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Authors: Scott Rhine
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everything
about the mysterious genetic engineering project that had developed her.
Kaguya considered this for several
moments. “American grand juries have unparalleled power to ferret out secrets.
Lead them to uncover the data for you. Be broad in the collection so you don’t
tip off your grandfather.”
Chapter 7 – The Third Degree
In the middle of the night, a muscular sergeant kicked open
Stu’s cell door. The Rescue Corps patch on his beret identified him as an
Override, a talent that could exceed normal bodily limits for strength, pain,
and endurance. The soldier had wooly, black hair and an olive skin tone that
could have passed for dozens of ethnic groups in the movies. He glared at Stu.
“Why aren’t you in uniform?”
“First, I’m a civilian,” Stu
replied. “Second, I refuse to be treated as a prisoner. Third, I wore that
Hawaiian shirt to honor Officer Herkemer and his bravery in a recent action.”
The man took a step back. “ Rafael Herkemer?”
“Yes, sir.”
“My dad, Apelu, served with him.”
“No limits,” Stu said, reciting the
motto of the Rescue Corps. “Wait till I tell you about how he took on a force
of a thousand panda warriors single-handed.”
The guard extended a hand to shake
Stu’s. “Call me Onesemo. Do as you’re told, and I’ll treat you like a
gentleman.”
Stu checked the readout on the
man’s watch—2:00 a.m. Shaking hands, he said, “I’d never lift a finger against
my hosts. I entrust you with my safety on this planet.”
“The others are waiting to ask you
some questions. I have to cuff you,” Onesemo said.
“It’s okay,” Stu said. “We’ll get
everything sorted out.”
The cuffs were over four inches
wide, held together with a one-foot bar. The restraints featured several
monitors, including a GPS. Onesemo opened the door to a room with smooth cement
walls.
When Stu saw the mirror on the far
wall, he laughed. “They still do this in interrogations?” He could sense
several Actives on the other side of the glass.
The bald man seated at a control
console inside replied, “It’s an old room, but we’ve made some upgrades.” He
pushed a button, and a black reclining chair emerged slowly from the wall. The
chair was fitted with shackles on the arms, legs, and forehead. It could have
been used for electrocution.
Hell no. I am not sitting in
that thing. Stu’s pulse monitor spiked. Hurry up, ladies! If you take
much longer, I’ll have to break my own hand or something. Pain should skew
the results.
“Please take a seat and answer our
questions truthfully.”
Stu backed up to the wall. “I’ll
discuss anything you like but not in that chair.”
“You don’t have a choice,” the man
at the console said. He signaled Onesemo.
“I’m sorry about this, sir,” the
guard said.
Stu persisted. “If you violate the
charter in this way, I respectfully refuse to say anything. According to your constitution,
I demand the lawyer Fortune Enterprises will supply me.”
The explosion across the hall saved
Onesemo from choosing which law to obey. Lights flickered out.
Finally . Expecting the
blackout, Stu took advantage of his special senses to locate the console. Knobs
crunched under his cuffs. The more complex the machine, the more vulnerable
it is to a single broken part. He planted his feet on top of the podium and
tugged on the main touch screen as if it were a weed in his garden. Then the
electronic cuffs shocked him into unconsciousness.
****
Power was restored by the time Stu drifted awake. He lay on
an infirmary bed. The sky outside the barred window was still dark, but he
could see twirling lights from emergency vehicles. His right shin had been bandaged.
From the sting in his leg, no painkillers had been used, which was fortunate
because his mixed talents made him allergic to most of them. He tried to sit up
and peek at the injury, but his arm was zip-tied to the bed’s metal rail.
Onesemo stood beside him like
about the mysterious genetic engineering project that had developed her.
Kaguya considered this for several
moments. “American grand juries have unparalleled power to ferret out secrets.
Lead them to uncover the data for you. Be broad in the collection so you don’t
tip off your grandfather.”
Chapter 7 – The Third Degree
In the middle of the night, a muscular sergeant kicked open
Stu’s cell door. The Rescue Corps patch on his beret identified him as an
Override, a talent that could exceed normal bodily limits for strength, pain,
and endurance. The soldier had wooly, black hair and an olive skin tone that
could have passed for dozens of ethnic groups in the movies. He glared at Stu.
“Why aren’t you in uniform?”
“First, I’m a civilian,” Stu
replied. “Second, I refuse to be treated as a prisoner. Third, I wore that
Hawaiian shirt to honor Officer Herkemer and his bravery in a recent action.”
The man took a step back. “ Rafael Herkemer?”
“Yes, sir.”
“My dad, Apelu, served with him.”
“No limits,” Stu said, reciting the
motto of the Rescue Corps. “Wait till I tell you about how he took on a force
of a thousand panda warriors single-handed.”
The guard extended a hand to shake
Stu’s. “Call me Onesemo. Do as you’re told, and I’ll treat you like a
gentleman.”
Stu checked the readout on the
man’s watch—2:00 a.m. Shaking hands, he said, “I’d never lift a finger against
my hosts. I entrust you with my safety on this planet.”
“The others are waiting to ask you
some questions. I have to cuff you,” Onesemo said.
“It’s okay,” Stu said. “We’ll get
everything sorted out.”
The cuffs were over four inches
wide, held together with a one-foot bar. The restraints featured several
monitors, including a GPS. Onesemo opened the door to a room with smooth cement
walls.
When Stu saw the mirror on the far
wall, he laughed. “They still do this in interrogations?” He could sense
several Actives on the other side of the glass.
The bald man seated at a control
console inside replied, “It’s an old room, but we’ve made some upgrades.” He
pushed a button, and a black reclining chair emerged slowly from the wall. The
chair was fitted with shackles on the arms, legs, and forehead. It could have
been used for electrocution.
Hell no. I am not sitting in
that thing. Stu’s pulse monitor spiked. Hurry up, ladies! If you take
much longer, I’ll have to break my own hand or something. Pain should skew
the results.
“Please take a seat and answer our
questions truthfully.”
Stu backed up to the wall. “I’ll
discuss anything you like but not in that chair.”
“You don’t have a choice,” the man
at the console said. He signaled Onesemo.
“I’m sorry about this, sir,” the
guard said.
Stu persisted. “If you violate the
charter in this way, I respectfully refuse to say anything. According to your constitution,
I demand the lawyer Fortune Enterprises will supply me.”
The explosion across the hall saved
Onesemo from choosing which law to obey. Lights flickered out.
Finally . Expecting the
blackout, Stu took advantage of his special senses to locate the console. Knobs
crunched under his cuffs. The more complex the machine, the more vulnerable
it is to a single broken part. He planted his feet on top of the podium and
tugged on the main touch screen as if it were a weed in his garden. Then the
electronic cuffs shocked him into unconsciousness.
****
Power was restored by the time Stu drifted awake. He lay on
an infirmary bed. The sky outside the barred window was still dark, but he
could see twirling lights from emergency vehicles. His right shin had been bandaged.
From the sting in his leg, no painkillers had been used, which was fortunate
because his mixed talents made him allergic to most of them. He tried to sit up
and peek at the injury, but his arm was zip-tied to the bed’s metal rail.
Onesemo stood beside him like
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