Tagged: fiction

“It was hundreds of years ago?” surprise and then quickly it turned to disbelief, “that’s not possible, that can’t be true.

“It might be impossible, Marsh, but it is true. So however unlikely it feels it doesn’t change a thing.” Drick felt a sense of puzzlement wash over them, “I am confused as to why, if you are from the twenty-first century that you can understand me. I didn’t think they had sub-dermal implants back then.”

“Sub-dermal what? No. I don’t know what that is. I understand you because you are speaking English.”

“I can assure you that I am not. I am speaking the Rillish dialect. The officers who arrested you would have been using a pulse language, all droids do. Yet they processed you which would have involved some communication if only them telling you to stand still and you can understand me as well. Which makes me believe you have a sub-dermal translation unit. The monitor wouldn’t scan for it automatically and I can’t re-callibrate it even if it could, lean forward and let me see behind your ears.”

“A what? Do what?” A shake of the head “I am not going to do anything you say until you explain who you are and what is really going on.”

“I told you who I was.”

“You haven’t told me anything, you said your name is Drick, what does that even mean? Who do you work for? Why are you in here with me?”

Drick sighed. “Look. Okay. Let me explain a little more. Normally it doesn’t help and people clam up, but you seem especially confused. I am a private insurance investigator, Marsh. I work freelance. I know someone who gets me onto the prisoner transports with anyone who has committed a crime that’s likely to have an insurance claim attached to it. You’re a K tag, you killed someone in some way, so that means there is a body. It is law here to have a personal insurance plan to cover any eventuality such as causing an accident, being in an accident etc. The only people with no personal equity insurance are people with no equity and they don’t get arrested, if they’re caught they go through a different kind of processing. So this is just about a claim for me.’

“A claim?”

“Sure, an insurance claim, as I said private investigator. You sure it’s just your memory that’s messed up? Look, when there’s anything like a death, a serious injury, or a major crime like grand theft there is always an insurance claim. The companies will always put out a contract to investigate. I like to get ahead of the competition. You are worth two point three percent of any claim I can disprove and point zero four percent of any I cannot.” Drick smiled, “So I am likely to be your best chance of help right now, marsh. Because anything that I learn that reduces the payout of the insurance companies will increase my percentage so I have a vested interest in everything you say. So put your head forwards please.”

“So how did you get here?”

There was a dry cough before the rasping reply, “what, where, where am I?”

Drick watched as they struggled to sit upright, hacking up dry lungfulls of air and squinting through teary eyes. “You need to slow down or those restraints are going to cut into you. Try blinking, your eyes will be dry and itchy from the spray.”

“What happened?”

“Well that’s a query with a fiscal tag.” Drick snorted mirthlessly.

“What?” spitting to one side with eyes still streaming.

“Million dollar question. You want to be careful with spitting if you’re caught they will gag or bag you.”

Drick watched as they took a few minutes to stop coughing and for their eyes to clear enough to sit up properly. They looked at Drick. Not too bad looking even with the puffy eyes and busted lip. Nose could be a little shorter, hair less of a tangled mess, that might not be from the method of detainment.

“Where am I?” Calmer and more controlled, almost a civil tone of voice.

“Prisoner transport vehicle.” Drick smiled with no detectable warmth yet not cruel. “Looks like they tagged you as K14792.”

“How did I get here?”

“Well now, that’s where we started,” Drick gave another little laugh, “that’s the question I asked you.”