Gene found himself in a dream, standing in a cosy living room. A woman with long, dark red hair spoke softly. "Be careful on your cargo delivery trip to Sentinel, Norman."
Norman chuckled nervously. "Hopefully, we won't run into any trouble."
The woman then turned to Gene, her eyes filled with excitement. "Are you ready for your big day, sweetheart? Your first trip to space!"
Gene grinned widely. "I can't wait, Mom! I've been practising on the USSA's space flight simulator. I'll help Dad with the navigation!"
Suddenly, Gene was jolted awake by a persistent knocking on his door. A policeman stood there, stern and unyielding.
Gene sat up, disoriented, rubbing his eyes before realising the knocking continued. A sense of dread washed over him. He stood up groggily and walked to the door, taking a deep breath before peering through the peephole. It was a police officer.
His mind raced. Was he busted? Had someone seen him rob the bank? A million scenarios ran through his head. He finally opened the door.
"Good morning, son. Are you Gene Starwind?"
"Yeah, that's me," Gene stifled a yawn, surprised to see a uniformed officer at his door.
"Sir, may we have a minute, please?" The policeman asked.
"Okay, sure," Gene replied, moving aside so the cop could enter.
"I'm Detective Johnson, and I need you to come with us to headquarters for questioning," the officer said, holding open the door for Gene.
Gene's heart pounded. He knew he couldn't comply; they'd eventually link him to other crimes. In a moment of desperation, he considered making a break for it but quickly dismissed the thought. He was cornered, and he knew it.
"Why?" He asked instead.
Detective Johnson paused before replying, "I don't want to put you in any more danger than necessary, son, but we've received reports that you recently stole sixteen thousand wong." Gene froze. "Can you explain yourself?" The detective added sternly.
Gene sighed. "Look, I wasn't trying to steal much. I just needed a small amount to keep me off the streets for a while longer."
"Yes, that seems rather obvious to me," Detective Johnson responded coolly. "And it appears that you've already been charged with one count of theft. Now, if you're going to cooperate, I can get you a better deal."
Gene thought fast. "You know what? Sure. Why not?" His tone sounded convincing even to him. "I'll go along with whatever you want."