Chapter 3: Getaway

Location : Melbourne, Oceania, Earth
Era : Monday, 22 May 2299 CE

“So how did you think I paid for the transport?” asked Sammy as they stepped into the sunlight.

“I thought you had an account with the cab company,” answered Mark. “If you use crypto-currency for everything, why did you use money to bribe the doctors?”

“That was crypto-currency too, just in a form that’s harder to trace. If they’re smart, they will keep those crypto-coins on the chips I gave them, and not transfer the money into their wallets.”

A vehicle stopped in front of them and opened its doors.

Mark reflected that despite the cold, the shower had been a plus. For the first time since his arrival he felt clean. “So what did you do? Why are the police after you?” he asked as they climbed into the vehicle.

“I exposed information powerful men wanted kept secret.”

“So you’re a whistle-blower?”

“Of sorts.”

“Then why are the police looking for you?” he asked shifting to get comfortable. His back still hurt after twisting it to catch Kara. His foot was aching now too. The painkillers were wearing off.

“Apparently there’s a right way and a wrong way to expose government corruption.”

“Not much has changed in 300 years then.”

“They also mentioned cyber-incursion, publishing privileged information, interfering with an ongoing investigation, and attempted murder of two intelligence officers.”

Mark blinked at that. What did he really know about Sammy, Kara, or whatever her name was? “So did you?”

“Did I what?”

“Try to kill them.”

“I don’t kill people. It is one of my rules. But really! Do I strike you as incompetent?” she asked raising her eyebrows.

“Well in the short time I’ve known you, you have almost died twice.”

“I trusted you to keep me alive. Was I mistaken in that trust?”

“No.” Mark turned and stared out the window, looking for any sign of the Melbourne he knew from three centuries ago. A few old short buildings looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t figure out where in Melbourne they were.

“Then I ask you again. Do I strike you as incompetent?”

“No.” Mark was starting to get annoyed and looked back out the window.

“If I wanted them dead, they would be dead. Since they are still alive, I must not have tried to kill them. I do or I do not, for me there is no try.”

“Paraphasing Yoda?”

“Yes. I always liked Yoga’s pink eyes and white fur.”

“Yoda is green,” he corrected.

“Not in the 2263 version.”

“That argument is not convincing. I suggest you don’t try it with the jury.”

“It will never come to a trial. I am listed as ‘Extremely Dangerous - Full Force Authorized’, which is code for shoot to kill – even if I’m waving a white flag and shouting ‘I surrender’,” she said.

“That sounds a little extreme.”

“Yes. If they are pissed off at me now, what will they be like when they find out about my involvement in the Mars Uprising?”

“You have been to Mars?” he asked.

“Yes. It takes months to get there though, unless you have a Chowdhury-Shmakov particle. Would you like to go?”

“Didn’t you just say something about an uprising there?”

“That is the best reason to go,” she stated.

As with so many conversations with Kara, Sammy, or whoever her name was, so many questions were raised he didn’t know where to start.

The vehicle pulled to a stop. “Why are you telling me all this now?” asked Mark as they exited the vehicle.

“I wanted you to know you’re not alone, I’m walking the same road, facing the same circumstances. Also, I wanted you to understand that I’m not crazy or randomly paranoid, I always have my reasons for doing things. In fact, I usually have at least three reasons. This is the place.”

Shattered glass, twisted metal, and broken concrete littered the street ahead. Drones hovered overhead and the area was marked off with a flimsy barrier. Sammy’s face flushed red. The drones wobbled in the air for a second.

“I have subverted the police drones. We should be okay. Give me the extractor and time machine.” Mark passed her the tube and the wristband.

Sammy placed the band on her wrist, and waved the extractor in front of her.

“We are in luck. It is here,” she said heading towards a familiar looking magnetic trap. Sammy applied the extractor. There was a buzz, then a whirr, then a thunk.

“I have it!” she exclaimed. She straightened noticeably, a weight lifting off her shoulders. Her eyes glittered, her voice choked as she said “Let’s go.”

Someone barked orders from behind them. They turned around to face a man and a woman, wearing only gloves and boots. Something about the way they were both pointing their gloves at them made Mark nervous. Sammy yammered back at the pair.

“What is happening.” whispered Mark.

“They are police officers. They want to know why we were stomping all over a crime scene. I told him we were from the EPA, and that we are collecting contraband that poses a threat to the public. I handed him my EPA credentials and my work order. They are checking it now.”

“I didn’t see you pass anything over to them.”

“By hand over credentials, I meant, I wirelessly transmitted cryptographic tokens that identify me, and my work order. They are now going verify my credentials with the EPA servers.”

“And that is going to work?” asked Mark

“I compromised the EPA a long time ago. Aaand they are saying that it all checks out and that we are free to go. I say let’s take them up on the offer.”

Sammy led him further along the street. It wasn’t until they turned the corner Mark was able to relax. There often seemed something forced about Sammy’s cheerfulness, but there was nothing forced about it now. There was a bounce to her step, she seemed bursting with excitement.

“What language do people speak here?”

“English.”

“Then why can’t I understand it?” he asked.

“Languages change, pronunciations shift over time. They gain loan words from other languages as well, in this case Russian, Hindi, Portuguese, and Cantonese, to name the most prominent.”

“Why would the Environmental Protection Agency be at a crime scene?”

“EPA is Energy and Power Administration, not Environmental Protection Agency,” she corrected.

“Okay. Well? What is next?”

“Why don’t we sit down?” she said pointing to a bench opposite a park. Sammy helped him to the seat, then climbed on top of him. She made sure his broken arm was supported by her shoulder. She leaned forward, and kissed him. The scent of roses filled the air.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked, his heart racing. He ran his good hand down her back then pulled her close.