果冻传媒

鈥淛ust gonna grab a quick kebab at the market.鈥� With the new bulletproof vest in hand I waved at the chief as I walked past the front desk.
He gave me a dirty look through the polycarb window and punched the button of his mic. 鈥淧ut that new vest on first,鈥� his bass voice bellowed through the speakers.
I nodded. 鈥淩ight after I鈥檝e filled my stomach.鈥�
鈥淩ight now!鈥�
鈥淕ive me a break, chief. I鈥檓 starving. I haven鈥檛 eaten since this morning鈥︹��
鈥淚nfect you!鈥� he continued at gale force volume. 鈥淵ou, running around with a target on your chest like that. Wanna invite all those radicals to use my stooges for target practice? Make it snappy.鈥� Glaring at me, he pointed at the vest and put his e-cigar into his mouth.
With a sigh I dropped the vest onto one of the benches along the wall. 鈥淵es, mother.鈥� She died when I was eleven. Covid-19, the mother of all pandemics. I started to take off my helmet. Every movement hurt my chest.
鈥淪hall I help?鈥� sounded the monotone voice of Lance 928 next to me.
I put the helmet on the bench and shook my head.
Carefully, I unfastened all the straps of my old vest. I had to clench my teeth when I pulled it off over my head. I held it before me.
Yep, that was a big hole right there, center mass. It looked like an exploded volcano, but with a tangle of Dyneema-frays, garnished with metal shards instead of lava. I stuck my finger into the tangle and felt the graphene chest plate on the inside. Which really wasn鈥檛 necessary. I already knew it was still in one piece. Otherwise I wouldn鈥檛 have gotten away with just a bruise on my chest.
Lance glanced over my shoulder. 鈥淔ifty cal.鈥�
I nodded. 鈥淗ollow point. Those printed pistols are getting more and more powerful.鈥�
鈥淎nd more accurate.鈥�
鈥淕ood thing the chamber blew apart after one shot.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 sorry I couldn鈥檛 take him out sooner.鈥�
鈥淣ot your fault.鈥� I raised my voice so the chief could hear it. 鈥淚t鈥檚 those crooked politicians that have us fighting military grade firepower with non-lethal crap.鈥�
The chief didn鈥檛 disappoint: 鈥淵ou know where you can send your complaints.鈥� He got up and pointed at his butt. 鈥淭o the minister himself.鈥�
 

鈥淧atrol Five.鈥� Sitting in our patrol pav, I yelled at the radio over the noise of the rain pattering on the dome. I rubbed my sore chest. The new protective vest seemed a tighter fit, I felt every breath. 鈥淲e鈥檝e set down in the Pomegranate Alley. I鈥檓 gonna quickly fill up with some vitro meat.鈥�
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to yell, Patrol Five,鈥� barked the chief on the radio. 鈥淚鈥檓 not deaf. Copy. Call in when you鈥檙e available again.鈥�
鈥淩oger.鈥� I closed my visor and hit the unlock button. The dome hinged up, the safety belts of the pav unbuckled. Drops of rain beat down onto my helmet as I got out.
鈥淒o you want me to join you?鈥� Lance looked at me.
鈥淣o need.鈥� The vocoder in my visor made my voice sound just as mechanical as Lance鈥檚. And with the helmet on, I had almost the same 鈥榝ace鈥�. To prevent android marginalization, cops and e-cops all had to look as much the same as possible. 鈥淏e right back.鈥� With wobbly legs and a little lightheaded, I crossed the old bridge and turned into Raspberry Street, a shop-window street, that looked like any other in modern city centers. Between the puddles, the hot tarmac was still steaming from the summer sun earlier on. I could only smell the sickeningly sweet scent of the air filter in my helmet.
As I was passing the Amazon shop window, I spotted two open umbrellas very close to one another in front of the eBay shop window next door. A woman under the first one, two men under the other, all wearing regulation face masks 鈥� mouth and nose covered, ears, eyes and forehead uncovered. Only cops were allowed to cover more than mouth and nose.
鈥淔ive feet, folks,鈥� I called out as I approached. 鈥淪ocial distancing, you know.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檒l get wet.鈥� He looked at me reproachfully and challengingly. He was almost a foot taller than the guy next to him. And rather broad shouldered.
I stopped and put my hand on my taser holster, just to be safe. Before I could say anything, the shorter guy said in a friendly tone of voice: 鈥淲e鈥檙e housemates.鈥�
鈥淎ll three of you?鈥� I asked surprised.
鈥淵es,鈥� they said, almost in unison.
I took my ID-scanner from my belt and pointed it at his eyes: Bas van Gorp, married to Evan Winkelman, which indeed was the name of the big fellow. When I pointed the scanner at the woman under the other umbrella, it turned out to be his sister. She had the same home address as the two men and was unmarried. Expressive blue eyes, honey blond hair鈥� I quickly checked her health record. No not compatible. Of course not鈥�
鈥淥kay,鈥� I muttered, putting my scanner back on my belt. 鈥淵ou鈥檇 better get out of this rain. It weakens your resistance to infection. Have a nice day.鈥� I tapped my helmet and went on my way.
鈥淐ovid nazi!鈥� I heard the big guy call after me.
I ignored it and walked into the market square. 鈥淒e-escalation,鈥� I could still hear the trainers at the police academy say. 鈥淒e-escalation is the magic word.鈥� To be honest, I just didn鈥檛 have the energy to bust that idiot for contempt of cop.

It wasn鈥檛 busy at the market. Nobody likes walking through the rain. The few who had defied the weather adhered properly to the five foot-rule. And when they saw me coming, they spaced out even more.
I sauntered between the trailers and cargo pavs. There was a clothing stand where the kebab trailer wagon was usually parked. I liked the look of one of the shirts: dark blue with a silver pattern in the latest Chinese style. I pointed to it on the no-touch screen. The image enlarged. The color could be varied from azure to indigo.
A door to one of the fitting rooms on the side swung open. A woman got out and stuffed a dress into a shopping bag. She gave me a nod as she walked away. The fitting room closed behind her. A hissing sound. A cloud of steam escaped from the grate in the door and the light above it changed from red to green. The fitting room was now sterilized again. But I was famished. I shook my head: no time to go trying on shirts.
A few stalls farther down, there was an automat trailer. I pointed to a giraffe croquet sandwich on the no-touch screen of one of the vending machines and swiped my debit card past the register scanner.
A little door opened and a tray with a paper plate and a sandwich came sliding out.
I lifted my visor. Giraffe was one of the juicier flavors. If I closed my eyes, I could almost believe it was one of the real meat croquettes my mum used to give me when I was a kid.
When I鈥檇 eaten half of the sandwich and looked at the screen to choose my next course, my radio bleeped. 鈥淲e have to go arrest someone in a flat above one of the shop windows in Raspberry Street,鈥� sounded Lance鈥檚 voice. The street I鈥檇 just gone down. The buildings above street level were all student apartments. We regularly busted a med-dealer there鈥� or a prossy.
I hit the button under my shoulder and spoke into the mic. 鈥淚鈥檒l meet you there.鈥� I immediately turned round and started walking back. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the beef?鈥�
鈥淭aking part in an illegal party last Thursday and spreading fake news.鈥�
鈥淚ndoors?鈥� I asked.
鈥淵es. More than twenty people in less than a thousand square feet. And two had the infection.鈥�
I shook my head. Morons! 鈥淢andatory quarantine?鈥� As I turned into Raspberry Street, I shoved the last bit of sandwich into my mouth.
鈥淪ix weeks. And we have to question her and secure all the electronic devices so the DA can look into a fake news charge.鈥�
鈥淓vidence team underway?鈥� As I saw Lance coming toward me, I threw the paper into a litter bin and shut my visor.
鈥淲e are supposed to assess if that is necessary.鈥�
鈥淕reat.鈥� That meant we were supposed to haul that crap out ourselves.
Lance stood in front of an entrance between the Walmart and Tesla shop windows. Three buttons with nameplates. Lance鈥檚 finger pointed to the middle one. When I read it, I felt like I was hit in the head with a mallet.
鈥淢ichaela Schellinger?鈥� I stuttered.
鈥淵es,鈥� said Lance.
鈥淵ou s-sure she鈥檚 the one?鈥�
鈥淵es,鈥� Lance said in his usual monotone voice. 鈥淚s it someone you know?鈥�
I tried to catch my breath, speechless.
鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 have a record according to my database,鈥� he continued. 鈥淎n informer of yours perhaps? Or someone you issued a warning to: a prossy or dealer?鈥�
I shook my head and cleared my throat. 鈥淒on鈥檛 think so. Seemed familiar at first, but I was mistaken.鈥� No, I wasn鈥檛 mistaken. Was that the first time in all those years that I鈥檇 lied to my partner? Well鈥� it didn鈥檛 concern him. And it didn鈥檛 matter to the job either. If Mikey had really been that stupid, she had to be quarantined as soon as possible. 鈥淚鈥檒l go into the back alley in case she runs. Wait until I tell you I鈥檓 there.鈥� As I passed him, I pointed to the clothing in one of the shop windows. 鈥淚n the meantime, you can enjoy this display.鈥�
鈥淏ut you know I never wear anything but my police armor?鈥�
I chuckled. Androids are so predictable.

Four, five鈥� if I鈥檇 counted the gates and garden doors in the back alley correctly, I should be behind the right building now. Crouched down, I peeked through the cracks in the fence, but the rear of the shop windows was shuttered. Two doors ago I鈥檇 passed the back of the Aliexpress shop window, so it should be the right place. I pressed the button of my mic. 鈥淚鈥檓 here, Lance. Ring the bell.鈥�
I released the retention strap of my taser holster and looked left and right: nobody in the alley. I slowly pushed the gate handle down.
Locked.
A faint smell tickled my nose and made my mouth water. Pulled pork. Did I really smell pulled pork? I hadn鈥檛 had that since my granny died.
Peeking through the cracks of the fence, I let go of the door handle and released the safety of the taser. A small high-pitched whistle emanated from it that got higher and higher and slowly died away. I was prepared to step aside so I鈥檇 be completely hidden by the fence.
I listened, but could only hear my own breathing in the helmet. I quickly checked if the taser was free.
Yeah, it slid up and down in the holster alright. I looked around one more time: still no one in the alley.
Suddenly, a shockwave went through me. The peace and quiet in my helmet was disrupted by Lance鈥檚 voice. 鈥淚 have identified myself as police. She said 鈥榡ust a minute鈥�.鈥�
I held my breath. Any moment now, something was going to happen. I made a bet with myself: ten to one the back door would swing open and鈥�
鈥�right away I won.
I jumped back, pulled my taser and crouched down a little more.
Footsteps on gravel were coming closer. A key in the gate lock.
As I stepped a little farther back, I quickly looked around.
Nobody in the alley. It was safe to shoot if I had to.
The gate flew open. Somebody burst through it.
Mikey. It was her. Big green eyes looked at me petrified. Her always long hair had been replaced with a bob and she seemed weedier than before. But it was her鈥� clear as day.
I didn鈥檛 react until she turned around and started running.
鈥淪top! Police!鈥� I aimed the taser at her. 鈥淪top or I鈥檒l shoot!鈥�
But she didn鈥檛 stop.
鈥淪top! I mean it.鈥�
She ran as fast as she could.
My trigger finger hesitated. Why? This was my duty. For any other person I鈥檇 already have pulled that trigger. Come on!
鈥淪top, now! Or you鈥檒l be sorry.鈥�
Taser statistics ran through my head. The number of lethal taser shootings was less than one percent. It was a non-lethal weapon. Not deadly, but painful.
She鈥檇 reached the end of the alley. If I didn鈥檛 pull the trigger now, she鈥檇 escape鈥� or worse: fall into Lance鈥檚 hands, and he would have no reservations. And it would already be difficult to hit her at this distance.
I clenched my teeth, aimed a little higher to compensate for gravity, and pulled the trigger.
She grabbed the pole at the end of the alley and whirled around the corner.
But my taser wires hit her calf and dug in. 鈥淎aah!鈥� She was lying on the ground twitching.
With my eyes shut, I kept the trigger pulled. I had to. The virus couldn鈥檛 be allowed to spread.
I pressed my mic button. 鈥淕ot her. On the east side of the alley.鈥� I released the trigger. 鈥淪tay down and relax,鈥� I said to the girl. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be right with you.鈥�
But her hands went to the wires in her calf.
鈥淪top!鈥� I desperately cried out. 鈥淒on鈥檛!鈥�
But she grabbed the wires. So I pulled the trigger again.
鈥淎ah!鈥� Her screaming chilled me to the bone. I felt it in my own calf, just like the first time I鈥檇 had to use the taser. After that, it had become more and more a satisfying feeling: another perp I鈥檇 stopped. But this time, my stomach turned.
Finally, Lance appeared and bent over Mikey. I immediately released the trigger.
鈥淪tay down and relax,鈥� I said as I let the taser gun rewind the wires.
Lance already had her in cuffs when I reached them and bent over to pull the taser needles from her leg.
Her eyes were shut tight. Black tears were running down her face. Her cheeks and temples were full of smudged eye makeup. Her crying was heartrending.
But I couldn鈥檛 let my feelings show. I grabbed my ID-scanner and held it in front of her eyes.
She kept them closed tight.
鈥淟ook at me!鈥� I said in a stern tone of voice.
She opened her eyes dismayed.
The scanner reacted right away and confirmed what I already knew.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e been identified as Michaela Schellinger,鈥� I reeled off the standard phrase. 鈥淚鈥檓 arresting you because you鈥檝e been spotted at an illegal party and on suspicion of spreading fake news. Do you have anything to say to that?鈥�
She glared at me and for a moment she didn鈥檛 look like herself, like Mikey, anymore. She looked like a devil, filled with hatred, ready to poke my eyes out鈥� or worse.
She spat at me.
The gob trickled down my visor.
Tears were still running from her eyes, but as if by magic, the crying had been replaced with defiance. She rolled and turned, tried to pull apart her cuffs 鈥� steel shackles? No way.
She thrashed about with her legs, trying to get up and kicking around.
I jumped to the side.
鈥淩esisting arrest?鈥� Lance looked at me.
I shook my head and grabbed her shoulder. 鈥淐ome on.鈥�
Lance followed my lead and grabbed her other shoulder. Together we helped her up.
She kept floundering and trying to kick us.
鈥淗ey.鈥� I shook her and leaned toward her, my helmet close to her face. 鈥淵ou can have your say later on. Cooperate now, otherwise we鈥檒l have to charge you with resisting arrest as well.鈥�
She stopped thrashing about, but kept looking at me as if she had the evil eye.
For a moment, all was still, except for the rain on my helmet.
鈥淪pread out,鈥� Lance broke the silence.
A group of youths were standing just a few feet away, filming us with their phones.
鈥淔ive feet!鈥� I made a wide gesture and started to walk into the direction of our parked pav.
Lance 928 and Mikey followed my lead.
The young riffraff were muttering something, but at least they recoiled and distanced themselves from each other. They kept on filming though.
Mikey looked back at them and yelled: 鈥淎lert the media. Show them these fascists are harassing an innocent girl.鈥�
鈥淪cram,鈥� I barked. Because of the vocoder, I could feel every word booming in my belly. 鈥淥r do you want us to arrest you for obstruction?鈥�
The group skedaddled.

After we鈥檇 locked Mikey up on the custody bench of the pav, we went to her flat and threw all electronic devices in a few shopping bags. There was nothing in her flat that referred to me. With mixed feelings, I sealed her flat and put the COVID-premises sticker on the window.
When we threw the equipment in the trunk of the pav, Mikey was calmly sitting on the custody bench. She didn鈥檛 look angry anymore, she even appeared to be smirking. When we got into the pav, she said: 鈥淎re you proud of yourselves? Big, strong men. Do you get off on tyrannizing innocent little girls? Or are you all just machines?鈥�
I pressed the lock button of the pav. The dome hinged down, the safety belts fastened themselves. I grabbed the joysticks and took off.

Visor up, I entered our little office and stopped next to Lance鈥檚 desk. All computers, phones, glasses, bracelets and other electronic gadgets that we鈥檇 found at Mikey鈥檚 were spread out in front of him. I popped open the can of power cola I鈥檇 just pulled from the vending machine and took a swig. 鈥淎nd?鈥�
鈥淗er security was feeble. She has watched fake news publications 3.806 times, visited conspiracy theory sites 1.187 times, and published inciting commentaries and blogs 796 times, using two pseudonyms: Truthlighter and Evy Beatrice Hall.鈥�
Shaking my head, I swallowed some more power cola. She was totally fecting busted. 鈥淎 clumsy joiner?鈥�
Lance nodded. 鈥淲e have enough to put her behind bars for five years, but she does not appear to be an info-lord.鈥�
鈥淪o if she can lead us to a big fish鈥︹�� I said hopefully.
He nodded. 鈥淏ut when I see how ineptly she has been operating, I estimate the chance that she has information we can use to catch a kingpin at less than ten percent.鈥�
I pursed my lips and sat down at my desk, across from his. 鈥淕ist?鈥�
鈥淎ll over the board, but nothing we have not heard before. That the yearly pandemics are bunk. That they were made in government laboratories in order to oppress people. That vaccinations and cures have long since been developed but are being withheld. That the mortality rate is exaggerated鈥︹��
鈥淪o, just a dumb, naive girl, still in denial about the reality we鈥檝e been dealing with for twenty years.鈥�
Lance nodded. 鈥淪tandard covid denier.鈥�
Stupid and naive might be her best defense. Then maybe she could get off with some quarantine and parole. But it didn鈥檛 feel right. Naive鈥� yeah, I could imagine that. But stupid? Then what the infect had happened to the Mikey I had known?
鈥淥kay then.鈥� I took another swig from the can, closed my visor, and got up.
 

We entered the interrogation room. She was sitting there, one hand cuffed to the table, a drink in her other: power cola, knowing her. I pointed to the cup and sat down. 鈥淎nother one?鈥� I put the file Lance had compiled for me on the table and opened it.
She put down the cup, leaned back, and wanted to cross her arms. But that didn鈥檛 work. So she laid her hand on the elbow of her shackled arm. She shook her head and gave us a defiant look.
Lance sat down next to me.
鈥淐amera images and phone records prove that you were at an indoor party last Thursday,鈥� I started in the monotone voice they鈥檇 taught me at the law enforcement academy. 鈥淒id you know it was an illegal party that didn鈥檛 adhere to the rules of social distancing?鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe I鈥檓 required to answer that.鈥�
Under my helmet I smiled. According to her file she hadn鈥檛 finished law school. Why not, I wondered.
鈥淎nd then there are the documents we found in your electronics,鈥� I continued. 鈥淒o you have an explanation for that?鈥�
Her eyes darted back and forth between Lance and me. As if she was studying us. She raised her eyebrows, but kept silent.
Lance pulled the file toward him and thumbed through it. Not that he needed it: of course he already had all the information in his memory banks鈥� and a lot more than could be read in that file. But it was standard procedure: always camouflage whether you鈥檙e an android or a human. 鈥淔or taking part in the illegal party, a few weeks of quarantine would have sufficed,鈥� Lance remarked.
鈥淵ou do know that there were two infected people at the party?鈥� I added. 鈥淒o you realize the risk you were running there?鈥�
She gave us a skeptical nod.
鈥淎nd are still running,鈥� I emphasized. 鈥淭his year鈥檚 mutation is exceptionally dangerous.鈥�
She rolled her eyes and snorted.
鈥淎nd the documents,鈥� Lance took over again. 鈥淵ou do know that you could be looking at five years in prison for that?鈥�
Her hand went to her mouth, she pretended to be yawning. I knew her well enough to know she only acted that theatrically if she wanted to seem more sure of herself than she was.
鈥淵ou have nothing to say?鈥� Lance asked.
Apparently, he鈥檇 calculated it to be useless: we wouldn鈥檛 get an answer from her that would enable us to catch an info-lord or kingpin. So there was no point in wasting any more time on her and he was working towards the end of the conversation. Normally, I would have agreed with him. But this was Mikey. I had to get her to say something. Something we could use to give her a deal. Not just because she鈥檇 be in dire need of some leniency from the judge, but also because I wanted to know鈥� needed to know鈥� why had things gone so terribly wrong with her? She鈥檇 always been the smartest and most correct one of us. She was the first who had realized the consequences when we got the results of our DNA-test. She was the one who had forced me to obey the rules.
I observed her, looking for the slightest indication she was going to sing. But she kept schtum, looking at us indifferently.
Lance put his hands on the back of his chair. I鈥檇 known him long enough to know what that meant: end of conversation. He was going to get up now.
I thought my head would explode. Get up and leave Mikey鈥� again after all those years? No, that was not an option for me.
I thumbed through her file. 鈥淟aw, then economy, philosophy鈥� why didn鈥檛 you complete any of your studies?鈥� I looked at Lance out of the corner of my eye. Fortunately, he didn鈥檛 let on that I was asking a strange, unnecessary question.
Suddenly, Mikey pointed at me. 鈥淚t鈥檚 you, isn鈥檛 it?鈥�
Shivers ran down my spine. What did she mean? I froze in my seat.
She leaned forward. 鈥淭he pig that shot me in the leg.鈥� She rested her elbows on the table and glared at me, right into my eyes. She couldn鈥檛 see them through my visor, but it felt as if she could see right through me. 鈥淗ave you any idea how painful that is?鈥�
鈥淚f you hadn鈥檛 run away, that wouldn鈥檛 have been necessary.鈥� My breathing was trembling. I wondered if the vocoder would cover that up enough.
What the infect are you doing, Julian? You鈥檝e been doing this job for eight years. Come on, show her who鈥檚 boss!
鈥淚t鈥檚 as if someone chops off your leg with a flaming axe: that鈥檚 how that feels. Do you like hurting innocent girls? Is that what you get off on?鈥�
鈥淚nnocent?鈥� Lance put his hands on his lap. 鈥淪o you can refute these allegations?鈥�
Great. Nine times out of ten, perps that try to argue with the charges, only succeed in talking themselves in deeper. That was not my intention.
鈥淗ave you guys ever caught a real criminal? A burglar, a rapist, a murderer? Or are you only going after innocent citizens?鈥�
鈥淭he number of deceased due to covid-infections last year was twenty times higher than by murder or homicide,鈥� I recited the standard answer.
鈥淓ighteen times to be precise.鈥� She gave me a scornful smile. 鈥淭he number of people killed because of pav crashes was even higher. But that doesn鈥檛 stop you, little boys, from fluttering about with your tax-funded little toys now, does it?鈥�
鈥淒o you have a grandparent... or an elderly mother?鈥� I knew that only her dad was still alive. 鈥淭hen I would consider that, before downplaying the spread of covid. Or maybe you have a boyfriend in a high-risk group?鈥� There鈥檇 been nothing in her apartment indicating a boyfriend. 鈥淥r girlfriend or other kind of partner?鈥� I quickly added when I realized my mistake. I could kick myself: an android would never make a mistake like that. I wouldn鈥檛 either with anyone else.
She grinned. 鈥淎re you flirting with me, officer?鈥� She brushed her hair, licked her lips and leaned back.
鈥淪o,鈥� Lance fortunately took over again, 鈥測ou understand the importance of preventing the spread of the virus for the safety of society.鈥�
鈥淪afety,鈥� she scoffed. 鈥淵ou guys really think that we are little kids and you鈥檙e mommy and daddy who have to protect us, right?鈥�
鈥淭he rules we鈥檝e mutually agreed upon in this country are鈥︹��
Like a predator she suddenly leaned forward again: as if she wanted to tear Lance鈥檚 throat out. 鈥淭he rules you guys dumped on us!鈥� She emphasized the words 鈥測ou鈥� and 鈥渦s鈥� by tapping her finger on the table. I could see the same hatred in her eyes as when I鈥檇 tasered her. I was relieved she was looking at Lance and not at me, although of course we looked identical. 鈥淲e, the people, were never consulted as to whether we were prepared to give up our freedom.鈥�
鈥淭he rules have been issued by democratically elected leaders. The electorate understands that a society can be civilized and safe only if certain bounds are set.鈥�
鈥淔or our own good, right?鈥� Her laugh was overdone. 鈥溾�楾hose who鈥檇 give up essential liberty to buy a little safety, deserve neither鈥�. Benjamin Franklin.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not for your own safety, it鈥檚 for other people鈥檚 safety. Or as John Stuart Mill said: 鈥楾he only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others鈥�.鈥�
鈥淵ou鈥檝e committed an act of violence on me.鈥� She made an angry gesture towards her leg. 鈥淎nd the state is planning on committing violence on me for years to come by locking me up in a cage.鈥� She sighed. 鈥淢urray Rothbard: 鈥榯he only legitimate role of violence is to defend person and property against violence. All other uses are aggression, unjust and criminal鈥�.鈥�
鈥淪ince it knowingly and intentionally endangers others, spreading fake news and breaking social distancing is an act of aggression,鈥� Lance retorted.
My head was spinning: this was all way beyond me. The last time a suspect had fired philosophical drivel like that at Lance was three years ago. Gotta hand it to Mikey: I always knew she was smarter than me. But so smart?
It terrified me. Because how could someone that smart, be so dumb as to fall for fake news, go to a lethal party, and get slowly lured into the verbal mousetrap Lance was setting for her?
She shook her head. 鈥淲ords don鈥檛 hurt and words don鈥檛 wound. And if going to a party were an act of aggression, flying around in a pav would be an act of aggression as well. The only way of avoiding all risk, is by not living at all. And let鈥檚 face it: in the end it鈥檚 the state spreading fake news. Everybody knows that the corona viruses were eradicated years ago.鈥�
I squeezed my eyes shut. With that little statement, she鈥檇 just dug her own grave.

Once she started talking, there was no stopping her anymore. For half an hour she preached fake news and conspiracy theories, each crazier than the one before: that there wasn鈥檛 any covid in Eastland, that the government was the real spreader of fake news and propaganda, that the only covid-deaths in Westland were people the state had wanted to get rid of, people who鈥檇 tried to tell the 鈥渢ruth鈥濃��
Countless times Lance and I threw in questions to try and get her to implicate others. I tried every trick in the book. I was doubly motivated: getting her to flip was the only way for her to avoid a heavier sentence now.
But she didn鈥檛 fall for it and just kept prattling on: one bizarre conspiracy theory after the other鈥�
At some point I鈥檇 had enough. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 like it in this country,鈥� I blurted out. 鈥淲hy don鈥檛 you just leave?鈥�
鈥淓ver known anyone who鈥檚 succeeded in leaving?鈥�
I racked my brain looking for a reply.
She beat me to it: 鈥淭hey stop everyone at the border.鈥�
鈥淵es, of course you have to apply for a visa, but lots of people leave our country every day.鈥�
鈥淰isa.鈥� She laughed and shook her head. 鈥淓ver looked at the site of visawatch?鈥�
鈥淲ho led you to that website?鈥� I tried once more.
With a sigh she picked up her cup and looked into it. 鈥淐an I get another drink?鈥� She nonchalantly chucked the cup away, leaned back, and rocked back and forth on her chair with a wide grin on her face.

I shut the door of the interrogation room behind us. 鈥淎nd?鈥� I cautiously asked and held my breath.
鈥淒angerous lady,鈥� Lance answered. 鈥淕ood thing you did not give up when I wanted to.鈥� He turned around and started walking down the hallway.
Although I knew better, I鈥檇 hoped he鈥檇 say something else. I opened my visor and took a deep breath. Wonderful fresh air鈥� as far as air conditioned air can really be called fresh. Chloride stays in your nose and the continuous atomization of peroxide and acid smelt like piss. 鈥淭ry again later? Maybe we can still get her to rat someone out.鈥� I followed him down the hallway.
鈥淚t is worth a try, but I think the chance that she will implicate one of her collaborators is less than twenty percent. She is intelligent, far from na茂ve, and well versed in all conspiracy theories and hate speech towards the government.鈥�
My heart sank.
Two cops with a suspect between them came toward us. I quickly closed my visor.
鈥淚 think chances are she already is an info-lord, but has managed to cover her tracks very well,鈥� Lance continued. 鈥淥r maybe she was on the brink of turning into an info-lord or kingpin in the fake news networks.鈥�
鈥淚f she hadn鈥檛 made that one mistake,鈥� I added, 鈥漮f being stupid enough to visit that party that got her into our sights.鈥�
鈥淵es, maybe we arrested her just in the nick of time.鈥�
We stepped aside near the locker room and waited for the duo with the suspect to pass. The locker room door was open: nobody there, a number of lockers were open and the benches were littered with civvies and towels. The usual mess. Jessie鈥檚 locker caught my eye. I thought she wasn鈥檛 working today.
We nodded at our colleagues and continued on our way.
鈥淪hall I bring her to her cell?鈥� I asked.
鈥淚t鈥檚 probably best to let her stew in the interrogation room.鈥� He turned into our office. 鈥淚 would like to do an in-depth search on the net to see if I can find more traces of her activities. Then maybe we can ask more specific questions and charge her for a higher sentence.鈥�
Higher sentence. Normally, that would make me happy.
As he sat down at his desk, I shut the door behind us and opened my helmet again.
Lance brushed Mikey鈥檚 electronics aside and had his screen slide up out of his desk. He opened his visor, picked up the cable of his screen from his desk and plugged it into the port that e-cops have where human cops have their mouths.
As I glanced over his shoulder, I felt the string that all human cops wear around their necks.
Images were flashing by on the screen: features of Mikey鈥檚 fake profiles, layouts of hidden sites鈥�
If he鈥檇 find any evidence, Mikey could wind up in jail for more than five years.
My thumb and forefinger instinctively went to the bayonet connection on the string. Why?
It was Mikey鈥檚 own fault, wasn鈥檛 it? She鈥檇 chosen to go to that party and believe all that fake news.
But I was the one who鈥檇 caught her, I was the one who鈥檇 continued the questioning鈥�
I released the key from the string and stuck it into the keyhole in Lance鈥檚 lower back. 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry, Lance.鈥�
鈥淲ha鈥︹�� His hands came off the desk.
I turned the key and slid out the little rod. He kept sitting there, frozen like a statue, his arms hanging in mid-air, reaching like a helpless baby.
I looked perplexed at the cylindrical rod: red with two copper pins. The powerlink. The only time I鈥檇 pulled one out of an android was in training. It was a safety precaution in case an e-cop were to go ape. The last time that had happened was some five years ago. At least, that鈥檚 what we鈥檇 heard. So, every human cop had the key of his e-partner鈥檚 powerlink. Were those e-cops really there to support human cops, or were we serving them鈥� were we the ones guarding them from crossing the line, or were they keeping an eye on us?
I hung the key with the powerlink back on the string on my neck and slipped them under my vest.

When I came back into the interrogation room, she was sitting on her chair with her legs crossed. 鈥淭hat took ages.鈥� She was sitting up straight, a confident smile on her face鈥� the same pose she used to have all those years ago, sitting at her desk in her study. Or the way I used to find her sitting in the university library when I picked her up at the end of a day of interning, still in my oil-stained overalls.
I gave her the cup of power cola.
鈥淔inally.鈥� She lifted it to her mouth and downed it in three gulps.
I reached for the cuff chaining her to the table ring and pressed my forefinger onto the lock.
A click signaled the cuff had identified the chip in my glove. I opened it and put it around my wrist.
鈥淥, kinky鈥︹�� She gave me a mischievous look. 鈥淵ou must be that sadist that shot me. Or are you the robot?鈥� She squinted as if she could then see better. 鈥淲hy grandma, what big eyes you have.鈥�
鈥淐ome on.鈥� I went to the door.
She remained in her seat.
I yanked her arm and opened the door.
鈥淥uch!鈥� She slid off her chair and stood up. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I thought: the sadist.鈥�
I went through the door and jerked her behind me into the corridor, doing my utmost not to be too heavy-handed.
鈥淥, big bad wolf, where are you taking Little Red Riding Hood?鈥�
Infect me! I cursed in my head: a pair of fellow-cops came toward us in the corridor.
鈥淗ow many innocent citizens have you beaten up today?鈥� Mikey yelled at them as they passed.
Couldn鈥檛 she just shut up for one minute?
The two cops swerved and raised a hand in greeting.
I greeted them back.
Even after we鈥檇 passed, they kept glancing back at Mikey. I could just imagine the smirk on the cop鈥檚 face. I had no choice: I had to go on until the end of the corridor.
鈥淲hat did you have in mind?鈥� she continued. 鈥淲hips maybe?鈥�
In spite of the stress, I could feel a smile coming to my face. I heard the swinging doors on the other end of the corridor and looked back.
Yes, the two cops went through: the corridor was empty.
I immediately turned around and yanked her arm. 鈥淔ollow me!鈥�
鈥淥uch!鈥� She stumbled, but kept her balance, and shuffled behind me. 鈥淒on鈥檛 you know where you鈥檙e going? You鈥檙e acting like a headless鈥︹��
鈥淐ome on.鈥� I jerked her arm again.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e really hurting me.鈥�
鈥淗urry up.鈥� Any second, someone else could appear in the corridor.
鈥淗elp!鈥� she cried out. 鈥淚鈥檓 being鈥︹��
My gloved hand was over her mouth before I noticed it myself: something that really didn鈥檛 belong on her beautiful face.
She looked at me with big, fearful eyes.
鈥淪sh,鈥� I said. The vocoder in my helmet changed it into a weird, hissing hum.
I opened my visor. 鈥淐ome on.鈥� I let go of her mouth.
The fear in her eyes changed into amazement. 鈥淛ulian?鈥� Her jaw dropped. 鈥淲hat are you doing here?鈥�
Good, she recognized me. 鈥淚n here.鈥� I pointed to the locker room door.
She raced in behind me without giving me any more hassle. I quickly closed the door behind us and took off the cuffs.
鈥淏ut weren鈥檛 you learning to be a pav mechanic when we were uh鈥�?鈥�
鈥淭his job pays better.鈥� I pointed to Jessie鈥檚 open locker. 鈥淪he鈥檚 about your size.鈥� I took out the bulletproof vest. 鈥淗urry up. We have to get you out of here before we get found out.鈥�
 

鈥淲e鈥檙e following a lead from our suspect.鈥� With my visor open I passed the front desk. Mikey, clad in Jessie鈥檚 uniform, was striding surprisingly mechanically next to me, just like a real e-cop. I鈥檇 only had a few seconds to explain it to her: there was no time for the full training we鈥檇 had at the academy.
The chief gave me a dirty look through the polycarb window and hit the button of the mic. 鈥淒id that chick sing?鈥� bellowed his bass through the speakers.
I nodded. 鈥淟ike a canary.鈥�
鈥淗opefully not another dud.鈥�
鈥淲ell, you never know. But if it鈥檚 on the up and up, we might take down a few info-lords.鈥�
鈥淜eep me posted, even if it鈥檚 a wild goose chase. I鈥檓 having a shortage of stooges in the park district.鈥�
鈥淚f it turns out to be a washout, we鈥檒l go there right away.鈥�
鈥淔or infect鈥檚 sake!鈥� He picked up his e-cigar from the desk. 鈥淵ou call in like you鈥檙e supposed to and then I鈥檒l tell you where the infect I need you.鈥� He put his e-cigar into his mouth.
I smiled. 鈥淥f course, chief.鈥�
 

A blazing sun high in the sky laughed down on us as we crossed the stationhouse鈥檚 back lot towards my pav. Not a cloud in the sky.
She was a bit clumsy getting into the pav. I looked around. Fortunately, nobody gave us any thought.
I jumped in, sat down beside her and bent over between her legs.
鈥淭hat brings back memories,鈥� she said with vocoded voice.
I opened my visor and pushed her feet aside. 鈥淢ove over, I have to get at that panel.鈥� I unscrewed the two big wing bolts which fixed the panel to the floor and dropped them under her seat. That panel was the lid of the fuse box. After I鈥檇 opened it, I quickly studied the schematic on the inside. 鈥淚 have to pull the fuses of the radio equipment. Otherwise, the chief can override the pav鈥檚 steering.鈥� I used to know by heart which fuses they were.
I pulled three and checked if they were the right ones.
鈥淭rouble?鈥� sounded an android voice from outside the pav.
With a start, I straightened up.
Two fellow cops were looking on in surprise at what I was doing.
鈥淣o,鈥� I answered. 鈥淭here鈥檚 uh鈥� a missing bolt.鈥� I feverishly felt under the seat. Where had those bolts rolled to?
There! That was one of them. 鈥淔ound it!鈥� Triumphantly, I held up the panel bolt. I made a great show of screwing it back in. With a wave at my colleagues, I closed my visor and hit the lock button.
The dome hinged down, the safety belts fastened themselves. I grabbed the joysticks, took off and left the police station heading south鈥� because that happened to be the way the pav was facing. 鈥淲here can you hide?鈥�
鈥淗ide?鈥� sounded Mikey鈥檚 vocoded voice.
I let go of the joystick and put my finger on the button under her visor. 鈥淧ress here to open it.鈥�
She did and her visor flipped up. 鈥淐an we go to my flat to pick up some stuff?鈥�
鈥淵ou can never go back there鈥� unless you wanna do a five year stretch.鈥� Below us, apartment buildings slid past like grey blocks of concrete. The graffiti could hardly be seen from up here. There were some missing or broken windows.
鈥淔ive years? It was only a party?鈥�
鈥淭hink, Mike. All those fake news and conspiracy theories鈥� That鈥檒l get you five years. And if they find any traces that you鈥檙e an info-lord, that can get you another ten.鈥� I glanced at her. 鈥淟egit, girl.鈥�
Her face was white as a sheet. 鈥淐an I hide at your place?鈥�
I shook my head. 鈥淚 helped you, a fugitive.鈥� That was the moment I realized it myself: I actually helped a fugitive. I suddenly felt cold all over. 鈥淛udges are far from lenient toward cops who help fugitives. I鈥檓 in the same boat: ten years minimum.鈥�
She looked around and shrugged. 鈥淲here can we go?鈥�
鈥淭hink. A place to lay low: your dad, some old cabin, a safe house of one of your covid denier friends鈥︹��
鈥淒on鈥檛 call me a covid denier!鈥� she suddenly snapped.
I looked at her in surprise. 鈥淏ut you are, aren鈥檛 you?鈥�
Her face had turned bright red and the little blue vein in her temple was throbbing. 鈥淣obody denies there was ever a covid pandemic. I know very well what your parents died of, Julian. I liked them, too. They were good people. But that鈥檚 when the government realized: if they can make the people scared enough of something, they can get away with anything: dictatorship, tyranny, and even murder. They鈥檝e been taking advantage of that. For decades now. They create and nurture our fear.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e had to hear enough of that bullshit. This morning again during your interrogation. Don鈥檛 you see that that鈥檚 exactly why you鈥檙e in trouble now? Why we are in trouble?鈥�
鈥淏ullshit? If you think it鈥檚 all bullshit, why did you help me?鈥�
I looked at her and wondered about it. Why exactly had I thrown away my future? 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know.鈥�
But I did know: my future ended the day I had to leave her. Whatever was going to happen now, at least we were together again. So, it didn鈥檛 matter if we would wind up in jail. Or in an early grave.
鈥淚 never should have kicked you out,鈥� she said as if she could read my mind.
鈥淵ou didn鈥檛 kick me out. You were just the first of us to understand and face reality after the mandatory DNA-test. It took me a little longer to realize it. You were always the smart one.鈥�
鈥淭he reality that our marriage was forbidden? That even sex between us was illegal? Because any kids of ours would not be resistant enough to SARS- en corona-viruses. Is that what you mean?鈥�
I nodded. 鈥淔or the young people these days it鈥檚 easier. With that app and the database鈥� if we鈥檇 have had that, we could have scanned our compatibility when we met the first time. Then we鈥檇 never have had a relationship to begin with.鈥�
鈥淓asier?鈥� The little blue vein was throbbing again. 鈥淪o, then we鈥檇 never have played together as kids鈥� Do you really believe that?鈥�
I looked at her and thought about it. Hesitantly, I nodded.
鈥淎nd what about our privacy, our civil rights? The government doesn鈥檛 have the right to persecute us like this, to hound us and interfere in our lives.鈥�
The government has good reasons for that, I thought. It has a duty to protect the people. But I didn鈥檛 say it.
Quizzically, she looked at me. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 believe me, do you? You still don鈥檛 get it.鈥� She threw her hands up and shook her head.
鈥淣ow where can we鈥�?鈥�
鈥淪o again I鈥檓 the first one to realize,鈥� she interrupted me. 鈥淭hat this whole DNA-testing is bullshit. One big lie. Covid-resistance鈥� it鈥檚 all a load of hooey. Fear mongering in order to control us. The government didn鈥檛 have鈥� uh鈥� doesn鈥檛 have the right to pry two people who love each other apart.鈥�
鈥淲ho love each other鈥� There wasn鈥檛 anything in your apartment to remind you of me. No picture, no cuddly toy, not even the seashell we picked up that night at the beach.鈥�
She nodded. 鈥淚 threw it all out. It hurt too much. Did you keep anything of mine?鈥�
I tried to answer, but the words got stuck in my throat: I couldn鈥檛 admit it, but I couldn鈥檛 lie either.
鈥淎fter all those years?鈥� she hesitantly asked.
I nodded.
She put her hand on mine. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going east. Covid has been eradicated in Eastland for years.鈥�
I burst out laughing. 鈥淥f course. Was that conspiracy theory 32 or 33?鈥�
鈥淏elieve me. I鈥檝e studied this very well.鈥�
鈥淪o, I have to believe the same fairytales as you? We鈥檙e not kids anymore.鈥�
鈥淚f you have a better idea鈥�? I don鈥檛 know any hiding places. And what鈥檚 more鈥� if you鈥檙e right about those prison sentences鈥� then we don鈥檛 have anything to lose, right?鈥�
鈥淎nd that border? We would be stopped there, wouldn鈥檛 we?鈥�
She nodded. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l try. But I know stories of people who got across. Subterfuge, smuggle routes鈥� and if I鈥檓 not mistaken, four years ago someone crossed into Eastland in a pav.鈥� She patted the dome. 鈥淭hese are armored, aren鈥檛 they? What better than to fight the government with than its own weapons?鈥�
鈥淭his pav is unarmed. I鈥檓 not with any of the military police departments.鈥�
She shrugged. 鈥淕ot a better idea?鈥�
鈥淗old on.鈥� I pushed the joystick to the left and made a sharp turn to the east.

Concrete blocks changed into terraced houses with gardens and picket fences. And they gave way to polders and elongated dikes, forests and meadows, brooks, rivers and little lakes: the territory of the nature reserve society. Never before had I realized just how flat our country was.
Mikey was yapping away the whole time about all the things we鈥檇 been up to as kids.
That abandoned car we鈥檇 found in the bushes with flat tires and overgrown with moss. That was back when ordinary people could still afford cars. The rear hatch had been open. So we鈥檇 crawled in and played rally driver. We raced in Africa, China and America鈥� and just as we were doing a North Pole expedition, Mikey discovered the car didn鈥檛 open anymore. I ended up breaking off a handle and smashing a side window.
That cabin we鈥檇 built in the meadow from dead branches and leaves, where we鈥檇 run away to after my mother died. That鈥檚 where we鈥檇 stay, secluded and far away from all people, from all infections. Just the two of us for the rest of our lives. Until the next morning, when we were out of power cola. When we got home, there was no one there: my dad, her parents and I don鈥檛 know how many friends, family members and acquaintances were out looking for us.
It felt now just like the old days.
She talked, I listened.
She made the plan, I carried it out.
She was punished, I was punished.
 

The flat countryside had long since given way to woody little hills when she suddenly cried out: 鈥淲hat鈥檚 that?鈥� She pointed up and to the right.
I peered at the little white clouds in the distant blue. 鈥淲hat do you mea鈥︹�� Yes, a dot in front of the clouds. Dark blue. Was it just hanging there?
No, it slowly moved to the left. Well, at least it looked slow. It was still far away.
鈥淒o you suppose he can see us?鈥� she asked.
鈥淪ure. Definitely on his GPS and radar screens.鈥�
鈥淭hen why don鈥檛 we see him on our GPS?鈥� She pointed at the screens, which were all black.
鈥淏ecause I disabled all radio equipment, remember?鈥� I regretted having pulled all the main radio fuses. If I鈥檇 taken the time to knock out just the telecontrol, the audio-reception and GPS screens would still have worked. Then I could have seen them coming.
I scanned the sky in front of us.
鈥淐an we evade him?鈥�
I pointed straight ahead. 鈥淭here鈥檚 the border.鈥�
I saw something move in the corner of my eye. 鈥淎nother one!鈥� I pointed slightly to the left. A dark blue dot had just become visible as it passed in front of a little cloud. I looked at the rear view screens.
The sun was low but still blindingly bright. So, I couldn鈥檛 see if there were any pavs coming up from behind. I checked if our seatbelts were snug, switched the autopilot off and grabbed the joysticks.
鈥淭urning back?鈥� she asked.
I shook my head. 鈥淎ren鈥檛 we supposed to go to the border?鈥�
The two dark blue dots in front of us grew bigger. Yep: pavs. In two shades of blue.
鈥淏order patrol,鈥� I said.
鈥淎re their pavs armed?鈥�
鈥淗ope not.鈥�
鈥淭here are more.鈥� She pointed at the rear view screens.
Three blue pavs coming up from behind.
To the left and right of us, I saw more blue pavs pop up. Straight ahead another two.
鈥淲e鈥檙e surrounded,鈥� Mikey said before I could.
鈥淗old on tight.鈥� I rammed the joystick down and went into a dive. I鈥檇 never had any combat pav training. That was for different departments. But fortunately, I鈥檇 been part of the tech school鈥檚 racing team when I was learning to be a pav mechanic. That was around the time the name 鈥減av鈥� was introduced, short for 鈥減ersonal aerial vehicle鈥�. Those things had once been known as 鈥減assenger drones鈥�.
The pavs in front of us dove too.
Skimming the treetops, I raced right toward a hill. Two of the oncoming pavs were behind it now.
Just before the hill, I veered off to the left and flew at a constant height along its edge.
Just one more oncoming pav to be seen: a little to the left. The other three were all somewhere behind the hill.
I quickly glanced left, right and on the rear view screens: the pavs behind were tailing me at about the same distance, the pavs on the side were far away. 鈥淚 only have to avoid the oncoming pavs,鈥� I yelled. 鈥淭hen the sky to the border is clear.鈥�
Suddenly, a pav emerged right in front of me from behind the hill. It was following the edge of the hill, just like me, and was heading straight for me.
I pulled up a little.
鈥淛ulian,鈥� Mikey called out and grabbed my arm.
Fortunately, my grip on the joystick was too strong.
The border patrol pav pulled up too, and was still heading for us.
I descended sharply.
So did he.
I yanked the joystick back and went into a steep climb. In front of me only blue sky.
In the corner of my eye, I saw him making the same climb.
We were going to hit鈥�
Now! I took a deep breath, rammed the joystick to the left, went into a spin and clenched my teeth.
We twirled through the air. It felt as if the G-forces were tearing my body apart. White, blue, green and grey were spinning past. I saw stars. My vision narrowed to a tunnel.
I pushed the stick forward and all the way to the right, and gasped for air.
The twirling was less. The stars as well. White changed to clouds, green to treetops.
Wait, wait鈥� now!
I carefully pulled back on the stick.
The world was still spinning around us. Dizziness, or was the pav still twirling? I was nauseous, gastric acid flowed into my mouth. I swallowed it down. The horizon鈥� where was the horizon?
There!
I carefully stabilized the pav until it was flying horizontal again.
Treetops straight ahead!
I pulled up.
We grazed some branches.
But got away with it. I breathed a sigh of relief and checked my heading and the location of the border patrol pavs.
We鈥檇 veered off a little to the north. I corrected the heading and applied full power. The border patrol pavs were not far behind鈥� but far enough. 鈥淲e鈥檙e gonna make it!鈥� I pointed. The river past the treetops was already in sight: the border between Westland and Eastland.
No reply. I looked at Mikey.
She sat with her head tilted, white as a sheet, her eyes closed.
鈥淢ikey!鈥� I activated the autopilot and tapped on her cheek. 鈥淢ike.鈥�
She squinted and blinked. 鈥淲-what happened?鈥�
鈥淣early there.鈥�
She opened her eyes and looked around dazed.
I pointed to the river again. 鈥淭here鈥檚 Eastland. They can鈥檛 stop us now.鈥�
She peered into the distance. The color slowly returned to her face. 鈥淲e鈥檙e gonna make it,鈥� she muttered, smiling.
鈥淚 hope you were right about Eastland.鈥�
A deafening bang reverberated through the pav. The motors were howling and rattling. The pav went into another spin.
鈥淲hat are you doing?鈥� Mikey cried out.
I tried to correct.
Smoke filled the cockpit, I smelled something burning. The dome was cracked, a hissing sound behind me, all the dashboard screens black.
I looked back: through a jagged hole I could see blue sky, white and black clouds and orange flames. 鈥淪hut your visor and brace yourself!鈥� I closed my own visor and reached for the button on her helmet.
The G-forces made me miss the button鈥� and again.
Got it!
I lowered my head, closed my eyes and braced myself.
A bang against the dome. Everything started shaking. A tearing sound鈥� everything became black.

鈥淛ulian.鈥� Mikey鈥檚 voice sounded very far away. 鈥淛ulian.鈥�
I tried to look in the direction of the sound.
鈥淛ulian.鈥� It sounded closer by. But I still couldn鈥檛 see a thing. My eyes鈥� I opened them, and stared right into her green irises. She鈥檇 already taken off her helmet, and apparently mine.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 that?鈥� I moved my hand to her forehead and wiped off the blood. A cut.
She just shrugged with a smile.
The dome above us was almost completely gone: a large gaping hole, flanked by ragged edges. We were sitting between branches and ripped-apart pieces of the pav. You couldn鈥檛 tell where the pav stopped and the tree began. Much of the dashboard was gone, a prop was hanging in a tree a few yards down. Behind us, trails of smoke were rising up, but I could only smell the forest air: freedom.

Apart from a few scratches and bruises, we could crawl out of the pav wreckage unscathed, and then slog away through the dense forest on foot.
I pushed away a branch, ducked underneath another one, and stepped over the undergrowth.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e sure we were shot down?鈥� Mikey grabbed the branch I鈥檇 bent out of the way and followed me through the gap.
鈥淗undred percent.鈥�
鈥淭hen why haven鈥檛 they caught us yet? Have we passed the border already?鈥�
I shook my head. 鈥淭his forest is too dense.鈥� I tried to make a large gesture, but my hand banged into a tree. 鈥淣o way a pav can land here.鈥�
鈥淪o we鈥檙e safe?鈥� she asked, laughing nervously.
鈥淣ot yet.鈥� I ducked under a thick branch.
鈥淏ut we have crossed the border, haven鈥檛 we?鈥�
鈥淣辞.鈥�
鈥淚 saw us flying over checkpoints and barbwire before we went down.鈥� She pointed behind us. 鈥淎t the beginning of this strip of forest.鈥�
鈥淧ossibly, but officially the border is in the middle of the river.鈥� I pointed forward. 鈥淎 few more yards to go.鈥�
鈥淣o, we鈥檙e safe,鈥� she decided. 鈥淭hey can never squeeze through this forest faster than us.鈥�
鈥淵ep,鈥� I said to put her mind at ease. 鈥淐ome on. We have to find a way to get across the river before dark. Maybe there鈥檚 a boat or raft somewhere. Or some sort of bridge.鈥�
I heard something. 鈥淲ait.鈥� I froze with my hand up and listened intently. What was that sound? That murmur: was that what I鈥檇 heard?
鈥淔lowing water!鈥� She coughed. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the river.鈥�
My heart skipped a beat. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e ri鈥︹�� I gestured for her to be quiet.
A different sound: humming. Staccato, short. And again: hum, hum, hum鈥� rhythmic humming. It came from the other direction: about where we鈥檇 left the wreck. A branch snapped鈥� rhythmic humming again. Those were servomotors! Servomotors of鈥�
I grabbed her arm and pulled her. 鈥淗urry,鈥� I hissed and jumped through the undergrowth.
Twigs were lashing my body. I pushed them aside for Mikey.
She followed me through the brush. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 wrong?鈥�
鈥淩obot dogs. They set robodogs on us.鈥�
We struggled on as fast as we could.
With each branch, every tree we passed, the murmur of the river got louder. But so did the hum of the robodogs鈥� legs. There seemed to be no end to the forest.
Suddenly, my foot slipped. I could just hold on to a branch. That鈥檚 when I saw it: 鈥淭he river.鈥� I was standing on top of a small incline, holding on to the last tree. 鈥淲e鈥檝e made it.鈥� I reached behind me to Mikey.
She smiled and grabbed my hand.
Behind her, polished metal was gleaming between the green.
I pulled her through the last branches. 鈥淩un.鈥� I tripped, slid down the embankment and ran toward the little beach.
No boat, raft or bridge anywhere in sight. Nothing useful for getting across.
On the other side of the river, silhouettes came running: just shadows in the dusk. They waved at us and beckoned. They were shouting something. I don鈥檛 know if I imagined it, but it sounded like: 鈥淥ver here, swim!鈥�
I threw away my gloves and started to unclasp my vest. 鈥淕et rid of that armor. Or you鈥檙e gonna sink.鈥� I glanced back.
She was following closely, gloves already off. Four robodogs not fifty yards behind us were gaining fast.
Throwing away my vest, I waded into the river, unbuckled my pants, yanked them down and lost my balance. I fell forward into the water.
For a moment, it was all quiet around me. Water everywhere. I struggled to get up and kicked to get rid of my pants.
My boots鈥� I鈥檇 forgotten about my boots.
The first robodog was very close.
Mikey was standing next to me in the water. With a bloodcurdling scream she hurled one of her boots at the creature.
She missed.
As I feverishly tried to pull off my boots, lying in the water, the first robodog pounced.
I tried to scramble away, but the beast was going to land right on top of me.
In the middle of its leap, an unwieldy black thing tore it right out of the air. Mikey鈥檚 other boot!
The robot beast plunged into the water a few yards away.
With all my might, I pulled off my first boot and took off my trouser leg.
The second robodog: it bit into the point of my second boot and started to pull me back on land.
I was kicking and thrashing about.
Mikey kicked against the robot beast鈥檚 body.
But it pulled me back relentlessly.
The other two robodogs were almost on me as well.
鈥淕o, Mikey, swim!鈥�
She shook her head.
鈥淪ave yourself!鈥� I shouted.
But with tears in her eyes she kept kicking the robot. She screeched.
That鈥檚 when my pants floated over the head of the robot animal, smothering it. And suddenly鈥� my other boot came off as well, taking with it the robodog, its teeth still clenching the tip, floundering and shaking to free itself from my pants.
The rest of my pants came off as well, I turned around and dove, Mike dove into the river next to me.
We swam, swam and swam without looking back, only forward. At those shadows on the beach waving at us, beckoning us and egging us on.
At the far bank, strong hands lifted us out of the water. They were wearing overalls in all colors of the rainbow and wrapped us in towels.
Mikey had a coughing fit. I suppose she鈥檇 gotten some water into her lungs.
I couldn鈥檛 utter a word. I could only laugh. As I looked back, I saw the robodogs on the other bank. And then I laughed even louder.
Mikey was the first one to find the right words. Through her coughing she said to the folks: 鈥淭hank you, thank you.鈥� And when the coughing subsided: 鈥淲e are applying for asylum in Eastland.鈥�
It wasn鈥檛 until that moment that it all felt real. We鈥檇 actually done it and could never go back. I took a good look at our saviors and stopped laughing.
They were wearing mouth masks.
 

The little room in which I sat bore a striking resemblance to the interrogation rooms back at our station house. Grey walls, a table anchored firmly to the floor and some simple chairs. Even my shackle fixed to the table was the same make and type as the ones we used. At least, I was warm and dry. But what I also was, was alone.
When the door swung open, I was surprised to see only one person come in: a lady in informal clothes. Jeans of an expensive brand and a strawberry red blouse with a complicated pattern. Strange that people wore such bright colors here. Her mouth mask was just as red. And her hair was as blue as her jeans.
I jumped up. 鈥淲here鈥檚 Mikey?鈥�
鈥淲on鈥檛 you sit down?鈥� She made a calming gesture. 鈥淵ou must be tired after the arduous journey you鈥檝e been through.鈥� She looked at me benevolently and closed the door behind her. Was she really going to question me all alone?
She sat down across from me and laid down a file in front of her.
I hesitated, but decided to sit down. What could I accomplish, chained to the table? I didn鈥檛 have any gloves with chips here to open any cuffs with.
鈥淢y name is Tabitha Koster,鈥� she started. 鈥淚鈥檓 coordinating cossetter for new arrivals.鈥�
I frowned鈥� did this lady even speak the same language? 鈥淢ikey, my uh鈥︹��
鈥淵our traveling companion?鈥� she asked.
I nodded.
鈥淪he鈥檚 doing well. There鈥檚 no need to worry about her.鈥�
鈥淲here is she?鈥�
鈥淎 colleague is looking after her. I鈥檓 your personal contact.鈥� She took a little card from her chest pocket and put it down onto the table before me. 鈥淚 can be reached here at all times.鈥�
The little card had her name and address. I shook my head. 鈥淲hy aren鈥檛 we together? We have to be together.鈥�
鈥淵ou will be. In three weeks.鈥�
I opened my mouth to say something.
She raised her hand and gestured for me to be silent. 鈥淎fter all those struggles and hardships you鈥檝e had to go through, those few weeks of quarantine should be no problem, should they? And you have to realize鈥� we cannot take any risks with hazardous pandemic pathogens. We cannot release them into our society. We have a duty to protect our citizens and society鈥� as well as our potential new citizens.鈥� She pointed at me.
鈥淨uarantine?鈥� Baffled, I shook my head. 鈥淏ut she sai鈥� I mean I鈥檝e heard uh鈥� they say there are no viruses in Eastland.鈥�
She burst out laughing. 鈥淣o viruses is a tad exaggerated. But we do try our utmost to keep them out, at least the most dangerous kinds. Especially covid-variants鈥� I suppose that鈥檚 what those pandemic viruses are called where you are from as well?鈥�
鈥淪o, covid-viruses are real?鈥�
She looked surprised. 鈥淥f course they exist. Unfortunately.鈥�
It felt as if I was deflating. I knew it: no matter how smart Mikey was, she still wasn鈥檛 smart enough not to get conned.
鈥淎m I sick? Or Mikey?鈥�
鈥淚f you and your lady friend don鈥檛 develop any symptoms in the coming weeks, you鈥檙e not afflicted. And then you are released and can be together again and free to move about in our country and build a new life here.鈥�
Together and free. I felt the smile coming to my face. 鈥淏ut uh鈥� didn鈥檛 you have medicine to cure covid and other infections?鈥�
She shook her head. 鈥淲e have a vaccine for the covid strain that鈥檚 circulating now and for most strains of the last years. Well鈥� strictly speaking it鈥檚 not a vaccine As it turns out, real vaccines are not always effective for this class of viruses. That鈥檚 one of the reasons why they鈥檙e so virulent and dangerous, and why we鈥檙e doing everything we can to keep them out of our country. But we do have a remedy that boosts your resistance to the infection, if you were to get it. So, then usually the illness won鈥檛 be too bad. And that medication also makes sure that your immune system doesn鈥檛鈥� let鈥檚 say: overreact and attack your own body, which is often the biggest problem with many of these viruses.鈥�
鈥淪o, can you give me that shot right away?鈥� I asked. 鈥淎nd Mikey, too?鈥�
She shook her head. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 do that until we鈥檙e certain that you鈥檙e not coming down with anything. The injection has the opposite effect if you鈥檙e already infected. So you and your friend aren鈥檛 getting out of a little bit of quarantine.鈥�
鈥淭hen why aren鈥檛 we allowed to be together? If one of us was sick, we鈥檇 have already infected each other.鈥�
鈥淧ossibly.鈥� She pursed her lips. 鈥淏ut we cannot be sure of that. And so we don鈥檛 want to needlessly endanger one of you.鈥� She leaned forward to me and looked me deep in the eyes. 鈥淟isten, I get it: it鈥檚 difficult to be separated from your loved one. But it鈥檚 for everybody鈥檚 good and will only last for a few weeks: they鈥檒l be over before you know it. Surely, you can bare that?鈥�
I sighed and gave her a resigned nod.
鈥淓xcellent.鈥� She opened the file. 鈥淎nd in the meantime, we have a lot of work to do of course. What kind of person are you, how and why did you come here? We have to know all that before we can turn someone loose in our society. So, let鈥檚 start with: what can you do? Have you learned a trade for example?鈥�

鈥淵eah, it was weird being on the opposite side for once,鈥� I said laughing as I adjusted the little screen on the nightstand next to my bed. 鈥淭he whole time I was thinking what traps were hidden in her questions. But in the end, I couldn鈥檛 find any.鈥�
Mikey鈥檚 image on the screen became clearer. She was laughing as she looked into the lens of her own device, but then she started to cough fitfully.
鈥淎re you alright?鈥� I asked.
She nodded, sat upright in bed and coughed in her elbow. Legs crossed, as usual. As far as I could tell, her little quarantine room looked an awful lot like mine. Light green walls with a few paintings. A bed, a desk and a toilet. A prison cell, but more cheerfully decorated. Her pajamas were identical in model to the suits I remember from ninja-movies. Only, hers were a cacophony of purple and bright blue, mine were red and yellow. 鈥淚鈥檓 just exhausted from all that running.鈥� She panted and gasped for air. 鈥淚鈥檓 not used to that.鈥� She yawned.
I automatically yawned, too. 鈥淭hen maybe we鈥檇 better go to sleep now? Recover from all that running and stress?鈥�
She nodded. 鈥淪eems like the smart thing to do.鈥�
鈥淪ee?鈥� I said with a grin. 鈥淚 can be smart, too.鈥�
She laughed. 鈥淒on鈥檛 sell yourself short. You were the one who was smart enough not to get in trouble with the authorities. If I鈥檇 have done the same thing, you wouldn鈥檛 have had to free me.鈥�
鈥淏ut then we鈥檇 never have gotten back together again,鈥� I added.
The smile she gave me reminded me of when our friendship had first turned into a relationship. She was happy now, finally happy again.
鈥淕oodnight, hon.鈥� I pursed my lips and made a smacking kiss in the air. 鈥淚鈥檒l call you in the morning.鈥�
鈥淪leep tight, sweetie.鈥�
I turned off the screen. 鈥淟ights out.鈥� The lamps on the ceiling switched off, I turned on my side and pulled the covers over me.

It was on the morning of the third day of our stay in quarantine. She didn鈥檛 answer when I called her. I kept trying. For hours. What else could I do?
Yeah, there were books, movies and music I could access via the screen. But all that didn鈥檛 interest me.
After a few hours, a knock on my door. I was just doing some pushups.
鈥淐ome in!鈥� I got up.
The door swung open and Tabitha came in. This time she wore an orange blouse and mask. 鈥淚 have some worrying news. Maybe you鈥檇 better sit down.鈥�
I grabbed the back of the chair by the desk. 鈥淚s something wrong with Mikey?鈥�
鈥淪he鈥檚 become ill. It鈥檚 covid.鈥�
鈥淲here is she?鈥� I stepped forward.
She held out her hands in a defensive pose.
The door behind her was still open. Two broad-shouldered men in masks were standing in the corridor looking in.
鈥淵ou cannot go to her. She鈥檚 very contagious. But she鈥檚 being taken good care of. She鈥檚 in our Deep Care Department.鈥�
鈥淲ill she recover?鈥�
She frowned. 鈥淲e鈥檙e doing our best. She鈥檚 receiving the best medicine and nursing. But I won鈥檛 lie to you: she鈥檚 very ill.鈥�
鈥淲hat are her chances?鈥� I pulled the chair from under the desk.
鈥淔ifty-fifty鈥� maybe a bit lower. She doesn鈥檛 have a lot of resistance to the illness.鈥�
I sagged down into the chair. 鈥淪o we can never be together again?鈥� I stared at the floor.
鈥淲here did you get that idea? When she recovers and the illness is all gone, you can be together again of course.鈥�
I was dumbfounded. 鈥淏ut what about my resistance? Our immune systems together鈥︹��
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not ill,鈥� she interrupted me. 鈥淣ot yet. And with every day that the illness doesn鈥檛 reveal itself, the probability increases that you won鈥檛 get it.鈥�
I racked my brain. 鈥淪o if I do get it, then we won鈥檛 be allowed to be together again?鈥�
She furrowed her brow. 鈥淢aybe I haven鈥檛 been clear enough. If you are both healthy in a few weeks time, there鈥檚 nothing standing in the way of the two of you being together.鈥� She shrugged.
I couldn鈥檛 fully wrap my head around it. So I just cleared my throat and said in a hoarse voice: 鈥淭ake good care of her.鈥�
She nodded and squeezed my shoulder. I wondered if touching me was legal. The rules and regs here in Eastland were impossible to understand.

Almost exactly a week later, she was standing in my room again. 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry. We鈥檝e tried everything, but the infection was too persistent.鈥�
I just kept staring at her shoes: mint green with jaunty red and orange little symbols. Strange country, Eastland.

It smells just as fresh here as in the forest at the border of Westland. Fortunately, the trees are farther apart here. Gravel paths meander between trees and graves. You can easily walk down them, even when you鈥檙e with some other folks. Keeping a distance of five feet if someone passes you鈥� no, the path is not quite wide enough for that. But all this was ingrained and it sticks with you, although it鈥檚 not necessary in this country. There鈥檚 no covid-police forcing you to do this stuff, no dangerous diseases requiring it. The people don鈥檛 wear masks in public here. They only wear them if they have to deal with possibly infected people, like in the quarantine unit I spent three weeks in.
I stroll with my bucket of water and a sponge in one hand and a red rose in the other to the white headstone. Maybe it looks a bit boring compared to the red, yellow and blue gravestones which are the norm around here. Maybe it鈥檚 me who鈥檚 just a bit boring.
I kneel once more at the grave, put the bucket and rose down. 鈥淵ou were right, Mikey. Eastland is more beautiful than you can imagine. All buildings have different shapes and colors, one wilder than the other. There are extremely large buildings as well as tiny ones. If there鈥檚 a plan behind it, I haven鈥檛 been able to spot it.鈥�
I wet the sponge and start scrubbing the headstone. 鈥淏y the way, there aren鈥檛 just shop-window streets here, but also streets with actual shops. You know: just like on the net. But these are buildings you can really walk into, together with other people. And you can touch all the stuff that鈥檚 for sale there and look at it from all sides. And you can fit clothes in fitting rooms that don鈥檛 have to be disinfected after every customer.鈥� Shivers are still running down my spine just from thinking about it. 鈥淵eah, that really seems unnecessary here. Not that they鈥檙e not working hard to combat the pandemics, you know. They鈥檙e just using a different method. Seems to work.鈥�
I get up and clean the part where her name is inscribed in golden letters. 鈥淎nd then the markets: they鈥檙e not just filled with trailers and cargo pavs, but also with stalls with real salesmen behind them: people selling you stuff. They hand things to you and you pay them. And the luxury pavs鈥� yeah, I鈥檓 sure I told you about those. But I still can鈥檛 believe it: those things aren鈥檛 just for the government here. Ordinary people can travel in pavs. And you wouldn鈥檛 believe those pavs. Remember that I鈥檓 working at that garage now? They鈥檙e only letting me repair and maintain the older pavs. Because the so-called 鈥榤odern鈥� pavs we had back in Westland鈥︹�� I laugh. 鈥淲ell, we were at least ten years behind the technology they have here. But I swear: I鈥檓 gonna learn all that as well. And I鈥檓 saving up: if I do my best, I may be able to buy my own pav in a few years time.鈥�
With a deep sigh I drop the sponge into the bucket, pick up the rose and put it onto the grave. I swallow the lump in my throat. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e right, honey: it鈥檚 paradise here.鈥�