The Liberation Paradox

That Slimy Bottom Feeder

Marcio

19:01

(2hrs, 7min remaining.)

(Maybe enough time to make the shuttle.)

Danny was up in the murder room with the data that Marcio needed. Danny might be a prisoner, but Marcio now understood that Danny was exactly where he wanted to be. Mika's cell phone was outside of Marcio's reach, and Mr. Daniau's safe was outside of Danny Jake's reach. But Marcio could get to the safe. That slimy bottom feeder, Danny Jake, had planned it like this all along.

Marcio grabbed the backpack from his closet, made sure it was empty, and slung it over his shoulder. He took one last look at his demolished hotel room. He had no intention of ever returning here. He cracked the door and peeked out into the hallway. Coast was clear. He moved as quickly as he dared down the hallway without moving too quickly. There was only a dim light of hope at the end of this long, dark tunnel and it wouldn't do to draw attention to himself right now.

He made his way to the back stairwell without encountering anyone else, opened the door and slipped quietly into the stairwell. After letting the door click shut quietly behind himself, he turned and bumped into one of Daniau's enforcers.

It was Awl. The big man had a bemused expression on his face as he cocked an eyebrow at Marcio. Marcio was stunned. He had just been caught sneaking into the stairwell. Why had he even been sneaking? He was authorized to be here. How would he explain this unnecessarily suspicious behavior? "I, uh..." Marcio's words failed him.

But to his surprise, the large man wearing a business suit and carrying a plasma assault rifle just laughed. "It's okay, nerd. You ain't the only one what sneaks back here to have a smoke on duty." For the first time, Marcio noticed that the enforcer held a pipe in one hand and a laser lighter in the other. He raised the pipe to his lips, shined the intense laser beam from the lighter into the pipe's bowl, and took a few puffs of the aromatic smoke. He offered the pipe to Marcio.

"Thanks," Marcio said, taking the pipe. "It's been a stressful day. I just had to get away from the server room for a while." He took a couple puffs from the pipe and immediately decided he'd never take up smoking. The smoke burned his throat. His eyes and mouth began to water. He frantically swallowed the saliva, but it seemed his mouth was producing it faster than he could swallow it. He worried he might throw up.

Awl laughed and took the pipe back. The big enforcer took a couple more puffs before saying, "I think that's enough for now, kid. Don't worry, we'll make a man o' you yet." With that, Awl took a final puff, tapped his ashes out on the concrete of the stairwell landing, and stepped back through the door to the 14th floor.

Marcio gave himself an extra minute to recover. That had been close. He felt jittery and his hands were shaking. Why would anybody smoke that stuff, he wondered. As he stood there recovering, he listened very closely to the stairwell, but heard no signs of anyone else. He looked through the transparent, crystalanium security door leading down to the lower floors and the freedom beyond. If he did everything right, if he could rescue Danny, they would be going through that door very soon. If all went to plan, they would have just enough time to make the 21:08 shuttle off world.

It was going to be close. No time to dally. Marcio ignored the jittery, sickening feeling in his body and climbed the stairs as quickly as he could.

Marcio

19:08

(2hrs left)

Marcio had crept through the back hallways of the 17th floor, wary of being seen. He had absolutely no legitimate reason to be on this floor. If he were caught here, he would have no explanation. If Danny hadn't thought to disable that lock on the back stairwell door earlier, Marcio wouldn't even have been able to access this floor. That slimy bottom feeder had planned for that. Marcio was sure.