Take Flight


    Downtown Paradopolis was bustling with activity in mid-afternoon on a warm Sunday in June.  The sun reflected off shiny windows of tall buildings, the sidewalk was packed, but not crowded with people, and cars, taxis, and buses stuffed the narrow street.

    Visionary stopped by a hot dog stand and stared at it wistfully.  He then glanced at the tallest of his three companions.  He wondered if Anna would tell Sarah Shepherdson if he had one of those street hot dogs, and decided not to take the risk.  Then again, even if she didn’t, Magweed or Griffin might let it slip.  Besides, it was bad enough that they were going out for ice cream.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“This look like a good place?”  Visionary asked.  He was trying to distract from the fact that everyone present knew he was looking at the hot dog cart.  When he asked that, he was referring to a small ice cream shop barely bigger than its service counter.  It reminded him of the Bean & Donut.

    He took out his wallet and quickly counted the money he had.  Then he looked through the shop’s window at the sign within to see if he had enough.  Anna was halfway through the door, waiting with the kids.

    Once he felt satisfied that he had barely enough money, he headed to the shop.  He felt like he slammed into a solid object, and he looked up in time to feel the money ripped from his fingers, and the sound of quickly moving footsteps.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Hey!”  Visionary yelled after the man who had just stolen all of the cash he had.  “Hey!”  he yelled more insistently, and he started to walk toward the runner.  The runner hopped on a motorcycle a short distance away and started it up.

    He felt Anna grab the back of his shirt.

    In a very soft voice, she said, “Let me handle this.”

    Without waiting for Visionary’s nod of approval, Anna raced after the motorcycle, on foot.  He barely saw her go after it - she was just a blur going past, and a burst of wind.

    The motorcycle turned around the corner and headed down an alley, scraping a wall as it spun a bit on the damp alley pavement.  Anna was hot on its trail, she crashed into the wall and pushed off against it as she made the turn and gave chase.
    
    Panic set in with the thief, and he accelerated quickly.  He made another turn, and then looked back again.

    Anna had climbed the three-story fire escape after that first building, and made her way to the roof.  Rather than try and follow the thief’s crazy turns, she leapt from roof to roof, following his movements on the street below.

    Finally, thinking he lost her, he stopped, looked around once more, and then entered a building.

    Once Anna reached the roof of the building he went into, she forced open the roof access door and headed inside.

    She switched to infrared.  Whichever door he just opened, its doorknob would light up like a beacon, especially since his heart rate and temperature were elevated by the pursuit.  Just to be careful, she walked quickly all the way down, and then back up the stairway, in case there might be two glowing knobs.  But there was only one.

    Her titanium skeletal structure and active polymer muscles were no match for the hollow steel apartment door.  It bent inward, and the latched popped without too much resistance.

    The thief looked at her, shocked.  He then raced over to a nearby table and threw open the drawer.

    Anna didn’t wait to see what was in there.  She picked up a sneaker that was discarded by the door and hurled it at him hard enough to knock him off his feet.  It impacted the side of his head with a hollow thud, and his eyes closed as he fell over.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Are you okay?”  Anna asked as she stood over him.  He was blinking, trying to regain his bearings, as she kneeled beside him.  “I don’t want to harm you, I just want the money back.”

    She didn’t mention that she had already called 911 using the cellular transmitter in her head.  There were blue and red lights flickering in the window from below.

    She caught his hand as he drew a syringe from his pocket and tried to stab her with it.  She held his wrist firmly and plucked it from his fingers.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I don’t understand why you’re still trying to harm me,”  she said.  “Just give me the money back.  Otherwise I’ll have to take it.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What the f--- are you?” he asked in a slurred voice.

    Anna ignored him, and reached into his pockets.  They were empty.  How could he have gotten rid of the money so fast?  Then she realized...the syringe was empty.  He blew it all on a quick hit of drugs, that’s why his speech was slurred and he had such awful judgement.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Where did you get this?”  she asked, holding up the syringe.  She then decided to try and sweeten the offer.  “Maybe I can get you more?”

    That got his attention.  “First floor,”  he slurred.  “The shop.”

    She let him fall to the floor, and took the syringe with her.  The cops that passed her in the hallway didn’t even seem to notice her as they stormed the open apartment.

    Anna wasted no time in heading straight for the shop.  She read the sign before entering - it was a flower shop, only it didn’t seem to have a single flower, or customer.

    She walked in, and a bell rang.  She placed the syringe on the counter.  “Where do I get more of these?”

    The very large, unshaven, overweight man who breathed loudly squinted.  “Do I know you?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Wrong answer.”  Anna replied.  A question like that was a definite indicator that he did sell that syringe - a non-drug-dealer would have asked what that was instead.  She grabbed his collar quickly and pulled his huge heft onto the glass counter, and it began to creak dangerously.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What the hell are you?”  the fat man asked.

    Anna didn’t answer.  “The man who bought this did so with stolen money.  I want it back.”

    He became angry then.  “What the f---, it was like $12!  You’re doing this for $12??”

    She thought about asking Visionary later on why he was carrying so little, but that wasn’t important at the moment.  “It’s the principle of the matter,”  she said.  “That money was going to buy ice cream for kids.”

    The red-faced angry fat man reached into his pants pocket and produced a wad of cash, from which he took a $10 bill and two $1 bills, and he threw them at her.  “Here, just take it and get the f--- out of my shop!  Jesus!”

    Satisfied, Anna’s pride wasn’t hurt by her having to kneel and pick up the money.  She took it, and left the shop.

    A few minutes later, she found a dejected looking Visionary sitting on the ground next to the ice cream shop, shaking his head sadly while his kids tried to convince him it was okay, and they didn’t really need ice cream.  He looked up when she approached.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Success,”  she announced softly as she kneeled next to him.  She handed him the $12, pressing it into his palm gently.  “And without really harming anyone.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Is that really true?”  Visionary asked.

    Anna smiled, and nodded.  “Hurting someone for ice cream just seems...wrong.”

    Visionary suddenly hugged the android across the shoulders.  “You’re wonderful Anna, thank you.”  He then rose to his feet.  “Come on, kids, let’s get some ice cream.  You can have one too, Anna, except, um...no sprinkles for you.  Sorry.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I know, I counted the money,”  Anna said with a smirk.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“On second thought,”  Visionary said, “Go ahead and order sprinkles.  I don’t really need ice cream.  Probably shouldn’t anyway, I’m lactose intolerant.”

    Anna nodded.  “Could you get me a vanilla and strawberry swirl please?”  she asked.  “I have something to do out here first.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Um...sure.”  Visionary replied.  “Don’t be too long, or it will melt.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Maybe a minute, that’s all,”  she said.  She waited until Visionary went inside before crossing the street.

    Anna met Visionary and the kids just as they exited the shop.  She was holding something behind her back.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What did you get?”  Visionary asked.

    She held the paper-wrapped item in front of her, and then pulled aside the wrapping.  It was a hot dog with all the toppings.  “For you,”  she said.  Then while he was still drooling, “But not from the stand, from the deli across the street.  It’s healthier.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Thank you so much!”  he exclaimed, and he handed Anna her ice cream in exchange.  “How did you pay for it?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I have some money too,”  she explained.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Borrowed it?”  he asked.  “Or do you have a job now?”  He turned pale and asked, “You didn’t steal it from someone, did you?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“No, absolutely not.  It’s mine,”  Anna replied.  “I...have a job, of sorts.  I recorded music, and it sold fairly well.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Really?  Why didn’t you tell me?”

    Anna laughed.  “You didn’t ask.”

    He then thought a moment as he bit into his hot dog, and after he chewed it thoroughly, he asked, “What do you mean ‘fairly well’?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Swallow first,”  Anna instructed him.

    He did as asked, though he wasn’t sure why.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“A couple million copies,”  Anna replied.

    Visionary choked, and coughed a bit.  He was grateful that Anna told him to swallow first.  “And I spent my last twelve dollars on ice cream?”  he said in a small, choking voice.  

    He turned and looked at the kids.  They looked a little too innocent, like they knew about it all along.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“It was such a sweet gesture, I didn’t want to dilute it,”  Anna said happily.

    He couldn’t argue with that.  So he shrugged, and took another bite of the hot dog.  “Congratulations then, Anna,”  he slurred with his mouth full.  “So about this ancient barely working car I have...?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Sarah told me not to buy you anything,”  Anna replied quickly.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“She did, did she?”  Visionary sulked.

    Anna winked at him, and then looked at the kids.  “But the hot dog will be our secret.  Right kids?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Mmmhmm.”  Magweed replied with a mouth full of ice cream.  Griffin simply nodded.

    Visionary looked at what was left of his hot dog.  It was a tasty present, at least.  He shrugged and finished it off.    


-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2010 by Jason Froikin, and may not be 
--    reprinted without permission.  
-- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow
--  Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin
--  Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin