Chapter 5: New Allies
When she made it to the Red Tail Faye had took off and put as much distance between her and the thing that was chasing her as possible as fast as she could. When she was airborne she checked to make sure no one was following her. When nothing showed up on radar she finally began to calm down as most of the panic left her. As she flew back to the Bebop she tried to make sense of what had just happened. She also had to decide whether to tell Spike and Jet about what had happened.
"Right." She said to herself. "Just walk in and say 'Hey guys bad news. You know that bounty we've been after? Well it turns out that he's some sort of indestructible robot that looks like a person.'" She shook her head. "That'll go over real well." As the Bebop came into visual range she finally began to feel safe. As a result she began to feel completely drained as she came down from the prolonged adrenaline rush. When she landed and got out the reality of what had happened began to sink in. Walking into the lounge she found Jet and Ed working at their respective computers and Spike nowhere to be found.
"So did doing your homework help you any?" Jet asked sarcastically when he heard the door open. He looked up and the sarcasm disappeared from his voice. "Holy shit Faye what happened?!" Faye was glad she didn't have a mirror at the moment. If she had she would have seen a very pale face and panicked, haunted eyes that looked nothing at all like her usual self. When instead of walking with her usual stride she stumbled in, almost tripping over her own feet, Jet knew this was serious. Faye had been in some close calls before but she had never acted like this before, not even after the worst of them. Without a word she sat down on the couch and began to shiver as the entire weight of what she had seen and experienced came crashing down on her. Jet went over to her as Ed watched curiously.
"Jet, what's wrong with Faye Faye?" Ed asked, concerned.
"She's going into shock." Jet told her. "Ed, get a blanket then go find Spike. I have a feeling we're both going to want to hear this." Ed nodded and rushed off. "Faye, can you hear me?" Faye nodded slightly. Jet decided to skip the usual questions about who she was and where and get right to the point. "Have you been shot? Do you need to go to a hospital?" He didn't see any wounds but he had to make sure. Faye shook her head. "You're sure?" Faye nodded an affirmative. "All right. Just concentrate on staying awake."
While Jet was trying to keep Faye from passing out Ed almost ran over Spike as he emerged from the bathroom. There were no magazines left so he had to settle for listening to a police scanner. There was an interesting bulletin calling for as many cops as possible and a S.W.A.T team. Deciding it would be interesting to see how this played out Spike left the scanner on and was about to go back to the lounge to show Jet when Ed nearly bowled him over.
"This isn't a freeway Ed!" Spike yelled after her as she disappeared into Faye's room. "What's the big rush anyway?"
"Faye Faye is back." Ed called from inside the room.
"That's something to get excited about?" Ed emerged from Faye's room carrying a large blanket.
"She's sick." Ed said as she sprinted past him.
"Sick?" Spike asked himself. Now curious he followed Ed to the lounge and saw her draping the blanket over Faye's shoulders. "What's her problem?"
"Don't know, she came in like this. Faye, can you tell us what happened?" Before Faye could answer the scanner Spike was carrying squawked to life.
"Attention all units. Silent alarm activated at Moving Target gunshop. Suspect wanted in Red Eyes shooting believed to be involved. Approach with extreme caution."
"Unit five reporting, we have a conformation. It's the same guy who shot up that bar. All units form a perimeter, nothing gets in or out. Once he comes out we take him down."
"Roger that captain."
"They can't do it." Faye said. All of them glanced over, it was the first words she had spoken since getting back. "They're all going to die."
"Faye they've got over thirty cops there. One guy can't take on all of them, no matter how good he is." Spike spoke up.
"You don't know what he is." Faye said turning away. Jet and Spike exchanged worried looks, wondering if whatever had happened traumatized her so badly she was loosing it.
"This is the police!!" A voice said over the scanner. "Come out with your hands above your head!!" The next sounds they heard were a large explosion and officers cursing as they dove for cover. Before any of the cops could respond another explosion came over the scanner, much louder this time, accompanied by the screams of wounded and dying officers. A third explosion came blasting out of the scanner so loud it made them wince, this time with even more and louder screams.
"He's coming out!!" Someone yelled.
"Just hold your positions and don't fire until I give the word!!" Someone else, the captain, shouted back. The scanner went silent for a second as the cops waited for the suspect's next move. What they heard next nobody but Faye expected to hear.
"What the hell is that thing!?!" One of the cops screamed in obvious terror.
"Drop him!!" Was the captain's answer. Jet had heard this scenario played out before. A crazed suspect determined to go out in a blaze of glory would charge the police line. There would be a quick but heavy burst of gunfire and it would all be over. What he was hearing now sounded nothing like it. Instead of stopping almost immediately the gunfire kept on going, and going. That didn't make sense. The only reason they would need to fire that many rounds is if they were fighting a small army. The frantic radio chatter told him otherwise.
"He's not going down!!" One panicked voice yelled.
"Keep firing, he can't last forever!!" Another yelled back.
"This is nuts!!" A third yelled. "I keep hitting him but he won't go down."
"Then aim for the head!!" The captain barked.
"I am aiming at the head." The third voice yelled. As the firefight raged the sounds of gunfire became intermixed with the screams of officers and the report of two weapons that Jet knew weren't part of the ISSP arsenal. After each one of those weapons fired they heard the screams of the officer that had been shot. Slowly the weapons firing faded along with the screams. The next thing they heard was the captain yelling but his radio had been damaged so it was mostly static.
"…. agon's reach……. heavens." They heard a deep voice answer but it was so garbled they couldn't hear it. "What… say … pal." The deep voice said something and they heard a rifle shot. After that they heard a car start up then nothing.
"Unit five come in! Come in unit five!!"
"Alpha team respond!! If there's anyone left, please respond!!" Nothing but silence answered them. Spike turned off the scanner and all three looked over at Faye, who was staring at the floor.
As word of the massacre spread the perpetrator of the act stood calmly as he was scanned by a machine monitored by several scientists.
"No structural damage." One of the scientists read from a screen. "But your skin will begin to decay within the hour. You'll have to go back to the main lab and have it replaced. Tell them that they'll have to change your fingerprints as well as your base DNA to avoid placing you at the scene. Do you understand these instructions?"
"Yes." Terminator responded.
"Good. We will provide transportation." He gave Terminator the raincoat he had come in with and led him to the garage of the complex were an armored car was waiting, its driver leaning against it. "A shipment of gear is expected so you can just hitch a ride. But keep that coat on and the hood up until you're safely inside." Terminator complied and climbed into the passenger seat, pulling up the hood as he did. The driver climbed in, giving his passenger a wary look. Terminator gave no response and just continued to look straight ahead. The driver shrugged and started the engine.
While Terminator was headed to one lab Vicious and his thugs were entering another. The scientist at the genetics labs had given him some very useful information, but only on the genetic portion. After killing him ten minutes going through the lab's computer told him everything. Organic skin used to cover a metal endoskeleton, enabling it to blend in with the general population. He had all the files copied and now he had all the technical data on the on the skins and how to grow them, but he had no information on the robotic endoskeletons themselves. He had a feeling he would find that information at the metallurgy labs where the armored vests were supposedly made. When he entered he found a much different reception from the genetics labs. One of the scientists had recognized them when they walked in and didn't wait for Vicious to make any threats.
"So they finally decided that they want the vests? It's about time." Vicious kept his face neutral but he found the statement surprising.
"The vests are ready then?" Vicious asked.
"The prototype has been ready for almost two weeks, and we haven't heard anything from them except 'continue research'. I'm beginning to think they want us to fail. They give us only a fraction of the materials we need, even less funds and they expect us to come up with results? Makes you wonder if they know what they're doing." Vicious listened carefully. Either this man was a very good actor or he didn't know anything. He was about to ask directly when a short, skinny scientist walked up to the first scientist.
"I don't recall anyone telling you it was time for a coffee break." He said in a high and mighty tone, not noticing Vicious and his men. "We're under orders to proceed as quickly as possible and ….."
"We are here to observe how far you have progressed." Vicious spoke up.
"Is that righaaaaaaaaaaa!!" The head scientist yelled after realizing who was watching him. "S,S,S Sir Vicious. This is, a , most unexpected honor that you would … .."
"We are not here to receive false praise from a sniveling rat. We came to see the progress of your work."
"Of, of course sir. Right away!" He stammered and rushed off. Vicious noticed the first scientist grinning.
"Not very popular is he?" Vicious inquired. The scientist snorted.
"That's an understatement. That bootlicker acts so tough because he has the elders favor. He's always barking orders, making us work longer hours then taking all the credit for himself. Not many people will be sad to see him go I can tell you that much."
"That might be sooner then you think." Vicious said. The head scientist came back holding a metal vest.
"Here it is sir. With any luck we should have it perfected in another month."
"A month you say?" Vicious asked menacingly. "Your associate said that they have been ready for two weeks." The head scientist gulped nervously then shot the other scientist an angry glare.
"He's mistaken sir. Must have misheard something somewhere."
"Perhaps." Vicious replied, which made the scientist relax. "But that's not what we came here to see. We came here to inspect your other work."
"This is the only work we do here sir." The head scientist said nervously, motioning to the vest.
"I think you misheard me." Vicious said threateningly. "I'm talking about your other work." He put emphasis on the word other. The scientist turned pale and started sweating.
"I, I assure you sir that we have no other projects here. I have no idea what you're talking about." The more he spoke the less believable he sounded.
"You know exactly what I am talking about." The head scientist dropped the vest that landed with an echoing clang.
"I think I'd better get back to work." The first scientist said and clapped the second one on the back. "Happy trails." Despite being scared half to death the head scientist shot the first the angriest look he could manage.
"Now then. I think we should get down to the business at hand." One of Vicious's thugs grabbed the scientist by the arm and pushed him toward the offices. Once inside the scientist was shoved into a chair in front of a computer.
"What do you want?" The scientist asked.
"Open the files about the robotic endoskeletons. How they're made, what they're made of, everything."
"I,I am under orders not to do that without the elder's approval." The scientist said meekly. Vicious glanced over to one of his men who took out a pistol and began to screw a silencer on. The scientist began to type commands rapidly. "There it is. Everything about the project, down to its origins. I've done what you asked."
"Then leave." Vicious told him. The scientist hesitated for a moment then stood and went to exit the office. As his hand reached the doorknob the thug with the gun aimed for the back of his neck and fired. The scientist's body fell face-first into the door and slowly slid down it. "Get rid of that thing. Make it look like an accident." Two of the thugs picked up the scientist's body and took it away.
"The other one to?" The thug with the gun asked.
"Not yet. He might become useful later." The thug nodded and put his gun away. The final thug sat down at the computer and started going through the files, with Vicious watching over his shoulder. "Interesting." He said as the information scrolled past. With this he could expose the conspiracy behind these machines, but at the same time he would show his hand too soon. The ranks of those who would follow him were growing but right now they would be unable to pull off a successful coup. "Copy this information." He ordered the thug. "Then find someone who would be able to understand and use it. I don't care who, just as long as they're not part of any syndicate."
"Sir?" The thug inquired.
"If someone from ours or another syndicate inherited this information they would use it to enhance their own power. We run a lesser risk if we give it to an outside party. Search the entire web if you have to, just find someone. After you have let me know."
"Yes sir." The thug responded and began typing.
Back on the Bebop everyone was watching the TV, except for Ed who was searching for any fresh leads. To no one's surprise the only thing on was news about the shootout. Faye was still a little shaken up but she was no longer in danger of going into shock.
"At this hour there is still no progress on what has become the worst massacre in ISSP history." A reporter droned. "Thirty six officers dead, two murdered several blocks from the deadly gun battle the rest in the incident itself. There is only one known survivor of this horrendous act and the only reports we are receiving from ISSP is that he is in intensive care with a severe head injury, still in critical condition. There are no suspects named at this time as the ISSP conducts the largest manhunt ever known. All ships leaving Mars are subject to a thorough inspection and ISSP special forces units are combing the streets in an effort to apprehend …" Spike turned the set off.
"Translation: They're just running around like chickens with their heads cut off, not knowing what the hell they're doing."
"They need to say something. People would start to panic if they didn't do something."
Jet responded.
"Not like they can do anything anyway." Faye put in dryly.
"Look Faye, if you're right…." Jet began.
"IF I'm right?!?!" Faye yelled. "You guys may think I'm crazy but I know what I saw!!!"
"We're not saying we don't believe you." Jet said. "It's just that you might have misjudged what you saw. Maybe the guy was wearing a helmet with infrared goggles."
"I got a good look at his face Jet." Faye growled. "Half of it was gone and he had one red eye."
"What do you think about this Spike."
"After tangling with a seven foot tall alien it's kind of hard to be surprised by anything."
"Yeah, but a killer robot?" Jet said skeptically. "How do you do that and have nobody know about it?"
"With the syndicates almost anything is possible." Spike answered. Jet and Faye gave him an inquiring look.
"What do the syndicates have to do with anything?" Faye asked.
"The captain spoke a Red Dragon code phrase right before that guy blew him away. I was barely able to make it out but it's defiantly an identification code."
"So why did whoever it was shoot him anyway?" Jet asked.
"Don't know." Spike admitted. "But the only reason he would identify himself as a member of the syndicate is if he was sure the other guy was a member."
"Great, another puzzle to solve." Jet sighed. The three remained silent for a moment. "Well doing nothing is getting us nowhere so we'd better get moving."
"And just where are we supposed to do Jet?" Spike asked. "We don't even know where to start."
"Then we'll start with the simple stuff. We can't prove one way or another that what Faye saw was for real."
"Nice to know you can trust in your friends." Faye grumbled.
"So the best course of action." Jet went on. "Would be to talk with the only other person we know has seen our mystery gunman."
"That cop?" Spike asked. "Jet we don't even know if he's awake yet, let alone able to answer questions."
"Maybe, but it's the only chance we've got." Jet answered.
"Then we'd better get going." Faye said as she stood up.
"You're sure you're up to this?" Jet asked. Faye shrugged.
"Not really, but cowering from someone isn't exactly my style. I'm not going to let anyone control my actions, even if it is a robot."
"Good answer." Spike said. Fifteen minutes later they were on the steps of the hospital where the wounded cop was reported to have be taken.
"Just let me do all the talking." Jet told them as they went inside. The receptionist looked up from a pile of folders at the three of them. Jet took out his old ISSP badge and showed it to her. She gave it a casual glance. It wasn't fake, technically, so Jet wasn't worried about her scrutinizing it.
"Another interview with the shootout survivor?" She asked. The question caught Jet by surprise. He already had a story all set that would be sure to get them in. What he didn't count on was being expected.
"How'd you know we were coming? And how long has he been awake?" Jet asked, playing along as best he could. The receptionist must have been really bored since she missed Jet's hesitation, and the fact none of them really looked like cops.
"Since last night and I didn't." She answered. "But you guys have been going in and out all day so it's not a big surprise. Room four fifteen, in case you didn't know." Jet thanked her and they headed for the elevator.
"Awake since last night. Very interesting." Spike said as the elevator went up.
"That means either he has some sort of amnesia…" Jet started.
"Or someone is trying to cover something up." Faye finished. Spike nodded.
"Ok, let's do this by the numbers." Jet said as they approached the cop's room. "We don't give him any hints we know anything. I'll ask the questions, he'll probably respond better to a fellow officer." Jet opened the door and before he could even get a good look inside he was hit in the face by a bedpan that knocked him on his back. Faye and Spike watched Jet fall to the ground and turned to see the cop, standing and fully alert, with his fists raised, dressed in his ISSP uniform.
"Nice pitch." Spike commented. The cop's stance didn't change and his eyes remained focused.
"God damn it!! What was that for!?!" Jet yelled as he got up holding his bleeding nose.
"If you're going to shoot me do it!!" The cop yelled, ignoring both Jet and Spike. "Cause I'm not changing my story and you're sure as hell not putting me in some psycho ward!!"
"Just take it easy there friend." Spike said calmly. "We're not cops."
"Then who the hell are you!?" The cop asked, still not dropping his guard.
"Just some people trying to find answers." Spike replied. The cop slowly lowered his hands and gave them a suspicious look.
"Bounty hunters, huh?"
"Smart boy." Spike commented. "Look, we're following a lead and you're our best shot."
"You're looking for the guy from the shootout aren't you?" The cop asked.
"That's right." Jet answered. "The only thing is we don't know what he looks like. Now being an eyewitness we thought you would know." The cop looked at the group in front of him.
"I'll tell you but you won't believe me."
"Try us." Faye said. The cop sat down on one of the beds.
"I wasn't awake for the first part of the attack. One of the rockets hit me in the head, knocked me out and gave me this." He pointed to a deep cut in his head that had been stitched up. "When I woke up I saw something shooting everyone and shrugging off bullets like spitballs."
"What about his face? What did he look like?" Faye asked. The cop shuddered.
"That was the worst. You're going to think I'm crazy but I swear that his head was partly metal. And his left eye, it was like one of those monsters you see in the movies. Bright red, glowing like a light." Spike, Faye and Jet exchanged glances. The cop looked at each one of them, surprise on his face. "You believe me, don't you?" Jet nodded.
"Unfortunately yes." He pointed to Faye. "She had a run in with him just before you did."
"And these two thought I had lost my mind." Faye cut in angrily.
"Welcome to the club." The cop replied.
"That does not sound good." Spike said. "Just who did you tell this to before you told us?"
"The investigating officers. About three in all." He told them "I didn't tell any reporters." He added hastily. "As a matter of fact I didn't even see any. Then this morning they bring me my uniform and tell me somebody would be by to pick me up later. It doesn't take a genius to see that they mean a one way trip to the rubber room." The three exchanged worried glances. Jet took up a position at the door and scanned the hallway. "What's wrong?"
"We think that whoever killed those cops is connected with the Red Dragons. If he is then they'll send someone after you."
"I knew it!!" The cop shouted. "I just knew it!! The captain seemed to know that maniac!! He knew we didn't have a chance and we were sent in anyway!!!"
"Quiet!!" Jet hissed. "Look, we're in the same boat uh…."
"Connor." The cop answered. "Lieutenant John Connor, ISSP special forces."
"Ok John, the most important thing need to do now is get out of here before some very unpleasant characters find us. Let's just leave quietly and hopefully nobody will notice."
While the Bebop crew had been talking to lieutenant Connor half a dozen men in white coats approached the reception desk.
"We're here to transfer a patient to Pescadero mental hospital." He handed her a piece of paper. "John Connor. It's been determined that he has suffered a mental breakdown, battle fatigue I believe." The receptionist looked at the orders, then back up at the group.
"And you need six to handle one man?"
"He's a very dangerous individual. Better not to take chances right?" The receptionist shrugged and handed the paper back.
"Room four fifteen." She told them.
"Thank you." He turned and led the group towards the elevators. "You three take the stairs. We'll grab him and get out as fast as we can."
On the fourth floor the Bebop crew, along with their new friend, snuck out of the hospital room and into the hallway.
"So who to I have the honor of thanking for my escape?" John asked.
"I think we'd better save the introductions for later." Spike said, glancing over to the elevators. Three men in white coats walked out.
"Oh shit." Jet said. "Stairs. Now!"
"I don't think that's an option Jet." Faye said, pointing to the stairwell as three men walked out of it. This wasn't good. A hospital was not the best place for a shootout.
"I'd advise you three to step away from that man." The leader said. "He's very dangerous, a psychotic, suffering from delusions. Just let us help and everything will be fine." He said as the six closed in, not looking in the least like they wanted to help.
"Nuts to that!" John said and decked the man closest to him. The remaining five attacked. Jet managed to avoided lunges from the two who came after him, grabbed their heads and slammed them together. Spike landed a kick to the chin of one that sent him crashing into the wall. Another threw a punch at Faye, who grabbed his wrist, pivoted and threw him head first into the floor. The last one squared off against John. He threw several punches at John's head but John was able to dodge, waited until he had an opening and punched the man in the stomach. As he doubled over John hit him with an uppercut that laid the man out flat on his back.
"Nice moves kid." Jet commented. "Now let's get out of here before anyone else shows up." They went into the stairwell and quickly went down. Behind them the downed thugs staggered to their feet and drew guns from inside their coats. Jet and the others sprinted through the reception area.
"Your staff needs better people skills." John said as they ran past the surprised receptionist and out the door. "So does anyone have an escape plan?" He asked as the four of them ran down the hospital stairs.
"There." Jet said pointing to the white van that the thugs had come in. Jet jumped into the driver's seat and Faye got in the passenger side. With no time to argue about seating arrangements Spike and John opened the back doors and climbed in. "Hold on!" Jet called back. The engine roared to life and with a loud squeal of tires the van took off.
A second later the men in white coats ran through the reception area. When they got outside they saw the van they had come in peeling out and rushing down the street, John and Spike in the back, closing the doors and almost falling out when Jet took a hard corner. They raised their guns and began to fire but the van was already out of range.
"So what do we do now?" John asked as he sat down.
"We go back to our ship." Spike answered as he took out a cigarette. He offered John one but he declined. "We exchange all the information we have. Then we try to come up with a plan. Any other questions?"
"Yeah. How did I get drafted into this?" Spike shrugged.
"Sometimes fate just gives you a bad hand."
While the Bebop crew made good their escape Vicious stood patiently as the thug searched on the computer.
"Sir. I believe we have found someone. But …"
"But what?" Vicious asked.
"This individual, he's a hacker, a wanted one. We don't know if he can be trusted."
"Does he have any ties with any syndicate?"
"No sir."
"Then send him the information." He ordered. "Also send him a message telling him to find the ship Bebop and give the information to them."
"If I may ask sir. Why not send it to the Bebop directly?"
"I don't want this traced back to me. A hacker would be the logical suspect for the theft of this information. Just tell this," He looked closely at the screen. "this Radical Edward that there shall be a large reward if he completes this task to my satisfaction."
"Yes sir."