It was late at night, or was it already morning? He was still looking at the pictures from the crime scene. The connection was missing. He looked through the window. The stars were not visible again. He had enough of this world. Yet how could he leave? There was no other place where he could be. He refocused on the Autopsy and went through it again just in case he missed something. There was no time to waste. The killer was still on the loose. His name was Morgan Sky, a detective with the homicide department in New Helios Police HQ.
New Helios, One of the biggest if not the biggest city on this planet. The last known planet to live, if you can call this living. In the last days of the Great Earth War, all countries together sent one special ship out. “The Phoenix”. It had the best technologies known to humankind and around a thousand living souls on board. This was supposed to be the minimal viable population for humans to survive. They were not sent to the closest or second closest planet, which could sustain human lives. Just in case they sent them to another galaxy as far as possible. Nobody was supposed to find them. Especially the enemy. The other reason was that it was faster to travel to another galaxy than somewhere in the Milky Way, because of the distance between the starting and finishing points. You could probably talk days about this with theoretical physicists, yet nobody really wants to, except of course them. You just nod if they start and hope they just stop. The protocol was that after the war, Earth will contact them. Yet till today, nothing happened. Only the initial colonist or their descendants could receive the message. No official message arrived till now, yet almost everybody was waiting. It was for a long time a flicker of hope for the first generation born on the planet. It still was the hope that people needed. The Old Guard, the descendants of the first colonists, were maintaining this hope. This allowed to keep the world in check, because people need a purpose even if it is fictional or is it?
The Lieutenant was sitting in his office. It was almost seven AM. He looked through his window and saw still an empty chair. He said to himself.
“Oh man, it will escalate again!”
There was always a problem with him. He looked at the message again and already knew that Sky will never be there on time. He was probably again drinking yesterday and going through the investigation. You could almost say that there are two constants. The world and that Morgan would always work until he did not. He looked at the watch. It was 07:01 AM. He sighed and knew that now it was no longer his problem. The Cap will need to take care of it.
It was Thursday, 08:03 AM. Sky entered the HQ. The receptionist looked at him and wanted to say something. Morgan looked at her and she knew what he would say. He understood. They wanted an update, but there is none, at least not yet. They can wait because only when they need something, it needs to happen instantly. He had to check it first. He went to the archives.
Nobody knew how old he was and what happened to his Partner. Some said he was here with the initial colonists from Earth. However, this was so long ago that it was not possible. Nobody wanted him here, yet he was necessary. In reality, nobody remembers a case which he did not close. He was like a hunting dog, which never leaves his prey alone. The killers were his prey. There was no place they could hide, no matter what, he would find them. For some people, it was not acceptable, and they tried everything, yet he always had the upper hand, as if he would know what was going to happen. The scandals he brought to light and murderers he brought to justice were frightening. How could one person do this? The Captain was always wondering yet nothing changed. He was the necessary evil. Everybody hated him, yet they needed to keep those rich assholes in check. It was funny that nobody else would bring out the fear of God in people like him. He looked at the clock and thought that he should be final in the building. This was his usual time while working a case.
Without looking away from the file, he said, “Cap, what do you need?”
“You know, and yet you didn’t do it again. The Chief wants an update. The city is getting anxious.”
Sky raised his head and looked at him. “Fuck him. He knows that if he wants something, he can come to me. Topic closed.”
The Captain sighed, knowing it was not over. “Morgan, this is important. You will get fired if you keep this up. I can’t protect you anymore. This case is out of my league. I think even the Chief is in deep shit because of it. Please talk to him.”
Morgan just said, “No fucking way. I don’t waste time. He can, of course, solve the case himself. Would be easier for me.” He stood up and walked away.
The Captain shouted at him, “Are You crazy? IA will make your life hell for this!”
“Is this a thread? You know what Cap? I quit!”
The Captain did not know what to say, but Morgan continued, “The killer is Mr Brady.” He gave the Captain a file and said, “Check your e-mail, all the informations for charging him is there.”
The Captain looked at him in disbelieve. Why was he always like this? Everything finished, yet pissing everybody off. He really had a problem with authority. This is why he was flying solo. Nobody wanted to work with him and he said he did not need a trainee to watch. The Captain sighed again and tried to think perhaps it was best for everybody when he quits.
Sky approached the Captain and put his badge on the table and said, “Gun is mine. Goodbye and have fun cause he is only one of many, but trust me, this is just the beginning. If what I think is true, then it will get interesting and crazy really soon.” and walked away with a smirk on his face. He knew that all hell will break loose really fast.
“Wait! What?“ said the Captain after realising what Sky meant, but it was too late. He was gone.
It was a rainy night downtown. You could not see more than a few meters. Morgan was walking down the empty streets of New Helios thinking about the past, present and future. He stopped and looked directly above him. You could see all the raindrops falling down from the sky. Why did it have to be like this? He felt pissed again. He took a deep breath to keep calm. How could it be that trouble always had a way of finding him? He continued to walk home.
The Chief looked again through the e-mail and folder he had about the case and said to himself, “Fuck. This is bad. They will crucify us. They can’t know. Nobody can.”
He picked up his phone and dialled the contact called “Do not Call”. A woman answered saying, “Hello.”
“Code Sigma”
“Oh…’
“Need cleaners. Target 48 hours, if possible 24 or faster. WA event imminent.”
“We will despatch all teams immediately.”
A few minutes later, somebody knocked at his front door. He stood up and went to open it. There was a man in a hat and long coat standing in the rain. He put his hand out. The Chief gave the envelope to the man. Who instantly vanished into thin air.
