Scene 15
Ivana encountered no resistance in the round receptionist's office, but she hesitated at the touch-screen option to EXIT, thinking about what she might find outside. Maybe the two guards in SWAT gear were rapid-responders with a translocator link directly to the office, but the chance that no other forces would show up was practically nil. What if ten police cars were waiting outside?
Suddenly, her comm crackled to life, and to her surprise, instead of Anna, she heard Gorn's deep voice. ¨You girls going to come out of there, or do I have to come in and get you?¨
¨Gorn! Jesus, what are you doing here?¨
¨Saving you amateurs. I'm parked out front in a rig I borrowed and the sirens are getting closer, so let's GO!¨
Ivana punched the EXIT button with no more hesitation and found herself standing along a well-lit wall next to a street empty except for a familiar bearlike figure that was leaning on what appeared to be a large-wheeled motor scooter. Awesome. She tossed Anna's beacon onto the sidewalk and punched her comm. ¨You're clear, Anna!¨ The final word hadn't even left her mouth before Anna translocated in.
¨Hey, Gorn!¨ she said cheerfully, if a bit weakly. ¨Glad you could…. Oh my GOD! Is that the 'rig' you borrowed?¨
¨Shut up and get on!¨ he yelled frantically, sitting down and motioning for them to join him. Ivana sat on his lap and Anna stood on the foot board, both trying not to crack up despite the seriousness of the situation. ¨The engine's on,¨ Gorn said, ¨so gun it!¨
Anna cranked the throttle and the machine leaped forward, the front wheel lifting off the ground precariously as she fought to regain control. Gorn had apparently known what was coming and braced himself, because nobody slid off the back end. Soon they were cruising down the street at a speed that was definitely more than advisable for three people riding one motor scooter. However, it stayed as balanced as an arrow, and soon Anna roared into a corner, turning off the main street and into a suburban-looking neighborhood. Here the road was lined with large sycamores and sharply-cut grass, and the sirens began to fade behind them. ¨Do you know where you're going?¨ Gorn yelled at her over the rushing wind.
¨More or less…. we're heading for a small terminal I know of nearby. Say Gorn, where'd you get this kickass scooter?¨
¨It's military; they're good for sending messages in urban combat when radio isn't an option…. fast and quiet. Doesn't have a police-registered tracking device like civilian cars, either. You like it?¨
¨Well, it is kind of small for three people…¨
¨I didn't have time to find anything else. Besides, any port in a storm, right?¨
¨Right,¨ she laughed, ¨It´s perfect.¨
¨Are we going to get off soon though?¨ asked Ivana. ¨I think Gorn's getting a…¨
¨Hey look,¨ commented Anna brightly, ¨here's the terminal!¨
They piled off and ran up to a clump of deserted green plastic-and-metal booths, painted with an insignia that said 'Terran Translocation Network'. Gorn stopped short, frowning. ¨You think we can go to the main Vancouver terminal with you two looking like that?¨
¨We can't go anywhere looking like this,¨ said Ivana. She looked around desperately, glancing at her watch. ¨Where do you find clothes at three thirty in the morning?¨
Anna shrugged. ¨This is a good neighborhood, so I assume the home security sucks around here. Just give me a few…¨ and she jogged off across a lawn towards one of the houses. Ivana thought she heard the faint buzz of a mini-cutter, and less than five minutes later, Anna was back carrying two pairs of jeans and two shirts. The only thing she could think of to say was, ¨these are for men.¨
¨So we'll be dykes. I always liked that disguise.¨ Anna tossed one set of clothes to her. When they were dressed and Gorn had stuffed their black outfits in his pack, he said ¨I've got the booth all set up. We're going to New York first… they track the traffic on all these terminals, but from there we'll get lost in the crowd of people going all over the world. You two ready?¨
Anna grinned. ¨Let's blow this popsicle stand.¨