Chapter 194: (Dorknyss) (1/2)
The night was, as it had been for weeks, dark and foggy in the capitol. LawSec vehicles moved by in threes, never alone, no LawSec or CorpSec or even the vaunted ExeSec moved in any numbers less than six. No longer did they just wear sashes and carry a single neural pistol, now they moved in full riot armor carrying rifles, grenades, personal protection fields, and direct communication to the nearest High Threat Response Team Headquarters. When they trotted down the street, they had drones up, not just armed with neural poppers but armed with high velocity slug throwers, lasers, stunners, even micro-missiles. They moved through the broad decorated streets, reduced to claustrophobic seas of fog and mist, as if they were invading enemy territory.
Many felt they were.
Squad 883A4 of the 241th Precinct moved in formation, their duralloy shod hooves clattering as they trotted down the middle of the road, rifles held in their hands, two members of the 12-Lanaktallan team were watching the VI controlled drones that were keeping a watch for any signs of heat or any movement that they could detect.
Last night an entire HTR team had come up missing only to be found in dumpsters behind the library with ”READ A BOOK!” shaved into their hide.
The fog suddenly swirled and cleared.
The Most High of the squad saw it first. His patty hit the ground as the rest of the team saw it.
The Night Terran.
On his terrible three wheeled pedal vehicle.
The Most High hit the stud, waving his men to get in a line.
”Under Council Regulation, you are under arrest for being the Night Terran,” the Most High managed to choke out.
The Night Terran simply tilted his head and stared at the Most High, his cape flapping and snapping in the wind that only the Night Terran could feel.
”DISMOUNT THE VEHICLE!” the Most High yelled over his broadcaster.
”Reinforcements 2 minutes out, Most High” one of the drone watchers whispered over the comlink.
The Night Terran simply stared.
”Team, advance,” the Most High ordered.
Together they all clopped forward into the strangely fog free area of the intersection.
”One minute, Most High. HRT with vehicle support,” the coms trooper said quietly.
The Night Terran just stared, his narrow face pale, his eyes faintly glowing red in the street lights.
The Lanaktallan troopers stopped just in front of the Night Terran, who stared up from his fearsome three wheeled vehicle. The front wheel was massive, the steering bar wide with tassels on it, the smaller wheels behind the high backed seat the Night Terran was leaned back on. The Most High could see a friction/pressure operated hand-brake against one wheel. The whole body of the vehicle was made of orange plastic.
There was the scream of thrusters and the wail of stressed grav-drives as the two heavy vehicles landed behind the squad, covering the lanes. The sides dropped down and twenty Lanaktallan in full armor, carrying rifles, trotted out of the two APC's. On the top turrets turned to face the Night Terran with a slight whine.
The fog stayed away from the APC's, showing the intersection and the APC's clearly as the image was broadcast through the entire planet, a composite made up of multiple traffic and security cams. The signal went to GalNet, flooding out to the video hosting sites, the VR chat rooms and bars, slowly spreading across Lanaktallan space.
The Lanaktallan on the ground had no idea that their entire Unified Council Space was watching or would be watching them.
Memes started appearing. People started giggling.
The heavily armed and armored Lanaktallan stared at the Night Terran.
”STAND UP AND MOVE AWAY FROM YOUR VEHICLE!” the Most High yelled over his microphone as the Night Terran stared at him with his cape snapping and flowing in the wind that only affected his cape but not the surrounding Lanaktallans or the tassels on the ends of the steering bar.
The Night Terran suddenly held up on hand, his finger next to his opposable thumb straight up. It was long, bulged at the two knuckles on the digit itself, with a long pointed black nail at the end.
The Lanaktallan flinched back even as they charged their weapons and brought them up to their shoulders, drawing pistols and riot control grenades with their lower two hands.
”SURRENDER NOW! YOU ARE ILLEGALLY BEING THE NIGHT TERRAN!” the Most High tried again.
The Night Terran slowly bent his wrist so his finger was pointing down.
”THIS IS AN OFFICIAL WARNING!” the Most High said, nervously opening his rear eyes to stare at his reinforcements. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw they were all still there. He could see from his side-eyes that the drone operators were rebooting their pads.
The Night Terran reached down and touched a lever next to a silver dome.
All of GalNet and the Unified Broadcast System watchers inhaled in anticipation.
”STOP BEING THE NIGHT TERRAN RIGHT NOW!” the Most High yelled.
The Night Terran flicked the lever twice.