Tales of the Courier – Back Trail Sweep
Many leagues further on is the plan. For now, he needs to drive. Just move and flow free. The road has been kind, and allowed this ride to follow along. 1courier drives, and considers a back trail sweep. Later. For now, drive. There is much to ponder as the miles melt away. The plan is one thing, a damn important, one thing. And now something new, he has the wrong package.
He grips the wheel tightly, and urges more horses from the ride. The ride picks up speed and rolls smoothly on. He isn’t even pissed about the wrong cargo, shit happens all the time. This time it’s complicated, and somehow too late. That’s the part, the sticking point. He downshifts and roars past slower traffic.
It’s an unspoken rule, a kind of code with couriers. Finish what you start, every time. It’s the challenge, every time. He watches the road run under the ride, calculating the stats. Lovely numbers, the couriers most favored sidekick. These numbers didn’t add up, and at the stop ahead he was going to, “do some math”.
Back Trail
He jabs at the button summoning the AI. The cool mechanical voice answers immediately “Hello 1courier, you’re running behind” a little cheeky today, “you were due to arrive one hour ago.” He glances the mirrors, still no tail, and replies: “you’re one to talk, will she be there?”
There’s the briefest of pauses and then the voice, “unknown 1courier.” He holds the lane, and the miles tick by, of course it’s unknown. Wrong package, to late to follow through, and she won’t be there. The trifecta. He’s glad this one is being transferred, he was ready for some time off.
He was nearing Port City, the last city before the outlands. He was to deliver the package to the virtual dispatch, an outpost of the main HQ. Not a typical solution to mixed up cargo requests, but it was not negotiable HQ was adamant. If he had the details on the drop off client he would make the run through the outlands without sanction.
Everything about this one screamed red flag. Even the pick up point was botched. Hey, if they think it’s better to place the package with the heavy haulers, who’s he to object? The exit sign appears ahead and runs past. The only thing left in this one is the transfer, and she won’t be there. He prods the AI again, “alert virtual dispatch, package ETA in 20″ There is a barely audible click, and cheeky replies,”roger dodger.”
The Sweep
He glances the mirrors again and spots the tail almost immediately. Blatantly obvious, good. He wasn’t playin today. Down a gear and slam the throttle, the ride screams forward with impressive force, leaving the tail far behind. Only temporary, they know his location now, and will converge soon. ” You’ve alerted virtual dispatch of the situation?” he asks the AI. Cheeky confirms.
He wonders what the hell is so special about this package. Other than slightly heavy and oddly shaped, it was like any other package. Of course the higher pay mattered, usually came with a headache, or a hiccup, sometimes a drawback, but higher pay nonetheless. Now he’s getting back to that sticking point, and there isn’t going to be much time to crunch numbers. Reinforcements have arrived, and they look pissed.
Multiple armored SUV’s pull into the lanes ahead, with three more coming from behind, this road was getting crowded fast. He spots a side road and veers quickly, can’t be a car chase if there’s no car to chase. He spares the AI his clever witticism. Hauling ass down the side street he sees the entrance to a multi-level parking garage, and shoots past the empty ticket booth into the garage and upward.
It is evening and the structure is mostly vacant, the AI confirms chopper in route from the virtual dispatch. He pushes the ride for all it’s worth, knowing they will be upon him soon. He rounds the last turn of the upper deck full throttle, and is hit by an exiting vehicle. The ride spins, hits a concrete pillar and stalls.
Visions
Dazed but intact, he jumps from the mangled ride and reaches into the back for the package. It appears to have taken a nasty hit, he could sense/feel the thing was vibrating. Hit to the head got him confused, time to go. He dashes towards the roof, as the armored SUV’s round the upper deck pillars and bear down on him.
The chopper is preparing to land as he dashes onto the roof. The wind from the rotors is intense and he knows the SUV’s are closing in rapidly. The door on the chopper slides open while he’s still fifty feet away, and his world freezes, as her eyes lock onto his. He briefly thinks about kicking cheeky’s ass, as he doubles down on getting to her. He runs like hell to her, reaching for her.
The strangely ethereal silver light is all over and all through, he is a tiny spectator of an all encompassing and vast universe, that is threaded through with infinite pathways, the silver light beckons and plays along all the paths, he is being pulled into the pathways one molecule at a time, he is reaching for her, he is reaching madness, he…
He is falling, falling from very high, very fast. There is snow and a fierce wind is howling. The chopper is gone along with Port City, he has the package, and they are falling fast… -to be continued–
