------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Dirty Pair (and Company) in R E U N I O N S by Larry Mann and Ryan Mathews ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Voices are calling from inside my head I can hear them, I can hear them Vanishing memories of things that were said They can't try to hurt me now Taught by the powers that preach over me I can hear their empty reason I wouldn't listen, I learnt how to fight I opened up my mind to treason - Ozzy Osbourne: "Shot in the Dark" --------------------- S T A G E S E V E N --------------------- > A.D. 214303.22; 17:42:55 > Planet Ariake, Ariake City [The car containing the captive Andrew drives through the crowded street of Ariake city, weaving past slower traffic, junked cars and large piles of trash. Attempting to tail at a discreet distance is another car containing Kei and Rumiko.] KEI Can't you drive any faster? We're losing them. RUMIKO *You* try driving around this shit! My god, this whole planet must be a gigantic slum! [She pulls around a junked car blocking the lane and just misses a car going the other way.] Yow! We should just let them go. The homing device will lead us to them anyway. KEI Deirdre, are you sure she won't find it? DEIRDRE (KEI) Well, like, no. With Shasti, you can never be sure of anything. KEI So this is just another shot in the dark. DEIRDRE (KEI) No, no! I think there's a great chance this will work! I really, really do, honest! See, the thing about Shasti is that she's smarter than just about anybody else in the galaxy, and she knows it. She always expects to outsmart you, so the best way to fool her is to make her believe she *has* outsmarted you. KEI Whatever. As long as it works. I'm sick and tired of being shown up by that bitch. [She glares at Rumiko, who's giggling.] What are *you* laughing at?! RUMIKO I'm sorry, it's just a riot watching you talk to yourself. KEI I am *not* talking to myself! RUMIKO [apologetic] I know, I know! DEIRDRE (KEI) I'm sorry if I'm embarassing you, Kei. KEI Nah, it's alright. But it's time for you to come out. You're giving me a headache. [She pops the Deirdre-plug out of her socket, shakes her head, and tosses it to Rumiko.] Here, *you* hang on it for awhile. RUMIKO Hey! I'm trying to drive! SHIT!!! [Rumiko hits the brakes as a beat up car cuts them off. The two cars collide violently.] SHIT! SHIT! Wouldn't you just know it!! [The occupants of the other car, two dangerous-looking young men, get out and approach. Rumiko leans out the car and screams at them.] You assholes! Where the hell did you learn to drive?! [The two punks walk around to both sides of the trouble consultants' car and pull guns.] PUNK #1 Now, is that any way to treat your welcoming committee? KEI "Welcoming committee"? PUNK #2 Yeah, we could tell you lovely ladies weren't from around here. We thought we'd introduce you to a little "Ariake hospitality"! PUNK #1 Get out of the car. [They do.] Now strip. RUMIKO Here?! PUNK #1 No, we'll go back to my penthouse apartment. Yes, here! Strip! [Kei and Rumiko remove their outer clothes, revealing trouble consultant uniforms. The punks blink, their mouths falling open.] PUNK #1 Oh. You're... You're 3WA. Ah. Well. Why didn't you tell us in the first place? This changes everything! PUNK #2 W-we should off them now, man! Before they do anything tricky! PUNK #1 Are you fucking *crazy*?! Do you know how much money the 3WA has? There'll be a reward on our dead bodies big enough to get the whole planet gunning for us! KEI Well, do *something*. I'm getting bored. [The first punk lifts his hands in the air and backs off.] PUNK #1 It was all a misunderstanding, okay? I'm gone! [He turns and runs for his life. The other glances after him.] PUNK #2 Hey! Where you goin', man?! OW! [Kei grabs his gun hand and bends it back.] KEI Oh, don't go just yet! RUMIKO Oh, no! Please, show us some of that "Ariake hospitality"! [She cracks her knuckles. The punk gulps.] ------ > 17:55:00 > Location unknown [Scene: black] VOICE Take off the hood. [The light flashes in. The vision clears, revealing Shasti, and the inside of some warehouse, or what used to be one.] SHASTI So, Andy. We're re-reunited. Do you have anything to say? ANDREW Right now, my mind's a complete blank... ============================================================================ > A.D. 213509.27; 14:35:10 "I just don't know how to thank you, Andrew." "Please, Mrs. Jasper--" "No, no, I must say it." The lady leaned across his desk, eyes wide with gratitude and adulation. "You've turned my life around! My relationship with my husband has improved a hundred times since we began having our sessions. Why last night--" "Thank you so much, Alice." He felt he had to cut her off. Her descriptions of her marital activities tended to be a lot more detailed and graphic than they needed to be, and he'd heard enough for one day. Besides, the session was supposed to have been over ten minutes ago. "I'm glad to hear how much your marriage has improved, but you still have a ways to go. I think you should save your praise until then." The woman smiled. "Oh, you're so modest." Five minutes later, he finally got her out the door. Alice Jasper was a simple case, a woman who had difficulty expressing negative emotions and bottled them up inside until they exploded onto whatever poor soul had provided the last straw, usually her husband. The sessions consisted mainly of him encouraging her to bitch to her heart's content while giving her advice on how to handle the situations in question. By all signs, she appeared to be taking the advice, and was making progress. Andrew was making progress himself. In the two years since the 3WA had fired him, there had been some hairy times, but he had turned it around. His practice wasn't quite a "thriving" one yet, but it was steady and improving. Mrs. Jasper was one of seven regular patients. The fees he received from them, plus his irregular patients and some investments, afforded him a comfortable living. His new life was coming along quite nicely. So when his old one called his office, he didn't quite know how to take it. For a moment. Then he told his secretary to cancel the remainder of the day's appointments and ran out the door. Andrew headed down the crumbling stone steps that led from the back door of his office, down a short hill, to a back road overlooking a harbor. There standing next to a pay-comm, looking out over the water, was a woman with long black hair, wearing a knee-length aqua dress with matching shoes, handbag, and a wide-brimmed hat. He approached and asked, hesitatingly, "Shasti?" Shasti turned at the sound of his voice. "Andrew?" Seconds later, the two were in an embrace. As she pulled free, Shasti turned slowly to give him a look at her outfit. "How do I look?" "Stunning. Absolutely stunning." "Thanks," laughed Shasti. "This is the very first thing I bought for myself. I was hoping I bought wisely." "You did. You really did." "Oh, Andrew, it's so good to see you again." "What happened to `Andy'?" he asked, a bit disappointed. Shasti laughed again. It was a more mature laugh, not the little-girl near-giggle he remembered, but it still sounded beautiful to his ears. "Honestly, I always felt you were humoring me by letting me call you that. Okay, `Andy' it is, then." Shasti took another look across the harbor. "This is a lovely place. Do you really work here?" "Work and live. My apartment is above my office." "Hmm. Must be nice." "I like it. If I need to relax, I just go outside for a stroll. And in my line of work, it's important to relax." "I'm sorry about calling you in the middle of your work," Shasti said. "But I don't have that much time--" Andrew held up a hand to stop her. "Don't say another word." "We have so much catching up to do. I know!" Shasti whipped out a debit card. "Let me take you to dinner." Andrew smiled. "I know just the place." An hour later, they sat at a table at an outdoor cafe, the remains of their dinner in front of them. "That's about it as far as the last two years of my life," said Andrew. "So tell me what's happened to you." Shasti sighed. "There's not much to tell, actually. I breezed through the academy. Hell, I could've tested out, but the higher-ups wanted me to go through anyway." "They probably wanted you to get used to interacting with other personnel." "Yes, that's what I decided myself. So I turned my energies toward learning interaction skills. It... didn't go very well. I scare people, Andy." "Oh, baloney," replied Andrew. "Okay, maybe `scare' isn't the right word. But I sure as hell make them feel inferior." Andrew pointed out the obvious. "They *are* inferior, Shasti. They're going to feel that way at first no matter what you do. The trick is not to make them feel threatened as well. Be patient, and they'll come around." Shasti smiled wryly. "Always the psychologist, hm?" He laughed. "Hey, I can't help it." "Well, don't worry. I'm not beat yet. Besides, I've made one friend, at least I think so." "Oh, really?" Shasti nodded. "Her name's Deirdre! She's going to be my partner. You should meet her, Andy! She's just so damn cute! She like, has this, like, accent, y'know?" she said, doing an impression. "Plus we have something important in common." "Similar interests?" "No, much more important. She's an Intel. In layman's terms, she has an incredibly powerful microcomputer implanted in her brain. She can access the computer to help her analyze complex data in a tiny fraction of the time it would take a human to do it. An ordinary human, I mean. She's more than human." "Like you." "Like me." They sat in silence for a few seconds. "The sun's going down," said Andrew. "I'd better be getting back. I have some paperwork to do before I turn in. Can I see you tomorrow?" "N-no," Shasti replied, sadly. "I... ship out tomorrow. On my first assignment." "Oh. When will you be back?" "That depends on how messy the job is. Hopefully, it won't take longer than a week. Then I get a vacation. It's mandatory." "Well, maybe I can see you then." "Maybe..." Andrew pulled his chair next to hers and sat back down. "Shasti, what's wrong?" Shasti gave him a small smile. "The psychologist talking again?" "No, this time it's obvious." Shasti paused for a moment. Then she straightened in her chair and looked him in the eye. "Every time I leave for a mission, there's a chance I won't come back. There's something I need to know now." "Is it something I can help with?" "It's something only you can tell me." She took a deep breath. "Andy, it's been two years. I need to know-- I need to know if you still love me." Andrew was startled. "Of course I do." "How? I need to know how." "I don't understand." "I mean... When we first met, I had the mind of a five-year-old. But I've grown since then. I'm your age now. I know you loved me as a daughter. I need to know... if you can love me as a woman." She choked on the last word and started fumbling through her handbag. "Damn me. I promised myself I wouldn't cry. Damn me to hell." She found a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. "Shasti, I--" The words caught in his throat. Then he realized he didn't have any. He struggled, trying to find the words to express his feelings. Finally, he gave up and kissed her. ============================================================================ [Shasti gives Andrew a long, gentle kiss.] SHASTI [softly] That was for saving my life. [She punches him in the face, knocking him down.] And that was for leaving it without even saying goodbye. Any other discussion will have to wait. Secure him. [A man behind Andrew drags him to his feet and handcuffs him to a pole.] Search him. You'll find a homing device. [Another man waves a small rod over Andrew and is rewarded with a beeping noise. He opens Andrew's jacket, rips open the lining and finds a small device. He places it on the ground and crushes it.] ANDREW I swear to God I didn't know anything about that. [All ignore him.] PAUL Shasti, I hate to have to remind you of this, but we're running late. SHASTI I know, I know. He'll have to come along. NANCE What?! You're crazy! Can't you just finish your business here and waste him?! PAUL I gotta go with Nance on this one, Shasti. SHASTI [sarcastically] Oh, *do* you? If Nance is so worried about Mr. Fisher, he can guard him. NANCE Hey! SHASTI He couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag, Nance. He's just your speed. [Shasti steps on top of a large crate.] OKAY, FOLKS, LISTEN UP!! We're about to do business with the Lucifer Crime Syndicate! I'd be lying if I said that they trust us, or that we trust them. But they want what we have and we *need* what they have. It is imperative that we don't do anything to spook these people. Ariake is not their standard hangout and they're bound to be nervous. They are likely to crap out at the first sign of trouble. The meeting place is being secured by the advance party now. As we arrive, you are to take your positions and be ready for action, but do *not* assume a threatening pose. In case any of you are wondering, ripping these guys off is *not* an option. This is the Syndicate we're talking about. Even if we pulled it off, we most likely would not get off Ariake alive. Remember, the _Artemis_ isn't going to be able to provide any help until the engineers finish their work. So we're going to play this as calm and steady as possible. Are there any questions? [Silence.] Good. MOVE OUT! ------- > 18:15:00 [Scene: a massive junkyard. The Lovely Angels and NightRiders sneak quietly between the massive piles of scrapped vehicles. Yuri checks a small, palm-held device.] YURI Signal's getting stronger. He's definitely headed this way. Seems you were right, Darryn. DARRYN When Ray told me the rumors of something big going down here, I figured it could be the sale. The various organizations like to use places like this for making exchanges. KEI Seems awfully dangerous. I'd think a wide-open, flat area would make more sense. DARRYN Well, it would, if you could find one. If you can't, the next best thing is an extremely dangerous place that no one can possibly be familiar with, because it keeps changing. Nobody dares to make the first move, because it means an instant bloodbath. KEI Mutual Assured Destruction. Lovely. YURI We'd better hurry. He's due any minute. [They begin to climb up one of the piles to gain a better vantage point. A armed man is near the top, his back to them.] KEI [whispering] Hey, someone's taken our spot. [She pulls a small dart gun out of her boot.] Nighty-night. [She fires. Making a quiet "zip" noise, the dart strikes him in the back of the neck. A moment later he collapses.] ------ > 18:20:00 [A small party of armed Syndicate men, one holding a briefcase, face a small convoy that pulls up from the opposite side. As the convoy, consisting of two cars and a truck, comes to stop, Shasti exits, accompanied by an armed guard. She walks to the Syndicate party and extends her hand. The leader looks at it with distaste.] SYNDICATE LEADER Let's get on with it. SHASTI Very well. [She snaps her fingers. Men begin unloading the gravity-well compensator from the truck.] If you allow me to inspect your merchandise, we can conclude the transaction. [The leader nods to the man holding the briefcase. He opens it, revealing two identical devices.] LEADER Two field-picks. One to get you in, one to get you out. [Shasti points to one of the devices.] SHASTI May I? LEADER Be my guest. [Shasti picks the device out of the case and examines it.] SHASTI If I may say so, sir, I don't see why you're so suspicious of us. After all, once you examine the compensator, you'll know exactly what you're getting. These things, on the other hand, have never been tested in public. LEADER Of course not. You know what they do. Once we perfect these devices, current force-field technology is going to be rendered useless. By giving you models, we could very well be tipping our hand early. The result could be improvements in force-field technology that could defeat our device. We've invested a lot of time and resources into this just to risk throwing it away. But if that's truly a GWC, we're willing to risk it. [Meanwhile, in the rear car, Nance keeps guard on Andrew. He holds a gun on the man, but in such a loose way that it is obvious he doesn't consider him a physical threat.] NANCE I still can't believe we're dragging you along at such a critical point. If it was up to me, you'd be dead. [Andrew doesn't respond, instead continuing to stare out the windshield.] What the hell is it between you and Shasti, anyway? ANDREW We... had a relationship once. NANCE Ha! Figures it would be something like that-- no, what the hell am I saying?! You and Shasti? Shasti doesn't even have any friends, much less lovers. How the hell did you win her heart? I didn't think she had one. [Without taking his gaze from the scene in front, Andrew asks a question.] ANDREW What's she like? NANCE What the hell kind of question is that? You should know better than I do. [Finally, Andrew looks at him.] ANDREW I don't. I don't know her anymore. I just want... I need to know what she's like. [Nance laughs, a low cynical laugh.] NANCE Your girlfriend's a dangerous woman, sir. I'd recommend you get as far away from her as possible, except that I'd gun you down if you tried it. ANDREW How dangerous? NANCE Anyone who thinks they've won her friendship or trust is dead as soon as they're no longer of use to her. Those poor shitheads out there, they think she's the heir to Lord Robin. They're all walking dead people. They just haven't fallen down yet. But they will, damn soon. ANDREW That's not possible. NANCE Hey, you asked. [Andrew becomes nervous and begins fidgeting with the buttons on his jacket.] ANDREW Do you have any proof of this or are you just an incredible judge of character? [Nance thinks a moment.] NANCE We used to have two ships. The second one blew up. It was a problem with the warp controller, caused this feedback or something, made the engines detonate like a bomb. I'm no engineer, so I can't prove it wasn't an accident. But it sure happened at an opportune time. We'd finished the first stage, the stage we needed the most people for. Equipment and personnel gathering, repairs, shit like that. Once that was done, we didn't really need half the people we had. The half we didn't need just happened to be assigned to the second ship. On Shasti's orders. ANDREW That doesn't prove anything. NANCE It does to me. Besides, the girl's got a rep. On that Lyra caper the Dirty Pair screwed up, she left a trail of bodies stretching halfway across the UG. The word in the underworld is "stay the hell away". ANDREW Then why are you here? NANCE Because this caper's too incredible to pass up. Besides, I'm not afraid of her. She already knows what I think of her. And she needs me right up to the very end. ANDREW What *is* this caper, anyway? [Nance laughs.] NANCE What makes you think I'm going to answer that? ANDREW [muttering] Good Lord. I knew they'd made a killer out of her but this... What the...? [One of Andrew's buttons has come apart. A small device falls out.] What's this? [Nance goes pale.] NANCE Oh, God. A second transmitter. Oh, Christ. They're here! They must already be here!! [He bolts from the car.] [Cut to the Angels' and NightRiders' view of the meeting. Kei sees Nance running pell-mell toward Shasti, screaming.] KEI Damn it! [She aims her rifle.] YURI Wha--?! Kei, wait! [Kei fires. Luckily for Nance, he trips on a rock and goes sprawling as the rifle beam whizzes over him. Unluckily for everyone, the beam continues forward and kills the Syndicate leader's lieutenant.] LEADER IT'S A SET-UP!! SHASTI Huh?? Wait!! [The Syndicate men pull their guns and begin firing. Shasti's men return fire, and in an instant the junkyard is turned into a war zone.] [The Lovely Angels and NightRiders watch the chaos in dismay.] KEI Oh, man. I really screwed up this time. YURI You won't get any argument from me. KEI Look at the bright side. Maybe she'll get killed. DARRYN I doubt that. She's in her element. RUMIKO Darryn, I'm going to look for a better shot. This may be our chance to use the tranquilizer plug. YURI I'll call Mughi for an air strike. [Shasti weaves her way back to safer ground, using her own men for cover. She joins Paul behind the safety of a junked truck.] PAUL What the fuck happened?! SHASTI [furious] I don't know. But you can be damn sure I'm going to find out. Status report! PAUL We lost five men. There's no way to tell if they're dead or just wounded. SHASTI It's irrelevant anyway. That's all that matters. [She points to the case containing the field-picks, which, along with the gravity-well compensator, is now in a no-man's land in the center of the battlefield.] We can't leave without them. [She motions to one of her men.] Baker! Time for you to show me what you're made of. BAKER S-sir? SHASTI Don't worry, we'll cover you. Go! [She pushes him out. They do attempt to provide cover, but it's no use. There are too many enemy shooters, and they are too spread out. Seconds later, Baker is dead, his body torn apart by gunfire.] Shit! PAUL Shasti, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but-- SHASTI I know! I'm the only one here capable of grabbing that case and making it back in one piece. Alright, then! Cover me! Like it'll make any difference. [Kei and Yuri wait anxiously.] KEI What's keeping Mughi? The Lovely Angel can't be more than five minutes away. YURI Put Deirdre in. If there was ever a time when we needed her advice... KEI You've got a point. [She fishes in a pocket, comes up with a microplug, plugs it in behind her ear, and passes out.] YURI Kei? Kei! [She shakes Kei, getting no response.] KEI!! [A look of realization spreads across Yuri's face, followed by one of terror.] Oh, no. OH, NO!! [She starts running after Rumiko.] Rumiko!! RUMIKO!! PAUL Okay... NOW!! [Shasti bolts into the open, weaving and dodging her way through enemy fire. Within seconds, she reaches the case.] [Rumiko takes aim.] RUMIKO This is it, you bioroid bitch. This is finally it... [She activates the SharpShot program. Her vision zooms in on Shasti's interface socket. The socket is outlined in red with the message "TARGET LOCKED". Yuri comes climbing up the pile of junk.] YURI Rumiko! DON'T SHOOT!! RUMIKO Say good night, Gracie... [She fires.] [The plug finds its mark. Shasti freezes like a statue, her look one of absolute astonishment.] SHASTI N-n-nnnnnnNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO! [She pulls the plug out and throws it away, then grabs her head in pain and rolls on the ground.] [Rumiko looks on, surprised.] RUMIKO It didn't work! YURI That wasn't the trank plug. [Shasti lies on the ground, motionless. Apparently thinking her dead, the snipers ignore her.] PAUL Shasti! SHASTI!! [He tries running to her, but is immediately forced back by gunfire.] Damn! What's wrong with her? [The _Lovely_Angel_ arrives and drops bombs, causing the opposing armies to scatter. Paul darts out and grabs the case. He begins to run back, but changes his mind and grabs Shasti.] PAUL C'mon, damn it! Move! SHASTI [muttering] I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. PAUL I forgive you, just *move* your ass! SHASTI I didn't want to kill you... -- END STAGE SEVEN -- >>> NEXT >>> "I say blow 'em to hell. If they don't survive, they don't deserve to."