Read Online Division Zero: Thrall by Matthew S. Cox - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Matthew S. Cox
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was I. No amount of screaming at your invented God will change that. How
dare
you judge us for being different. Don’t you see how fucking hypocritical you are”―Evan covered his mouth to hide the urge to laugh at Kirsten’s language― “if your so-called God is real and as all-powerful as you say, then psionic people could not exist unless he made them.” Kirsten vibrated with anger, turning red. “You don’t even believe your own bullshit.”
The woman, and half the room, gasped. When shock wore off, she ranted in scripture. Something in the back of Kirsten’s mind snapped at the all-too-familiar sound of a woman’s voice invoking God at her, and she reached for her stunrod with a shaking hand, tears in her eyes.
Dorian jumped in front of her. “Don’t… not worth it.”
Theodore held up his hand and flashed a rogue’s grin. “I got this.”
offee, as divine as it was, did not hold the answers of the universe. It did not even hold the answers to the questions she had at that moment. An egg-on-a-roll sat unopened on the dash between the control sticks, clear plastic clamshell fogged white with steam. Outside to the right, a morning crowd shuffled along on their way to work or a PubTran station. Not even the fragrance of peppered eggs teased an appetite out of her gut.
“You okay?” The cool presence of Dorian’s hand settled on her right shoulder.
She looked at him, still red-eyed from a fitful sleep. “Thanks for staying with me last night.”
“Don’t let the bitch get to you. Besides, she’s got her own issues now.” Dorian chuckled.
Kirsten managed a weak smile and took a sip of her wake-up elixir. “Yeah, I’ve never seen a grown woman shit where she stood before.”
“Theodore certainly has a knack for the dramatic. I’ve never seen a crowd clear out of a restaurant so fast.”
“Guess she believes in ghosts now.” She reached for her breakfast. “Think I’ll get more than two bites before we get a radio call?”
Dorian made a fanciful series of arcane gestures and touched both index fingers to his temples. “I foresee you might be able to finish your food.”
“It wasn’t fun getting stuck there till eleven.” Chomp. “Do you think the brass will believe my report?”
“Well,” said Dorian, “if you had taken a swing at that woman, you’d have had a different sort of explaining to do. You did tell the truth. A spirit caused a disturbance, and you made sure he won’t do it again. Like you always say, what are you going to do, haul Theo to ghost-jail?”
“I wasn’t gonna beat her; just, you know… bzzz… silence.” Kirsten shivered. “I had to make it stop. I couldn’t listen to that again.”
“You hit a nerve. You made a valid point she had no rebuttal for, so she just tried to shout you down.”
“Yeah.”
The comm. lit up. “Agent Wren, copy?”
She stared at the box of crumbs. “Well, I
did
finish it,” she mumbled. “Wren here, go ahead.”
“Agent, there is a request from Division 1 for your expertise.” A NavMap pin popped up on her console. “A dead body was found approximately twenty-six minutes ago, and they would like you to have a look.”
“Any strange events reported?” Kirsten leaned to her left, peering upward before bringing the car airborne.
The holographic dispatcher shook his head. “Nothing they have included in comm. traffic at this time.”
“Alright, notify them I’m en route.” She glanced at the map. “ETA four point two minutes.”
Kirsten slipped through the usual array of Division 1 hovercars parked in such a manner as to create a blockade in front of an alley. The scene was quiet, even their emergency lights were off. A Div 2 van had landed just inside the barricade, and the area swarmed with forensic techs. Dorian walked through the open driver door, dispelled for an instant into a cloud of fog.
“At least we’re not in the arctic again,” he said.
“Yeah, I should thank this guy for having
dare
you judge us for being different. Don’t you see how fucking hypocritical you are”―Evan covered his mouth to hide the urge to laugh at Kirsten’s language― “if your so-called God is real and as all-powerful as you say, then psionic people could not exist unless he made them.” Kirsten vibrated with anger, turning red. “You don’t even believe your own bullshit.”
The woman, and half the room, gasped. When shock wore off, she ranted in scripture. Something in the back of Kirsten’s mind snapped at the all-too-familiar sound of a woman’s voice invoking God at her, and she reached for her stunrod with a shaking hand, tears in her eyes.
Dorian jumped in front of her. “Don’t… not worth it.”
Theodore held up his hand and flashed a rogue’s grin. “I got this.”
offee, as divine as it was, did not hold the answers of the universe. It did not even hold the answers to the questions she had at that moment. An egg-on-a-roll sat unopened on the dash between the control sticks, clear plastic clamshell fogged white with steam. Outside to the right, a morning crowd shuffled along on their way to work or a PubTran station. Not even the fragrance of peppered eggs teased an appetite out of her gut.
“You okay?” The cool presence of Dorian’s hand settled on her right shoulder.
She looked at him, still red-eyed from a fitful sleep. “Thanks for staying with me last night.”
“Don’t let the bitch get to you. Besides, she’s got her own issues now.” Dorian chuckled.
Kirsten managed a weak smile and took a sip of her wake-up elixir. “Yeah, I’ve never seen a grown woman shit where she stood before.”
“Theodore certainly has a knack for the dramatic. I’ve never seen a crowd clear out of a restaurant so fast.”
“Guess she believes in ghosts now.” She reached for her breakfast. “Think I’ll get more than two bites before we get a radio call?”
Dorian made a fanciful series of arcane gestures and touched both index fingers to his temples. “I foresee you might be able to finish your food.”
“It wasn’t fun getting stuck there till eleven.” Chomp. “Do you think the brass will believe my report?”
“Well,” said Dorian, “if you had taken a swing at that woman, you’d have had a different sort of explaining to do. You did tell the truth. A spirit caused a disturbance, and you made sure he won’t do it again. Like you always say, what are you going to do, haul Theo to ghost-jail?”
“I wasn’t gonna beat her; just, you know… bzzz… silence.” Kirsten shivered. “I had to make it stop. I couldn’t listen to that again.”
“You hit a nerve. You made a valid point she had no rebuttal for, so she just tried to shout you down.”
“Yeah.”
The comm. lit up. “Agent Wren, copy?”
She stared at the box of crumbs. “Well, I
did
finish it,” she mumbled. “Wren here, go ahead.”
“Agent, there is a request from Division 1 for your expertise.” A NavMap pin popped up on her console. “A dead body was found approximately twenty-six minutes ago, and they would like you to have a look.”
“Any strange events reported?” Kirsten leaned to her left, peering upward before bringing the car airborne.
The holographic dispatcher shook his head. “Nothing they have included in comm. traffic at this time.”
“Alright, notify them I’m en route.” She glanced at the map. “ETA four point two minutes.”
Kirsten slipped through the usual array of Division 1 hovercars parked in such a manner as to create a blockade in front of an alley. The scene was quiet, even their emergency lights were off. A Div 2 van had landed just inside the barricade, and the area swarmed with forensic techs. Dorian walked through the open driver door, dispelled for an instant into a cloud of fog.
“At least we’re not in the arctic again,” he said.
“Yeah, I should thank this guy for having
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