The red humanoid-shaped boomer rocketed past as sporadic gunfire splashed off of it. A crashing report sent an explosive shell lancing at the armoured biomechanoid, but it exploded harmlessly behind it as the combat machine neatly sidestepped the shot. The boomer's mouth gaped wide, and a crackling green energy beam scorched the air, being followed a moment later by a blinding explosion. A deep, grandiloquent voice began speaking as the boomer proceeded to rain death and destruction on its foes. "Are you having problems with rebels, or other irritating counter-insurgents? Do you perhaps have some top- secret facilities that need top-notch protection? Or are you interested in giving ironclad security to your nation's defense? If you fit any of these categories, then the A-10 `Tankbuster' Heavy Combat Boomer is for you! Designed for the discriminating arms-buyer, the A-10 sports an impressive array of offensive power, from the 800-terawatt particle beams to the " compact, but deadly, Vulcan autocannons. As an added bonus, the A-10 can be configured to meet specific mission profiles!" There was a brief pause in the speech, during which the boomer finished off its last opponent in an impressive pyrotechnical blast. "For those of you who can't afford that army you've always wanted right away, no problem!! Just talk to your local GENOM representative, and a deferred-payment plan can be set up for a minimal charge. Buy now! This is a limited time offer! GENOM armaments: Tomorrow's firepower, Today!!" A tall, lean man in a white suit, with long, shoulder- length white hair turned swiveled his chair to face the only other person in the room: a tall, slender woman with long, violet-coloured hair, wearing a dark blue business outfit. "Impressive," Quincy's gravelly voice rumbled, "if the sales pitch was a little overdone." "Marketing felt that it would be the best approach," Madigan replied. "Flashy advertising attracts attention, and we definitely want to attract attention in this case." "True," Quincy rumbled. SkyKnight Productions Proudly Presents A NonTechnical Film MegaTokyo 2035 The Knight Sabers "The Bubblegum Zone - Episode #9" Copyright (c) 1995 Bert Van Vliet The quiet hum of computer terminals, overlaid with the clatter of keyboards being tapped on drifted through the sprawling office area of the ADPolice Investigation Division. In one area of the office space, several young women worked away at filing reports and entering data into the machines; the rest of the office space was taken up by scattered desks, manned by overworked detectives trying to keep up with the reams of paperwork required by the ADP bureacracy. A tall, well-built man with brown hair walked through the door into the offices. Wearing jeans, a white shirt and a blue jacket with a badge pinned to the left breast pocket, and a large-caliber revolver hanging from a shoulder holster, he cut an impressive, yet somehow incongruous figure in the office. Inspector Leon McNichol resignedly ran a hand through his hair, sighing. Another glorious day in the life of a public servant, his mind noted sardonically. There were days he hated his job, mostly because the crooks seemed to get bolder and bolder, and the cops became more and more hamstrung by paperwork and procedure. At times, he almost wished for the simpler days when he'd started out as just a front-line trooper; at least then, things had seemed straightforward. Clear blue eyes swept the office with a searching gaze, noting all the details from force of long habit. A slight frown creased his brow, as he slowly walked further into the realm of officialdom. "Have you seen Nene yet?" he asked a nearby secretary. The harried, brown-haired young woman looked up from the report she was rapidly pouding into the computer in front of her. "Sorry, I haven't," she replied. "I think she's still on sick leave. She might be back today; I don't know for sure." The young woman went back to her report as Leon turned away, walking over to his small island in the sea of paperwork. Daley hadn't arrived yet, so he sat down, propped his feet on the desk, and sat thinking. Nene had been working on getting some information on a case for him, and her coming down sick before she could get him the information had been annoying. Nene's sudden illness had struck a few people as strange, mostly because the cheery, red-haired girl always seemed bright and energetic; she'd have been the last person anyone had expected to come down with something serious enough to keep them bedridden for almost two weeks. It had been very sudden, also. Leon had seen her the day before she'd called in sick, and she'd been perfectly healthy. For some strange reason he couldn't define, he found himself suspicious. He liked Nene a lot; she was cute, almost always cheerful, and had a kind of innocence about her that made talking to her refreshing, especially given the caliber of people he had to talk to occasionally. There was also a sharp brain behind the cute, green-eyed face; her work was always thorough and meticulous, and she'd helped Leon get information on some cases at times when he'd sworn that there was no possible way to find out about a certain subject. She'd also easily brushed him off on the couple of occasions he had tried to get her to go out with him, and in a manner that left no doubt in his mind that he was wasting his time. At the same time, however, he now found himself remembering how she occasionally disappeared while she was supposed to be on duty, and how, come to think of it, she'd shown up at work before with unexplained injuries. Nene didn't strike him as the normally accident-prone type, but she'd been in several times with bandages, and once with her arm in a sling. She'd usually explained the questions away by saying she'd fallen off her scooter, but Leon doubted anyone could fall off of a scooter that many times. No, there must be another reason for it. He mentally sifted through the list of people he knew she was friendly with, then immediately discarded some of her friends from work as above suspicion. He realized suddenly that, outside of work, he really didn't know who her friends were, with one exception: her boyfriend. He'd met the tall, red-headed, greenish-brown eyed, young man once before, more than a year ago. There'd been something about him back then that had aroused Leon's inspecting instincts, some aspect of his manner that hadn't quite rung true. He hadn't been able to find a reason for his suspicions, however, and had shoved it to the back of his mind. Now, those suspicions surged back to the forefront. Who exactly was he? He vaguely remembered Nene calling him `Bert', but that was it. Apparently, he had an engineering job somewhere, but where exactly? No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't remember Nene ever telling anyone at the office anything else about him. That in itself was strange, because almost all of the other girls in the office talked about their boyfriends, constantly at times. Why was she staying quiet? Did they have something to hide? Leon's feet dropped to the floor as he sat up, a sudden, unpleasant thought striking him. Could her `accidents' the result of something he was doing to her?! He dismissed that though a moment later as unlikely; Nene didn't have any of the signs of someone abusing her. Given the way he'd seen the two of them look at each other on the very rare occasions when he did see them together, it was unlikely that there was that kind of a problem: the red- haired couple were obviously madly in love with each other. So who the hell was he, what did he do, and what was Nene getting involved in? "Hey McNichol!!" someone yelled across the office, jerking him out of his ruminations. "Call for you on line three!!" With a sigh, Leon picked up the phone, and set aside the puzzle he'd found for some time when he was less occupied. **** -..."Don't shoot; I'm not armed," the blond-haired man in front of her said smoothly. Nene grinned savagely to herself as Hollister's hands started to come up. She'd done it! She'd managed to get the bastard who'd hurt Bert and Sylvie, and now she was going to... Her heart leaped into her throat as Hollister suddenly dodged sideways, leveling a large gun of some kind at her. For one awful moment, Nene stared, shocked and fear- stricken, into the gaping black muzzle. There was a blinding flash from the gun, and a thunderous roar that shattered the world into a hazy, pain-riddled fog. Nene screamed as she felt the slug from the gun pierce her armour, destroying the plating effortlessly, and burrowing deep into her flesh. Burning agony washed through her, spreading outwards from her numbed stomach...- **** "NOOOOOOOOO!!!" Bert jerked upright in his recliner at the terrified scream that suddenly blasted from his bedroom. Pitching the novel he'd been reading before dozing off into the nearby couch, he jumped up from the chair, and walked quickly, almost running, across the room to his bedroom door. "Nene?" he knocked cautiously, listening. No one replied, but he could hear hysterical sobbing coming from inside. Turning the knob, he opened the door and stepped into the room, moving on memory, and turned on the small lamp by the bed to provide a bit of light. The dim illumination revealed a tangled mass of bedsheets, wrapped around a sobbing, red-haired young woman in a white nightgown who was shuddering and shaking uncontrollably, her face pressed into the pillow. Bert quickly went over next to the bed. "Nene?" he called again gently, reaching out and gently touching her shoulder. She rolled over, revealing a tear- wet face and horrified green eyes. Bert sat down on the edge of the bed, and scooped her up, hugging her tightly. She hugged him back, and cried into his chest for several minutes before calming down again. "Another nightmare?" he asked quietly, running a hand tenderly through her tangled hair. She nodded wordlessly, her face still pressed against him. He squeezed her gently again, trying to offer her some comfort, while at the same time damning Hollister in the back of his mind with every curse he could think of; none of them seemed to even come close to promising what he thought the bastard deserved for having hurt her. The last two weeks had not been easy on any of them. Nene was still terrified as a result of her near brush with death; it had been the first time she'd ever been hurt that badly before, and she wasn't dealing with it very well. With the brash assurance of youth, she'd assumed she was immune to serious harm, an impression that had been irrevocably shattered by Hollister's bullet. He hoped the shock would not be an insurmountable obstacle for her. He understood exactly what she was going through, having been through it himself, and he was trying to help her through the rocky parts. He wasn't sure how successful his efforts were, though; she'd been having nightmares constantly lately, and despite all his attempts to help her deal with it, she was still waking up screaming at times. His own recovery from his ordeal at Hollister's hands was proceeding, but at a very slow pace. He was able to control himself a lot better, and not lash out instantly at anyone who came near, but he still had the occasional relapse. The other day Priss had slapped him on the shoulder in a comradely fashion, and the response had been nearly instantaneous: he'd very nearly slugged her. They'd both apologized, Priss for forgetting that he was still twitchy, and him for almost decking her, and they'd let the matter drop. At the same time however, something in him seemed to die, just a little, each time that he had to restrain himself from hitting one of his friends. He hugged Nene again, wishing her peace of mind with more intensity than he'd ever wished for anything before, for anyone, himself included. He could handle a certain amount of stress himself, having been through the wringer enough times to have learned how to withstand most of it, but Nene was not as...as...battle-hardened as he now was, in some respects, anyway. She'd always had a sort of youthful innocence that he loved, but these problems could very well scorch and irreparably harm her cheery personality. Nene had become quiet, and Bert started to release her, easing her back to her pillows, thinking she was falling asleep. Instead of laying back, she threw her arms around his neck, and gave him a hard kiss that had an intensity in it that almost bordered on desperation. After a moment of surprise, he hugged her again, returning her kiss. After a few moments, she pulled back slightly, her face still wet, with a few stray red hairs clinging to it. He gently brushed them out of her face, and looked into her lustrous, emerald-green eyes. They were a little calmer now, but the lurking fear that had triggered her nightmares was still in the backs of them. His own eyes were showing her his love and concern for her, which was helping her to calm down a bit. "You'd better try to get back to sleep," he finally said gently, looking at the clock. "You've got to go back to work in a few hours." Her two weeks of sick leave were up, and there was no way they could sidestep the issue any longer: In the morning, she had to go back to the ADP offices and get on with her usual job. At the mention of sleep, however, the fear in Nene's eyes intensified a bit. "Will....will you stay with me for the rest of the night?" she asked him in a small, quavering voice. She was still trembling, and her pulse was still pounding like runaway trip-hammers; he could feel it as he held her. "Please? I....I don't want to be alone...I..." Her voice cut off as he leaned forward and kissed her again compassionately. "Whatever M'Lady wishes," he said quietly, which brought the faintest, fleeting flicker of a smile to her face; it was the first time in a while he'd called her that since his run-in with Hollister. Giving her a quick smile of reassurance, he stood up, and dug a spare pillow and blanket out of the closet. He went back over to the bed, plopping the pillow down next to hers. Quickly straightening out her tangled sheets and blankets, he squeezed onto the bed next to her, draping his extra blanket over the both of them, and settling back. Nene hugged him gratefully, and snuggled closer as he wrapped an arm around her, putting her head on his shoulder. After a few moments, her breathing slowed down a bit, becoming the even, steady breaths of someone slumbering soundly. Bert carefully reached over, and hit the switch for the light; gently cloaking darkness slithered across the room. After a few more minutes, he also fell asleep. THE NEXT DAY...... The subdued murmur of bureaucratic activity greeted them as Bert escorted Nene through the door of the ADP offices where she worked. The hum of computers and rustle of forms and other paper being shuffled was overlaid with the bored tones of people talking on the phones, or having arguments over a morning cup of coffee. It appeared to be business as usual for the ADP. In the few times Bert had been through the offices, they'd always appeared the same: vaguely hyperactive and chaotic. Glancing around in apparent unconcern, he walked with Nene over to her desk, noting that there were a few bunches of flowers with `Get Well' cards left on the desk. The sight of the floral arrangements helped perk her up a bit, but she was still quiet, pale-looking and subdued, which, for her, was not her normal demeanor. Nene had never seemed to be anything but cheerful and bubbly at work; the sudden mood change might seem suspicious, and he hoped that nobody inquired too deeply into what her `illness' had been. She sat down behind her desk, tucking her handbag underneath it. "Think you'll be okay?" he asked quietly, sitting on the edge of the desk. She looked back at him, biting her lip in uncertainty, and nodded, once. Bert very carefully kept any more unease about her from leaking through to his face; Nene wasn't talking much, which was not a good sign. "I'll pick you up after work," he told her, "and we'll go to dinner someplace, okay?" She nodded again, giving him a weak smile. He smiled back, then leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss, trying to express his feelings for her in the brief contact. Her eyes appeared to be a little brighter- looking as he pulled back, which eased his heart slightly. He gave her hands a quick, reassuring squeeze as he stood up, and with a warm, parting smile, left. Nene watched him go, sitting quietly, unmoving. For a brief moment, a lost and lonely expression flickered on her lovely face, then dissappeared. After a few minutes, she sighed, and started checking her desk to see just what work had accumulated while she'd been away. **** Bert walked quickly through the ADP halls, shoulders hunched, with his hands in his pockets, trying to get out of the building before anyone started asking questions. He was in a really lousy mood, and he really didn't feel like answering inquiries on anything. His foul state of mind was a result of his concern for Nene, and helpless frustration over the fact that he couldn't help her in any other way other than being there for her; he wanted to do more, damnit. He strode rapidly through the halls, avoiding contacting people with unconscious deftness; since his `incident' he'd found he had an almost sixth sense about when people were around him. While useful occasionally, at times it made him more furious than anything. All he wanted was to go back to being normal, but it appeared as if that option was being denied him. That thought always provoked towering fury, and an almost overpowering urge to go looking for Hollister with a weapon of some kind. He fought off the lurking anger over what had been done to him again, unaware that his internal struggle was making him look like a red-haired thundercloud, as he stalked through the halls of the ADP Headquarters with a very foreboding expression. People who saw him coming were surreptitiously moving out of the way, giving him a wide berth. All of them stepped aside, except for one man, dimly noticed out of the side of his eye. "Excuse me," a voice called over to him. Bert didn't reply, being lost in his own thoughts. The call was repeated. "Hey!! You there!!" He ignored it again, and was preparing to exit the building when a hand reached out and grabbed his arm. Bert froze, fighting the instant reflex action that erupted. His hands clenched into tight fists, and his face became taut with strain as every muscle in his body tensed. In the depths of his mind, the snarling urge to attack whoever had just attacked him howled for release. He fought it down, reason overriding instinct; he was not being attacked, and there was no threat to him. He turned slowly, damning his subconscious mind for its now-violent reactions to unexpected contact. "Let go of me. Now," he said tightly, still quivering slightly. Leon McNichol released his arm, and stepped back slightly, his face inscrutable, blue eyes flicking quickly to the ID passcards Bert had hanging from the breast pocket of his jacket. Once his hand was clear of his arm, Bert relaxed a bit, mentally sighing in relief. "Was there a problem Inspector?" he asked, his tone a little more courteous. "No, not really," Leon replied easily, his manner appearing to be calm and relaxed. "I just heard that Nene had come in today with her boyfriend; I recognized you, and I wondered how she was doing." "She's fine," Bert replied, trying to sound like there was no doubt in his mind. "She's over the worst of the illness, and the doctor said she'll be completely recovered before too much longer." He wished he could believe himself; he wasn't sure Nene would be `better' anytime soon. "What was the problem?" Leon asked curiously. "Virus of some kind," Bert said, shrugging. "That was all the doc would say, but he's pretty sure it's gone now."