Mana Pool Snippets - The Days After

Five

"Threatening to go against my government is stupid. Remember that stunt?"

Winchester nodded.

"Then listen," Jaruka said while palming the plasma revolver between him and the President. "Standing in this crap-hole dropship is a big mistake," Jaruka said. "Knowing there is more than one Reaper, and maybe you did not know, but wasting time to see me is not what I call resourceful, or necessary." He turned the revolver's cylinder. "If you are enthralled, I will not hesitate. It takes the same bullets at my rifle, but the rifle has a bigger kick, and I prefer it. Any blood in your eyes, I will not hesitate. Get me?"

If the Secret Service had been with her, they would have had every right to draw their firearms at Jaruka, but Winchester was alone. Jaruka needed assurance, he had only theories to go on as far as how Reapers enthralled humans. He knew the signs due to recent research from other species, but none of the signs surfaced in Winchester. She had only ever seemed aggravated with Mathews.

Winchester did not flinch from where she stood. "Understood," She said without a flutter.

Jaruka hummed and put the pistol back in his pants pocket. "That's one danger settled," he said. "Even with an empty weapon, you are resilient as the news said."

"Oh so you heard of me?"

"When the terran news isn't on and my friends are asking for help, I learn much." Jaruka sat across from her and she did too. "Sarah Winchester. Daughter of Tony and Sammie Winchester, unrelated to that rifle company or the funhouse up north."

"I hate that note."

"Parents died when you were five and lived on Skid Row until seven. Put in an orphanage and at eighteen you graduated high school with honors and went to CSU to study ethics on a scholarship. After graduation, you busted yourself into politics, right to Secretary of the Interior. The former president's seat fell on your lap by default while you were in a hospital recovering after the zombie attack. You are an active boxer and hiker, hence why I tested your resilience."

"I'm sure it was more than my boxing hobby," Winchester said.

"Whatever. But it was the riots in New York that gave you the favoritism from the country when you called in the National Guard to stop it." He leaned where he sat on the crate, resting his back on a support beam. "Did I miss anything?"

Winchester laughed a little. "You're educated, but you missed that I wanted to be a president back in eighth grade."

"I fell asleep before that, I swear," Jaruka said.

"Does it bother you that I'm a woman running a man's job?" Winchester asked.

"Do I look like I'm from a culture with sexism issues?"

Winchester paused and said, "No?"

"No."

"Finally, an honest answer." She paused again. "How about my turn?"

"Is there?" Jaruka shrugged.

"You're a spire button."

"Don't say that, it sounds degrading."

"Apologies. The media calls you that," Winchester said. "There's that one page résumé of your battles and association with the battlegroup...Nova Company, correct?"

Jaruka nodded once. "And that's all you need to know."

"That is a trust breaker."

"It's to keep you and everyone in the country alive. Let it go."

"But there are questions," Winchester said and Jaruka immediately regretting inviting her inside. "Who are you really? Who or what are your Halcunac people? Who do you work for? Have you done anything professionally besides being Nova's corporal?" She leaned forward. "Why did you protect those people at Site A?"