Episode 15
“What happened out there,” Chief Gnaeus bellowed from behind
his desk. He had risen from his chair to pace back and forth with a face that
was turning redder and redder. “I want to know everything, full debrief;
immediately,” the furious Chief ordered as he slammed forward to support
himself on his palms against the desk. A scattering swarm of papers flew
everywhere at the sudden and violent act in protest.
Officer Corvan was the first to respond in a calm, cool, and
collected manner. She trained her eyes directly forward and kept her composure
as casual and relaxed as she could. “Mr. Vincent has been confined to a
detention cell presently,” Vedia began as she started to deliver her report.
Oliver sat quietly at her left and made sure to remain as silent as he could.
The Chief’s ire was terrifying to him, and at present he wrestled with weighing
which had been more frightening – the Chief or the creature out there. Right
now he was leaning towards the Chief.
“Our patrol began without incident at first. We made our way
in a wide circuit that directed us inwards to survey the outer streets and then
we systematically moved from block to block. The squad made its initial foray
out and Mr. Vincent provided us his own intelligence with regards to his
experience with his own encounter. However the information proved to be
somewhat lacking in tactical value.”
Pausing to look directly at the Chief Vedia dropped some of
her usual reserved demeanor to address him personally. “I cannot explain what
happened next, sir. I have no real answers for you, but I have to warn you that
my report, while accurate and true, is going to be anything but believable.
Officer Novius and I were caught from behind by some walking abomination. It
bore the resemblance of a recently dead victim but it moved as if it was still
alive. The creature came at us as if to attack and Officer Novius declared a
warning and then opened fire to no effect. I then engaged the enemy as well and
counted all shots hit true to their marks. Nothing stopped the thing, it didn’t
even register that we had shot it.
And furthermore, sir; it screamed at us. I can’t quantify it
in anyway that makes sense. But it opened its horrid mouth and shrieked at us
in a way that left us frozen with fear. If not for the actions of Mr. Vincent
then we would both be dead, Chief.” Gnaeus’s patience was wearing dangerously
thin and he had just about enough of this prancing around the point. “Then why
is this supposed savior of yours locked up in one of my cells?” Chief Gnaeus
begged his two officers to explain.
This time it was the rookie who responded with a squeaked
answer. “He’s a monster, s-sir!” Was he hearing things? Did this pup just try
to tell his superior that they had went out to face some fictional fuzzy threat
and return to declare that not only did they run into some walking dead thing
but that their only witness was a monster himself? What in all the New Republic
was he being forced to deal with here? Was everyone going mad?
“You best explain yourself, and fast,” Chief Gnaeus warned
with a snap. He had already decided he wasn’t about to wait overly long to
listen any further to these two. “Officer Novius is correct, sir,” Vedia
agreed. “As I already stated our own weapons weren’t working, Mr. Vincent was
between us and the creature. He protected us, sir; Gabriel faced the monster
himself and fought to keep us from its grasp. But when he did so he changed,
sir, he isn’t normal. However I can’t quite bring myself to say he is a monster
either – he’s something else.
We watched him transform in the moonlight, he became some
kind of half-man half beast. Where our weapons failed he succeeded with just a
hammer and his bare hands. He drove the creature back from us and tore it to
pieces while we were helpless. Without Gabriel we would never have made it back
alive.”
“I see,” Chief Gnaeus acknowledged as he tried to digest the
peculiar report. “So you are willing to stand by this incident report then, as
your own factual interpretation of events? You’re willing to swear by this as a
complete and truthful record?” “I am,” Vedia nodded concisely. When the Chief’s
eyes moved to focus on Oliver he found himself nervously only able to stutter a
“Y-y-yes s-s-sir,” as well.
The Chief’s chair groaned with a slight creak as he allowed
it to catch him with its weathered frame. This was all too much to take in and
he still wasn’t sure how much of it all to believe. He was going to need some
time to make sense of everything but time was becoming a precious commodity
that he didn’t think he could afford to waste. “Dismissed,” he said with a
weary sigh as he covered his eyes with a hand and hoped that something that
made sense might present itself.
Both officers rose to make their exit but as they approached
the doorway Chief Gnaeus stopped them for one last word. “Corvan, inform Dr.
Foxfire that she may examine our guest. She has been hounding about the matter
since you lot returned. And in the meantime, while I try to make a decision
about all this I want you to use what you know to inspect our inventory for
anything that might prove more effective. I am not saying I believe your story
completely, or that you two won’t be sharing a cell yourselves. But if I send
anyone back out at dusk to face these things I need some options. And while
much of what you report is somewhat out of place for you I don’t doubt your
evaluation of the tactical implications. Get on it and get what rest you can,
there are only so many hours of daylight available to us.”
♦♦♦
Gabriel despised being confined to such a small space. Even
if a part of him could understand the reaction the majority of him rallied
against being treated so suspiciously. He knew that he had agreed to surrender
himself completely to the Chief’s judgment and mercy. But he had hoped that
just maybe the Chief would prove to be a little more trusting. In a way he
supposed he shouldn’t have been so surprised.
But when the sharp crisp tone of a guard outside ordered him
to stand back and announced he had a visitor, well that was a surprise.
Obediently Gabriel immediately took two steps back to brace his back against
the rear wall of his tiny confines and kept his hands visible. He wasn’t about
to give them even a single reason to condemn him any further. Even if it might
feel rewarding to show them just how easily he could have overpowered his
jailors.
It was an overwhelming relief when none other than Dr.
Foxfire slipped through the opened portal to greet him. She wore her white long
coat and her manner was every bit the detached local doctor that everyone had
come to expect. Even though Gabriel had come to know better, he patiently
waited for the doorway to reseal before he allowed himself to ask any of the
number of things he desperately desired to know.
For the first few minutes Dr. Foxfire focused herself on a
series of routine scans and evaluations using a handful of various devices she
had been allowed to bring in with her. And then, just before Gabriel thought he
could hold back no longer she whispered the simple words he welcomed completely.
“We need to talk.” He couldn’t agree more.
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