Showing posts with label suspicion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suspicion. Show all posts

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Microstory 2134: All a Big Trade-off

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I’m back home, even though I’ve not yet recovered from my infection. My lawyer argued to the judge that it was possible that the food I was given in the prison was potentially poisoned, and my distaste for it was not simply the result of another symptom of the fungus. This would be a reach, as I’m sure you’re assuming, except that this facility has a suspiciously deep history with poison. There have been other cases that were not ambiguous, and which involved guards in more than one instance. That doesn’t prove that I was indeed poisoned, because they couldn’t pinpoint anything in my body, but that was enough to get me a compassionate release. I’m obviously not completely free. I still can’t leave my apartment, and since I can’t be monitored around the clock anymore, I can’t go back to jail this weekend for my normal two-day stint. This is a complicated situation, because skipping a weekend comes with an automatic incursion of an extra 64 hours. Here’s the math. I was originally sentenced to 1000 hours. I’m scheduled to go inside at 18:00 every Friday, and come out at 18:00 on Sunday. That’s 48 hours each time. Multiply that by 20, and you get 960 hours. That means on the 21st weekend, I could have left at 10:00 on Sunday. But now I’m up to 1064 total. So it’s more than just one additional weekend. After that, I still have an extra eight hours to take care of during a 23rd weekend. And this will keep happening each time I have to push it back, even if it’s not my fault. This is just how the law works. The judge is not at liberty to make any sort of exception due to my illness. That’s probably for the best, or people would be calling in sick when they’re not, just like they do when they don’t want to go to work, or perhaps more commonly, school. My time in house arrest doesn’t count towards my quota. My time in the prison medical ward, while it was supposed to last for seven days, only covered the original 48 hours that I owed. It wasn’t supposed to last more than a week either way. It’s all a big trade-off, but I would still say that I’m glad to be back here, even with this ankle monitor. I have more space to move around, I have better internet, and I eat whatever I want. Plus, I’m still making my own hours, which gives me extra time to sleep in my nice and comfortable bed. In the prison, I found that I could only work during certain times, or the connection was excruciatingly slow. That often meant getting up in the middle of the night, and I’m not about that.

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Microstory 1949: Those in the Know

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Reese: Oh, good, you’re here too. I was worried about you both, but you don’t have a phone, and she’s not picking up.
Myka: Sorry, I’m here. My phone died while we were in quarantine, and it’s still off and on the charger. Leo, we need to get you your own device.
Leonard: Yeah.
Reese: Is everyone okay? How did they treat you in there? [...] Somebody respond, I’m getting worried again.
Leonard: I’m fine, I was just trying to let the lady speak first.
Myka: I’m fine too. I missed you...both. I have something to tell you, though, and I don’t know how you’re gonna feel about it.
Leonard: Let me guess, they offered you a job.
Myka: Yeah!
Reese: Seriously? Both of you? That’s suspicious.
Myka: Why, you don’t think I would be cut out for it?
Reese: I didn’t say that. It’s just that the government doesn’t make a habit out of hiring the formerly incarcerated. Even the OSI has a thing about perfect prior records. What would you even be doing for them?
Myka: They didn’t say.
Reese: See? Suspicious. I don’t think you should even entertain the idea.
Leonard: I’m not so sure, and I think I know the reason. She knows about the aliens, and I am an alien. I think they would rather keep us close than far away where they can’t keep track of our movements and behaviors. I’m thinking about taking it. Like you said, I need a phone. And a place to live, and food. I need money for all that, just as I did on my world. How hard would it be to apply at, say, a carwash without a valid background?
Myka: You’re right, they’re trying to keep an eye on us, but that doesn’t doesn’t mean we should accept the positions. I assume you have something more substantial in the way of an offer than I do, but it sounds dangerous.
Reese: Well....
Myka: Well, what? Have you already changed your mind?
Reese: I want you both to be safe, and you knowing about aliens puts you in more danger than I’m in because I know about them too. Yes, you would be working for the people who are placing you in that danger, but maybe they’ll be less likely to go after you if you seem to share their interests. Government spies know government secrets all the time, and their government doesn’t kill them, because they’re on the same side.
Myka: So, you think I should take it?
Reese: I didn’t say that. I just don’t think we should dismiss it. We really should learn what plans they have for you. You have skills, as do you, Leonard, but neither of you has the kind of résumé they generally look for.
Leonard: How do you suppose we go about procuring such information?
Reese: We don’t. I already work there, to a certain extent. I’ll go back in and see what I can find out. You two stay here and don’t go out unless you’re buying a new phone, and don’t separate until you have one...or maybe not even then.

Friday, July 28, 2023

Microstory 1940: Walking in Circles

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Reese: Are you sure this is going to work? We’ve been walking in literal circles forever, and so far, no one has shown up.
Leonard: Myka?
Myka: *holding the radio to her ear* One click back. My friends aren’t seeing anyone.
Leonard: Maybe we were wrong this whole time. Maybe no one has been following us.
Reese: Or they’re so confused about our odd behavior, they don’t know what to do.
Leonard: You’re right, this was a stupid plan. If we weren’t trying to follow these footprints, I would say we head for cover, but we’re just too exposed out here, and we’re wasting time. If we are being followed, they can probably wait us out.
Myka: No, it wasn’t a stupid plan, we’re just at too much of a disadvantage.
Leonard: Go ahead and make whatever clicks you need to make to tell them that we’re giving up. If your people are gonna help, we might as well work together. I don’t suppose they came with their own tent? Perhaps we can share.
Reese: How many are there? Three? This tent is designed for two. It’s technically big enough for three; or four if they’re comfortable with each other, but not a total of six.
Myka: Those three are my best survivors. Freewoman 2 can find water anywhere. Besides, this mission is only getting more dangerous. We need multiple on watch. But that’s tonight. We still have hours of daylight to go. I say we continue to follow these tracks before the weather erases them. If someone is following us, they have had plenty of chances to hurt us. It’s probably just government agents.
Reese: You’re right. This is the M.O. of a shadow team. It’s said that they can be invisible anywhere. They won’t reveal themselves for anything short of life-threatening, if even that. They may be under orders to report back any injuries and deaths, and not intervene for any reason.
Myka: So, we just keep walking, and leave it alone?
Reese: No. Give me the radio.
Myka: Here you go.
Reese: *adjusts the frequency, and makes his own clicks*
Leonard: What did that mean? Did you tell them something?
Reese: I told ‘em to reveal themselves. I seriously doubt they’ll do it, but now they know we know they’re there.
Leonard: What if they’re not there?
Reese: Then no one heard the message, and even if they did, I used a law enforcement code on a law enforcement frequency. So there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
Myka: Since I got out of prison, I occasionally flip off my bathroom mirror and tell the U.S. Cybersecurity Agency that I know they’re watching me...just in case they are.
Freewoman 2: *walking up* Hey, what’s the word?
Myka: We’re done trying to root out the possible pursuers. We’re just gonna keep going.
Freewoman 3: What do you want us to do?
Myka: Join us. The more the merrier.
Reese: There’s something you should know about the mission we’re on first, though. Tell me, do any of you believe in aliens?

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Microstory 1939: Follow Travelers

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Reese: How’s everyone doin’? We all have enough water?
Myka: You don’t have to keep checking in with us.
Reese: I do, actually. You’re my responsibility. It’s in the Fugitive Service handbook, in the section for deputized and conscripted civilians, and informants.
Myka: Wait, this kind of situation is in the handbook?
Reese: Absolutely. I had a partner, but a lot of us work alone, and in unfamiliar territory, so we’re encouraged to seek help from anyone available. The Office of Special Investigations has no such policy, which is why we’re keeping you both a secret, but my old boss would have had no problem with this arrangement.
Myka: Oh.
Reese: So the water?
Myka: I’m fine.
Leonard: I’m fine too. I’m starting to get a weird feeling, though.
Reese: Is it a sneaking suspicion that someone has been following us?
Leonard: Yep.
Reese: I’ve been feeling that for a while now. I thought maybe it was just me, but if you’re picking up something too...
Myka: I’m not sensing anyone.
Leonard: There’s no one behind us.
Reese: Not that we can see, at least.
Leonard: There’s nowhere to hide. I can see for miles.
Reese: Yeah, this is a particularly infertile patch of land. I imagine, if we really are following the Ochivari, that’s why they picked this spot, for its remoteness.
Myka: Why would one of them have shown up in Kansas City then?
Leonard: Maybe it was an accident. We have no idea how they navigate.
Reese: *stopping* I really think there’s someone behind us. Ya know, there’s a survival advantage to being able to sense threats, which is why evolution let humans keep that trait. The problem is translating the data into real evidence. *scanning the horizon* Someone is out there, I just can’t prove it.
Myka: Okay, I admit it. I told other members of the bond where we were going.
Leonard: You did what? Why?
Myka: They’ve been watching over us. I didn’t know what we were walking into. I didn’t tell ‘em about the aliens, though, I promise. All I said is that we were looking for more fugitives, like before. I’m sorry, Reese.
Reese: *shaking his head, still watching the horizon* No, it’s not them. They’re over there, by those foothills.
Myka: You knew?
Leonard: I clocked them by the time we got out of Missouri. They’re not particularly sneaky. They built a fire, probably to cook, last night a quarter mile away from us.
Myka: Okay. Now I’m really worried. If you’re sensing someone else...can we set a trap?
Reese: I don’t know how we would. Like we said, it’s so flat. We can’t hide either.
Leonard: But they can. They’ve been following us in secret. Myka. Call your friends.