Hard Reboot Episode 01

Chapter 4

"Brace warning. Imminent stop," the navigation blasted from every direction as the auto-car braked to a full stop. A young man slammed his hands on the hood of the auto-car. For a split second his deep, brown eyes met hers. His short black hair shifting with every move of his head. Brita felt as if she knew him. She could write his biography. His eyes shifted back the way he'd come from. He began shifting, then suddenly spun right and ran into the City Park. Just then a peace officer dodged the auto-car, slapping the hood and chased after him.

"Resuming previous course and speed." The navigator engaged to pull away.

"Hold previous course," Brita yelled. If asked, she couldn't have said why. "Park and wait for further instructions."

"You have a maximum hold time of five minutes," the navigation system informed her as it pulled into one of the few parking lanes beside the City Park.

"Confirmed," Brita yelled as she jumped from the auto-car and ran after the two men.

She came around a stand of trees at the edge of the Park and stopped short. The peace officer struggled with the young man in the grass trying to pin his hands above his head.

"Comply," the officer yelled at the resisting youth. "You must comply."

The young man's black hair lashed his face as he struggled for his freedom. The shadow of stubble gave him an air of sophistication that made her heart skip a beat. She crept closer.

He bucked and thrashed, trying to dislodge the officer's grasp. Unable to gain his release, he gave in. He relaxed, taking deep breaths; refusing to look at his captor.

The officer held the man's hands above his head with one hand and reached into a pouch on his belt for a restraint.

The youth took the opening. He bucked, trying to flip over and dislodge the officer. He accomplished it by kneeing the officer in the face. When he shielded himself from further attack, the young man rolled away, rose and took off.

The officer grabbed his pistol from the holster at his hip. He flipped the switch on the side and fired a bolt which expanded, spinning sideways and hitting first one then the other entwining his ankles. He landed face down into the hard packed dirt.

A chirp sounding from her pocket startled Brita. She absently reached for her Halo as the officer caught up with the youth. She clipped the halo to her ear.

As the officer lashed out, he yelled, "Heathen. Heretic. Infidel."

Brita tapped her Halo. "Yes?" she asked, distracted.

Audio only came through. "This is your reserved auto-car. You have one minute remaining on your hold."

Brita tapped the Halo again. She had to get back, or miss her mother. She stepped back, shaking her head. Mom.

She ran back to the waiting auto-car, glancing back one last time before climbing in. The two men were lost behind the trees, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know what she was missing. But she was sure that something about that young man made her want to go to him. Make sure he was OK.

"Resume previous course," she said as soon as she shut the door.

#

The auto-car stopped at the closest street-side location to Coquille Point. Brita jumped out, slammed the door, and tapped her Halo.

"Locate Mom."

The previous map popped up in front of her. The violet dot pulsed slowly. She ran into the grass heading to the beach, then north where the map indicated her mother's Halo showed her position. She rose to the top of a dune, and caught the rustling of black fabric at the edge of the sand.

As she got closer, she saw first the prone figure lying in the sand, that it was female, and last she was her mother.

"Mom," Brita yelled, running to collapse beside her mother's prone body. She was unconscious, as Brita expected, thanks to the Halo, but she was breathing. A thin line of dried blood extended from the corner of her mouth to her chin.

Brita shook her mother causing a loud, raspy cough, complete with flecks of blood flying everywhere. She laid her head on her mother's chest as her eyes welled up. When her mother inhaled, her chest wheezed. When she exhaled, it rumbled.

An hour later, the Exigency Service workers arrived wearing respirators and full hazmat suits. Within ten minutes, they'd scanned her vitals and transferred her to a stretcher for the trip back to the Hospital, Brita by her side.