By David C. Daoust
This was not the first time Suzanne and Dakota had gotten into a fight about something, nor was it the first time one of them had told the other what they really thought. In fact, this was usually how it went, the one who was in the wrong got an ear full, while the other fumed. This all seemed as though it was the norm, except that by that reasoning, it would mean Dakota was in the wrong.
Dakota was not in the wrong. She knew what she saw. She had seen the official reports. Of it all, she fumed AND got an ear full. The anger only built up throughout Suzanne’s rant, though nothing truly hit home until the dark haired woman cut her off and left her in this dank little waiting room with strangers, snubbed, as if Dakota had no say in the matter.
Now, Dakota found herself following behind the dark haired stranger that accompanied Margo, as he secretly held a gun on the security guard, while they all pretended to be escorted from the building. This was one of those days that seemed to be getting away from her. She wasn’t even sure why the man had stepped in when he did. She supposed it was lucky that he did, as she doubted they would have let her leave with the Holo-pads.
“So, as much as I appreciate it,” Dakota spoke up, as she was wont to do when nervous, or bored, or well, just awake really… she was most definitely nervous now though, so she started gab’n the second they were out of earshot of anyone. “I’m not totally sure why you helped, or struck this guy…”
“I’m not helping you,” he stated darkly. “I’m getting me out of here.”
“Well, you got a name?”
“Colin,” Margo suddenly spoke up, the bot gave Colin a look that said he was being rude, “He’s Colin, don’t worry, I’m sure he just doesn’t like it when someone tries to strike a lady.”
Colin snorted as they rounded a corner, and the look on his face told Dakota he thought that was absurd, though the conversation abruptly ended as they approached a pair of goons standing in the hall.
Their hostage seemed to be pretty well under control.
The dark haired man, Colin, was playing it pretty cool. Margo seemed to play the part the best. Dakota just tried not to make eye contact as they passed them, she was sure, if she did, they would immediately know something was not right.
Dakota could not help but think how odd this whole situation was. While it was not unusual for Otomo Corp to only have a minimal presence on a moon. Why so much security? Especially so much in a hotel, what were they ‘securing’? Dakota could only guess, though she took it as that much more proof that Otomo Corp was up to no good.
Once they made it back out into the street, through the small army of security goons, Colin shoved the captive guard forward threateningly. The man seemed as though he wasn’t going to do anything as they passed him, but no sooner had the trio gone fifteen feet, than the man started shouting orders, hand on his ear bud.
They glanced back only momentarily before they all started to run. Once they were out of sight Colin gestured to get in a land speeder, Dakota shrugged and just hopped on the flat bed in the back as margo took the passenger seat. It only took a second to get the thing to hum to life, its polished blue frame hopped up off the ground as it began to hover. Fortunately, from Dakota’s vantage point, she saw the black speeders full of goons whip around the corner.
“So, yeah…” she said getting Colin’s attention and pointing in the direction of the speeder.
“Yeah, yeah” Colin said into the rearview mirror as he popped the clutch and sent them careening out into the road. “I see ‘em.”
The speeder slid around on the air like it was slick ice; it only took him a second to get control of the vehicle though and then rocket down the street. The goons were hot on their tail as Colin weaved through alleys and streets, around the minimal traffic of Grady.
Now that they were moving Dakota was free to pop open the Holo-pad that Margo had first acquired from the penthouse, and then Dakota had taken back from the security guard once Colin had slugged him. She was familiar with the Otomo Corp system servers, so it did not take her long to find the information she was looking for, though given the fact they were in the middle of a high speed chase, she did not truly have the time to go over the new information very closely.
She’d seen enough.
Dakota’s plan formulated almost immediately upon being snubbed by Suzanne. It was a plan she had tossed around quite a bit on her trip out to the small sand moon. Though, honestly, she never thought it would come to it. Never thought she would have to, though now, now that she was left out of the fold, she did not see what choice she had. Though truly, she thought she may enjoy it at this point.
It did not take her long to hack the moons communications systems, in a matter of moments she was broadcasting to the entire moon.
“My name, is Dr. Dakota Sun,” she began into the holo-pads lense. “I am broadcasting this message in the hopes of alerting the people of Twin Crown of the deplorable acts of the Otomo Corporation! I don’t know how to say this… Black Lung is a lie! The first outbreak happened on Dori 5, caused by a nanite spill. I created the meds to stabilize the infection until we found the cure! Otomo Corp profited off the medications…” she seemed to be completely without words for a moment and then said simply, “they repeated the accident here… entirely for profit!”
Apparently the guards got wind of her broadcast, and immediately started shooting once she’d gotten to the meat of the message.
“I repeat Black Lung is a lie! It is an intentional infection,” Dakota yelled into the camera, “This is not a prank! Otomo Corp needs to answer for their crimes!”
“What the hell are you doing back there?”Colin shouted as the first barrage of bullets ricocheted around the vehicle.
“They’re shooting at us!!” Dakota yelled back at him.
“Well, yeah.” Colin stated, as he suddenly whipped the speeder down a narrow back alley, “Stop pissing them off!”
Dakota could not believe they were shooting at them!
“They’re shooting at us!” she yelled again, as she pulled the phone from her vest… the phone she had snatched from the security guard when he had first gotten the call from Suzanne after their brief holo-pad conference call… after hitting re-dial, and waiting a few rings she heard the familiar voice on the other end
“Suzanne!” Dakota yelled into the phone…“They’re SHOOTING at us!”
“What!?” Suzanne answered, “hang on!”
In a matter of seconds the gun fire ceased and the black speeders full of security goons suddenly peeled off their pursuit. Dakota’s heart was racing and she really didn’t feel like talking to Suzanne, she snapped the phone shut and tossed it in the corner, relieved.
>>>Relieved indeed! Did you know you could write yourself into a corner? You can. I did. Finally! Freedom! ty,DD<<<<
