"Ella," I whispered, "Are you serious? I can't kill anymore. We have to—"
"It must be done," she stated, "I can't defend the house on my own!"
"But can't you at least help me?"
"No! I have to stay with Alice. You have to do the accusing and killing."317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzreMgcVqXP
"Can we not ask my father for help? He's the Major!"
"He can be trusted, but can his soldiers be?" She had a stern look, yet she sounded less serious, as if she were trying to hide a lie.
"I trust—"
"They can't be trusted! Now quiet and go do your job."
"Did Alice fabricate this?"
"She doesn't know the actual plan."
"Really? Not surprising."
"Go."
"Indeed." I ran off out past the crime scene in the front gardens and slowed my pace once in the main part of town: the marketplace. The marketplace is where everyone goes during their day (except for some kids who play out in the crop fields, and the reason is because we're an early settlement and have no entertainment systems applied yet), besides the farmers who spend their day until late afternoon in the fields; after the fields it's straight to the market to sell to the shops and stands. The miners are also excluded; they spend a week in the mines and come home for one more week after selling the materials from the supply trucks they bring over. Sleeping in dust must be a pain.
"Yo, Oohira kid," I said to the little figure before me, "Are your parents working at the stands or is your father out in the fields?"
"Yessi," he responded back in a slight capital accent, "My pa is working at the stand today, much grain came in. My mum is weaving at home, tho." So his father is working the stand, his mother weaving at his house. Got it.
"Thanks, kid. Take a coin." I tossed him a 50¥ coin, the stuff used in the military and capital. I knew that the Keito Oohira kid always wanted a gun; never stopped pestering the soldiers about it. "And shut it about the gun to the soldiers, understand?"
"Yessi!" I strode over to the foods stand that had the sign '26, Foods Stand, Oohira'.
"Minor-Major Aegrov," the farmer said, seeing me approach the stand, "How do yu do?"
"I am well," I replied, "And you, Farmer Akito?"
"I do well. So, what I do for yu? Are yu run errands? Or something else? Are yu here to buy food since manor cook is down? I be down if my sister turn out a traitor." So annoying.
"I need information, actually, about your brother in the urban area."
"Oh." He seemed disappointed and annoyed that his brother stole the spotlight.
"No, no, don't look so down; I'm here to try to make sure he gets arrested, if what I've heard is true."
"What? Wait, why wood he arrested? He's a politic."
"And a murderer. Do you know of that?"
"..." He stood silent. He must have been contemplating whether or not to betray his brother. Fortunately, he despised his brother horribly. He whispered, "He killed a girl in the main avenue. Remember news? He bribed them. Arrest those damn liars, if need. They're corrupt."
"Okay, now, I'll need directions to his residence and his workplace. I won't need to know any areas where he might be giving a speech, though." The news media may be annoying on this planet, but they do give easy information.
"I can upload to your data strip later today." A data strip being one's public data accessible by those who live in the same Area as them. I wouldn't be able to find directions without cracking into the city's data strip.
"Thank you. You may be called into court in a week or so. Here, my thanks." I handed him a $100 bill. He'll be a able to purchase tools with that, I hope. And he'll shut up, for sure.
"Thank yu, sir."
"And thank you. Now, I have more business to attend to." Now begins the better part. I have to get to Father.
I found him in his office filing some reports from the patrols. It was almost dusk, about 9:20, so he was nearly finished. I waited patiently until he was done putting away and sorting all of the papers. After he took his beverage off of his desk, he turned towards me waiting for me to speak.
I proposed, "I'd like to take the Express to Area 63, Father."
"And," he answered, not looking too surprised, "What would you need in that urban hell?"
"I need to arrest a man; the Oohira man who's supporting the Union's ideas."
"Oh, good. Do so. You should also take an escort with you."
"I'll take Dawn and Dusk. They have the best coordination." I only chose them because I knew Dawn as a kid. She was my only friend before going to prison. She's to be trusted.
"Good. You can leave tomorrow morning. I'll have a ticket ready first thing in the morning."
"Many thanks."
"Of course, son. Now, what do the soldiers need to have equipped?"
"Rifles, rubber, taser, and actual round magazines, knives, a single grenade each, and a door charge."
"... I'm not going to ask why, so I'll just take the fees for equipping out of your savings. Just remember: if any killing happens, it's a private contract and you should show the police your ID. They'll dismiss the case and you can continue your day. Only Majors and Minor-Majors can get away with it, so don't forget your identification. Afterwards, when you get back, I'll have any documents you would have to fill out for undergoing a private contract without permission if you ever get caught by the police force."
"Right."
"Now get some rest, you're dismissed."
I fled to the upstairs hallway and saw that Alice's door was open. I went over and told Ella, who was there (softly crying), that I was going to the city tomorrow morning. I saw that the room looked as if it was left alone since the morning, and asked Ella why. She told me that Alice hasn't returned, but not to worry since she's apparently in a safe place. I didn't bother asking why she was crying.
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