe called him a coward.\n\nNow, Sully was sitting across from his old friend in the same two-room apartment his parents had occupied. The walls were covered in historical revolutionaries. Some bizarro music played from his speakers. Joe was in an old chair, just staring at Sully.\n\n\u201cHow are your parents?\u201d Sully finally said.\n\n\u201cThey died.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh,\u201d Sully settled back. \u201cDamn, sorry.\u201d\n\nSilence again. Except for that dreadful music.\n\n\u201cSo, you still . . . fighting the good fight?\u201d Sully said with a chuckle.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re petitioning to try to get Hurston to authorize a worker\u2019s council to oversee safety conditions.\u201d\n\nSully couldn\u2019t stifle a laugh. Joe shook his head.\n\n\u201cWhat do you want, Sully?\u201d\n\n\u201cI, uh, I need a hand getting out of the city.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou got legs, walk.\u201d\n\n\u201cI need to get out quietly.\u201d\n\nJoe stood up and walked to the kitchen where some water was boiling. He made tea and coughed slightly.\n\n\u201cLet me see if I got this. You vanish for five years then pop up. Clearly in trouble, and expect me to help?\u201d\n\n\u201cKinda, yeah.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019d you do?\u201d\n\n\u201cDoes it matter?\u201d\n\nJoe slammed down the mug. The handle broke off. He looked at it for a second and tossed it in the sink.\n\n\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d Joe reiterated, regaining his sullen composure.\n\n\u201cI was running some cargo into the city. There was a mix up with the packages and I got nabbed with some nasty stuff. But it wasn\u2019t mine. I swear.\u201d\n\n\u201cSo you\u2019re just a straight up criminal now?\u201d\n\n\u201cI was bringing in clothes, some hydroponic supplies, simple stuff to make people\u2019s lives better.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut you aren\u2019t.\u201d Joe rubbed his temples. \u201cYou still don\u2019t get it, do you? Smuggling in contraband isn\u2019t making anyones\u2019 lives better, it\u2019s putting them on a razor\u2019s edge and giving Hurston the evidence to crack down even harder when they get caught.\u201d\n\n\u201cSure, because your petition\u2019s really gonna change things,\u201d Sully snapped back. \u201cI\u2019ll bet the execs are laughing their asses off.\u201d\n\nThey fell silent again.\n\n\u201cLook, I need your help,\u201d Sully said, his voice calm again. \u201cHelp me and I\u2019ll never see you again.\u201d\n\nJoe thought for a few moments.\n\n\u201cI can\u2019t,\u201d he finally said. \u201cI know you couldn\u2019t care less, but we\u2019re trying to change things here. I can\u2019t get my people mixed up in smuggling. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d\n\nSully stood and walked to the window. Though he wasn\u2019t surprised by Joe\u2019s response, the walls of his situation felt like they were closing in. He couldn\u2019t hide out in the city for long. Not now.\n\nHe looked out the window, down at the common area between the towers.\n\nHurston Security were talking to the CCS kids. They pointed to Tower B. All of the Security turned towards the tower.\n\n\u201cShit,\u201d Sully muttered.\n\n\u201cWhat,\u201d Joe asked as he came rushing up to the window.\n\nHe followed Sully\u2019s gaze. \u201cShit.\u201d\n\nJoe rushed to one of his closets and pulled out some new coats, goggles, and gloves.\n\n\u201cHere.\u201d He tossed them to Sully.\n\n\u201cSo you\u2019ll help me?\u201d\n\n\u201cI can\u2019t get you out of the city, but I can buy you some time to get away.\u201d Joe pulled the front door open. \u201cYou remember the old stairwell where TwoTone used to deal out of?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah,\u201d Sully replied, quickly pulling on the new clothes.\n\n\u201cWhole things been condemned, so they cut off the power to the cameras. That\u2019ll take you all the way down. Slip out the back and make a run for it.\u201d\n\n\u201cAll right, thanks.\u201d Sully paused at the door. He held his hand out. \u201cIt was good to see you.\u201d\n\nJoe hesitated, then shook it.\n\n\u201cLet me know if you ever start to care,\u201d he said.\n\nSully took off down the hall. The building\u2019s intercom crackled to life as he ran.\n\n\u201cAttention Leavsden Square Tower residents, this is Sergeant McMannus, Hurston Security. We have reason to believe that a dangerous criminal has entered your building. We will be enacting security protocols to secure all residents until a proper search can be conducted.\u201d\n\nAll the apartment doors suddenly latched shut as automatic locks engaged.\n\n\u201cAny tenants caught outside will need to provide authorized identification.\u201d\n\nSully hit the doorway to the back stairwell. As it swung open, he was slammed in the face with a wall of rank odor. Years of mold, dirt, grime were compounded with the remnants of whoever had been using the stairwell for a toilet.\n\nHe pulled his protective hood closer to his face and descended into the pitch black stairwell.\n\nFloor after floor passed. The decrepit state of the stairs meant he had to take each step carefully and more than once almost slipped off something that he was grateful not to see.\n\nHe could hear the heavy footsteps moving through the halls outside. A few times a Hurston Security would venture a look into the stairwell, but they never lingered. One glance at the state of it was enough to convince them that no one in their right mind would be in there willingly.\n\nSully finally reached the bottom floor and moved to the exit that let out in the back of the tower. He pushed the door open and slipped out. There weren\u2019t any Security in sight, so he started to hustle off towards another one of the tower blocks.\n\nThat\u2019s when he almost ran into one of the CCS kids. This was the older one who\u2019d proudly displayed his badge, but, thanks to Joe\u2019s new clothes, he didn\u2019t recognize Sully.\n\n\u201cHey, the building\u2019s on lockdown.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh yeah, I know. I already talked to security. They cleared me to go.\u201d\n\nThe kid studied Sully. He started to raise his mobiGlas to make a call.\n\nSully hit him and ran. He didn\u2019t glance back until he\u2019d made it to the next resident tower. Security were absolutely swarming the building he\u2019d just left, they\u2019d even called in some hovers to watch it from the air.\n\nHe knew he was running out of time.\n\n***\n\nSully rang the bell for Kala\u2019s apartment. Of all the things he\u2019s been through in the past few hours, this was the most terrifying yet. This waiting after he\u2019d pressed the button. Knowing that she was on her way to the door. He would\u2019ve rather never seen her again than face her like this.\n\nFinally, the door opened. Kala, wearing her uniform, was dumbfounded by the man standing in her doorway. She still took his breath away, even after all this time.\n\n\u201cHey K,\u201d he said.\n\nShe punched him in the face with a solid cross that busted Joe\u2019s goggles and snapped his head back. His legs wobbled while his head swam.\n\n\u201cWhat the hell?\u201d Sully shouted as he threw his hands up and tried to steady himself.\n\n\u201cYou son of a bitch,\u201d she muttered. \u201cWhat the hell do you want?\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s a long story,\u201d Sully replied, keeping his hands up defensively. \u201cCan I come inside?\u201d\n\nKala thought it over for a second then turned and walked inside, leaving the door open.\n\nSully walked in and closed the door. The apartment was almost exactly as he remembered it. The one difference was that the pictures had been replaced. Now they were quiet, intimate moments of Kala with some other guy. A quiet shot in the afternoon of her reading. The two of them in bar. Then, a real kicker:\n\nKala, the guy and a little boy.\n\nKala turned back to see him studying the picture.\n\n\u201cHis name\u2019s Max and he finally got to sleep, so keep it quiet.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou guys look happy.\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, we try.\u201d\n\nSully pointed to the guy in the picture.\n\n\u201cIs he here too?\u201d\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s working.\u201d\n\nSully nodded and looked back at the picture.\n\n\u201cHow long . . .\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat difference does it make?\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019d just like to know.\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know, maybe a year after you vanished,\u201d Kala responded. \u201cActually, here\u2019s something I\u2019d like to know; what the hell happened to you?\u201d\n\n\u201cI had to leave.\u201d\n\n\u201cHad to?\u201d\n\n\u201cNeeded to.\u201d Sully stepped inside and pulled off the goggles. He couldn\u2019t stop fidgeting with them, anything to not have to look at her. \u201cI couldn\u2019t do it anymore, K, I couldn\u2019t take this place. I couldn\u2019t take the fact that it was draining us all.\u201d\n\n\u201cSo you just left.\u201d\n\n\u201cI knew you wouldn\u2019t go.\u201d\n\n\u201cMaybe you should have asked.\u201d Kala rubbed the knuckles of her punching hand. \u201cI might\u2019ve surprised you.\u201d\n\nSully moved across the room to her.\n\n\u201cHow about now? I need to get out of here, like immediately. You could come with me.\u201d He grabbed her hands, seized by the excitement of the idea. \u201cYou still work in freight, right? We could use your clearance, hop a train and be out of the city in a couple hours, on a ship a few hours after that.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat?\u201d Kala pulled her hands from his and stepped away.\n\n\u201cYou can\u2019t imagine what it\u2019s like out there.\u201d He said, following her. \u201cThere\u2019s so much life it\u2019s overwhelming. People are happy. The future is full of possibilities. It\u2019s not smog and work until you die. Kala, please. Let me get you out of here.\u201d\n\nKala looked at him for a moment. She touched the wrinkles on his face that had appeared since she\u2019d last seen him.\n\n\u201cYou had your chance, Sully,\u201d she said firmly.\n\nThe wallscreen suddenly flared to life with a piercing alert noise. Sully could hear the same alert emanating through the walls from the other apartments.\n\nThe screen showed the Hurston Dynamics logo with a Security Bulletin.\n\nSully suddenly knew what was about to happen.\n\n\u201cAttention, citizens of Hurston, Security forces are on the lookout for Sullivan Cannata for illegal drug trafficking and assault.\u201d\n\nSully\u2019s picture from one of his arrests in his youth appeared on the screen alongside a frame grabbed from a camera in Archimedes Flight. The voice on the wallscreen continued:\n\n\u201cA reward of thirty thousand credits will be given for any information that leads to the capture of this individual.\u201d\n\nKala turned and looked at him. The hurt in her eyes was devastating.\n\n\u201cIt wasn\u2019t me,\u201d he said weakly, but he knew how it sounded.\n\n\u201cGet out,\u201d was all she said.\n\n\u201cMom?\u201d A young voice said from the doorway. Max stepped out, rubbing his eyes.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s okay, honey.\u201d Kala rushed over to pick him up. \u201cJust an alarm. Don\u2019t worry about it.\u201d\n\nSully walked into the bathroom and shut the door. This was it. His face was plastered over the entire world.\n\nHis gaze drifted down to the edge of the sink. Kala must have left her ID and clearance badge there when she washed her face after work.\n\nHe could take it, maybe he could still make it to a freight train. There was a chance that the alert hadn\u2019t gone global yet. And who knows how many people really pay attention to that . . .\n\nThen he thought out what would happen to Kala if he took it. She\u2019d probably get locked up for aiding a fugitive. With their past, no one would believe that she\u2019d turned him away. She\u2019d lose her job. Maybe even lose Max.\n\nHis freedom would come at the cost of hers.\n\nHe looked down at his mobiGlas.\n\n***\n\nSully stepped back out into the small living room. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of one familiar picture. Taken six years ago, it was Sully, Kala and Joe tremendously drunk one night at Felix\u2019s bar after they\u2019d sloppily assembled for a picture.\n\nHe hadn\u2019t thought about that night for years.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m serious, Sully, you need to get out of here,\u201d Kala said as she exited Max\u2019s room and shut the door.\n\n\u201cI know.\u201d\n\nThe sound of sirens approaching rose above the howling wind.\n\nKala rushed to the window and looked out. Hurston Security transports and hovers swarmed down the street and swept around the building.\n\n\u201cYou gotta go, Sully.\u201d\n\n\u201cDo me a favor,\u201d Sully replied. He was calm, resigned. \u201cYou guys should do something fun, okay?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d\n\nSully stepped close and took her hands.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m really sorry, you know. As much as I wanted to leave this place, leaving you was the one thing I never got over.\u201d\n\nKala studied him for a second, realizing how eerily resigned he was.\n\n\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d\n\nSully smiled and backed away towards the door.\n\n\u201cSully?\u201d\n\n\u201cBye, K.\u201d He pulled the door open and screamed at the top of his lungs: \u201cYou sold me out!\u201d\n\nSully ran out, shouting the whole way as he thundered down the stairs.\n\nHurston Security stunned him in the lobby. He screamed about how Kala ratted him out until he drifted into unconsciousness.\n\n***\n\nSully came to in the back of some transport. He could feel his hands bound behind his back. He couldn\u2019t see, thanks to the black bag on his head, but figured he was heading to central booking.\n\nHe was surprised how okay he felt. Even with everything that was outside of his control and the stuff he brought on himself, he didn\u2019t mind taking this hit. Besides, he\u2019d done scattered time in Hurston jails before. It\u2019d take him a couple months probably to get his bearings, but he\u2019d have that place wired within a year. Then all he had to do was either bide his time or wait for an opportunity to escape.\n\nBest of all, thanks to the tip he dropped to Hurston Security in Max\u2019s name, Kala and her family should be getting a nice, fat reward. Like he and Joe used to say: make Hurston pay.\n\nThe transport lurched to a stop. Sully could hear the door get pulled open. Footsteps approached him. Two pairs of hands wrenched him up from the seat and half-dragged him out of the transport.\n\nSuddenly the bag was ripped off his head. McMannus, the Hurston Security sergeant who killed Jens, was standing in front of him. Sully looked around.\n\nThey stood in the middle of nowhere. No prison. No central booking. No Lorville even.\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019s . . .\u201d Sully stammered, trying to figure this out. He looked back. The only other Hurston Security officer stood by the transport, engaging in a mute conversation. \u201cWhere\u2019s the prison?\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s the thing,\u201d McMannus replied as he drew his sidearm. \u201cMoney\u2019s real tight these days.\u201d\n\nHe raised the pistol and fired.\n\n***\n\nTwo weeks later, Kala was balancing their finances while Aman cooked dinner. Max was playing with some of his toys.\n\nHer terminal pinged from an incoming message. She clicked over to it. The message was from Hurston Dynamics and addressed to Max.\n\nIt was a thirty-thousand credit reward for aiding Hurston Security in the apprehension of a dangerous criminal.\n\nThe End"},"links_count":0,"comment_count":18,"created_at":"2021-08-04T02:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"4 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 19:51:06","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":18260,"next_id":18263}}