Angry Jasper-Sixteen

“You’re Katy-did?”

“No names,” she cautioned.

“It really is you?” he stammered like a nervous schoolboy. “You are her?”

“Yeah, kid.” Kid. She called him kid. Why? Because he was a kid! For Pete’s sake he could barely shave. Suddenly, and for the first time really, Kate felt her age.

“Six months ago I was in an intelligence gathering unit on Earth. You are a legend among the few who know your name.”

“You should forget my name.” She looked anxiously to the curtain. “Memory spies are everywhere.”

“Relax,” he said, “I have men all around the market. Anyone comes snooping around and they’re toast.”

“Just the same I’d prefer to get this over with.”

They quickly began to transfer the credits from Katy’s pod to a secret rebel account. The transfer code was encrypted in case anyone was remotely monitoring the system. Not even Kate knew the encryption, which is why she found herself slumming in this crap hole!

Katy watched the transfer nervously. It seemed to take longer than normal, a sure sign the system was being bugged. She hoped the encryption would put whoever might be listening off. Still she was sweating bullets. It didn’t help that Buzz was tapping his foot nervously and making annoying clicking sounds, a sign that he sensed impending disaster. Katy did too and wouldn’t be satisfied until she was safely away from Cygnus Prime. A little voice told her to leave and make the transfer later, but it was too late to worry about that now.

“Are you in contact with the rebellion?” she asked leaning close to his neck. She frowned that his nearness didn’t have a stronger affect on her, not as it once had. Instead, it made her long for Jazz.

“Only in emergencies,” the kid replied.

“Dust off the transmitter, kid. Maury’s got a new weapon he claims will annihilate the rebellion.”


“No way to do that unless he can blast through about a half mile of rock and rubble under Chicago.”

“My guess is he can,” said Kate. “Doesn’t look it will be ready for some time. Gives us time to take it out before it becomes a problem.”

“You’re serious about this, huh?” asked the kid.

“Young man,” Young man? God, it made her feel so damn old! “Young man, I’d make this priority one.”

With a beep two words flashed across her pod

TRANSFER COMPLETE

“That’s it,” she said, and was already shoving Buzz towards the entrance when gunfire erupted in the market. She recognized the low hollow sound of ARP rounds fired in short bursts and knew immediately.

“Corpora…” She couldn’t finish the words before several rounds smashed through the curtain. The young rebel pulled a weapon and pushed past Katy, taking a fusillade meant for her. One round took his arm off at the elbow. It spun him around where he wobbled moment like a drunken man. He raised the stump of his arm, blackened and cauterized, and gave the most disbelieving look. His mouth opened, but before he could make a sound a second erased his handsome face.

Kate dove for the ground and rolled out into the stall, coming up with the dead boy’s weapon at the ready. It was still attached to the lifeless hand, gripping it so tightly that Kate had to pry the weapon from boy’s dead fingers. She tossed the hand aside and looked back at the corpse, her gaze settling on the bigger than average bulge in his trousers and thought it was a terrible waste.

“God, Kate, you’re terrible,” she muttered, turning her attention to the pandemonium before her.

ARP rounds filled the air, whining and whipping through the panicked market-goers. The feeble resistance from the hand full of rebel fighters, and a half dozen or so others was quickly extinguished in concentrate fire from the Corporation men. To call it a battle would have been wishful thinking. This was an outright massacre!

Hundreds of people fled blindly, trampling the dead and dying as they sought cover. The corporation men moved steadily through the stalls firing short aimed bursts in every direction. They were cool and disciplined. Their rounds splintered tables and eviscerated anyone unlucky enough to get in the way. A rebel gunman flanked the trio and fired two quick shots. He was nervous, though, and the shots went wild. A short burst from one of the Corporate hybrids cut him in half.

Kate and Buzz were pinned down beneath the splintered table and old robot parts. It was easy to blend in and not be seen. Bleeding bodies and parts of bodies were scattered everywhere. For now their interest was elsewhere, concentrating their fire on one particularly obstinate opponent breaking to better cover. Kate could feel Buzz trembling against her.

“Okay, buddy?” she whispered.

“If I wasn’t a robot I would have crapped my pants.”

“I recommend against that,” she quipped, checking the weapon. “Might rust.”

The ARP she had was old. The power level flickered and threatened to go out. Kate dreaded the thought of rising to shoot only to find the gun was useless. She tapped the meter and the light came on stronger. Fearing this might be her last opportunity Kate began to rise. Buzz caught her.

“Why not let them pass?”

“Are you kidding?”

“Sound like I’m kidding?” he replied.

“They’re here for me, Buzz.”

“How do you know?”
She grimaced. “The Corporation wouldn’t risk this mayhem on a bunch of black marketers. I think somebody was monitoring the credit transfer. Gotta fight now. Just keep your tin foil butt down.”

“Why not just blast us both and get it over with. No way we’re getting out of here alive.”

“Remind me to program you to have a pair.”

“Do me a favor,” said Buzz. “Program me to be a microwave next time, so I won’t give a flying f…” He was drowned by the sound of gunfire.

Katy dropped the first shooter before the others saw her. She took the shot on the run, letting go just as she dove for cover again. She was a decent shot, but as the mercury round drilled the lout dead center of the chest even Kate was surprised. She came to her knees looking at the ARP with a measure of disbelief.

“Damn, that was good!”

By now the others had reacted. Their rounds splintered the wood and corrugated metal stall above her. Kate scrambled away amid a shower of debris, coming to a sitting position behind a heavy steel support. More rounds slapped at the floor beside her, and thumped heavily against the steel support. She was trapped, pinned there by bracketing fire. Each time Kate made a move one way or the other murderous gunfire chased her back.

Katy could feel the pair closing in on her. She had no intention of being taken alive, and damn sure wouldn’t quit without a fight. Nor did she intend on waiting to be slaughtered. With a deep breath to steady her nerves Kate rose slowly to her feet behind the post. She looked back over the carnage of the shattered market. She was all alone now. The others had either been killed or, seeing the futility of the fight, fled.