Dark Energy Supernova - An Anthology of SF SD Shorts

Part 3 On the Carpet

Earth law enforcement headquarters was a blocky set of gray buildings perched on the eastern edge of the Beta Level, an Australia-sized atmospheric platform hanging above the Atlantic.  Beta, along with seven other platforms of various size that slowly slid through Earth's atmosphere at various heights off the surface, provided residential, commercial and industrial space for the remaining inhabitants of the system's longest inhabited world.  Together, Alpha through Eta equalled almost double the livable surface area of Old Earth, pre-Gravity's Well.

Of course the actual surface of the planet was now off-limits to Earth's former population, a massive nature preserve instituted by the government to screen and hide its more nefarious activities, conducted in bases on the surface.  At least, that's what Quinn had always thought.

The slender inspector hesitated on the landing platform for a brief moment to glance up at the too-bright afternoon sun as her team of razorbacks trooped past her, intent on getting back to their barracks for a sonic shower and a bite to eat.  At least it was tolerable here, on Beta, with only marginal protection against rad exposure.  The air, despite being a little thin, was still quite breathable even without force wind blowers to fortify the ambient atmosphere. 

Breathable, that is, if you didn't mind pollution.  As Earth's most populated platform, Beta's air was dense with fluorocarbons and exhaust traces, her skyline littered with as many exhaust towers as residential complexes.  'Home sweet home.'  Quinn thought with a wry twist of her mouth.  Then Duncan's big hand on her shoulder pulled her from her reverie.

"The chief wants us in her office ASAP," he rumbled, and she jerked a nod of acknowledgement. Together they began walking to the elevator that would take them from the roof top landing platform down into the building's interior.

Chief Inspector O'Halloran looked up from her report-cluttered desk with tired eyes as her two most senior inspectors stepped into her cramped office.

"Duncan.  Quinn," she greeted each perfunctorily before tossing a plastic folder on top of a stack of reports.  "MetaEarth Bureau of Investigation wants you to cease and desist all investigation on the homicide you were checking out on Delta an hour ago.  This is the official request to do so."

"Damn it, chief, we haven't actually done anything yet," Quinn was quick to protest.

"Yeah, boss," Duncan added with a frown.  "The white coats moved in even before the blood on the ground was cold."

"Like they,... knew something already," Quinn said, her expression abruptly thoughtful.

"Damn you, Quinn," O'Halloran, a harried looking red head with bags under her eyes, barked.  Despite looking somewhat worn, she was fairly attractive for a mature woman, even when she was yelling at them.

"I said cease and desist!  What part of that don't you get?"

Quinn hastily threw up her hands.

"Ceasing and desisting, chief," the slender inspector was quick to assure.  "Deleting any data already collected from our d-base.  And now that we've got an afternoon to kill, do you have anything else for us to do?"

O'Halloran chewed on her lip for a moment while she looked first at Quinn then over at Duncan before returning her bright blue eyes to Quinn.

"Well, while I'm tempted to put you in black and have you join the razorbacks up on Eta watching greenhorns investigating a vandalism scene there, I want you to park at your desks.  Right where I can see you not getting into trouble.  Now get the hell out of my office."

"Yes, chief," the two said in unison, before turning and slipping back out into the equally cluttered office space beyond the chief's cubicle.

Duncan looked over at Quinn as he dropped into his chair, an old style plastic piece of furniture with a pneumatic piston for height adjustment.

"I've seen that look before, Q," he said.  "You've no intention of desisting, do you."

"None," Quinn admitted, a palm swipe activating her work station.  The flat clear plastic rectangle that was her screen immediately went smokey before it showed the law enforcement logo in a wash of colors.

"First, we're going to find out if Wilkes-Boothe has been reported missing.  Then we're going to find out where he was working."

"You'll need to hack the InterOp d-base to do that," Duncan pointed out as he too went online, his large fingers surprisingly nimble across his keyboard.

"You're a decent hacker, Dunk.  Why don't you do it?" Quinn asked, data already scrolling across her screen thanks to her deft manipulation of the department's d-base.

The big man grimaced then sighed.

"Yeah, why not?" he started typing furiously while muttering under his breath.  "This goes beyond anything I've ever done. It's a total loss of control, and not in a nice, wholesome, my-girlfriend-has-a-pierced-tongue kind of way."

Quinn sighed.

"Less drama, more hacking," she directed even as she peered more closely at her screen.  Ah, there it was, InterOp's public roster.  And there was Wilkes-Boothe.  Hm, listed as sick.

"InterOp is saying he called in sick yesterday."  She looked around her screen at Duncan.  "What do you have, Dunk?  You in yet?"

Looking up from his keyboard, the big man was about to reply when his eyes flew wide at catching sight of someone over Quinn's shoulder. No, not someone. Something. It wasn't entirely corporeal.  Then it disappeared in time to reveal no less than three white trench coats bearing down on them, a full squad of armored soldiers behind them.

"Yeah," he whispered hoarsely.  "In trouble!"

Frowning at her partner's odd reply, Quinn was about to turn in her seat to see what Duncan was looking at when a taut woman's voice began speaking.

"Inspectors Duncan and Quinn?  I'm  Talaran, with the M.E.B.I.  Come with us, please."