Acme Time Travel Incorporated - Volume 2

Glorieta de Mejico – Seville

Ginny and Gabriel teleported into a far quadrant of the flyer park. The parking area was large. It was littered with flyers of various sizes, plus velos and mono-lifts.

Gabriel and Ginny stood off to one side; with their holo-forms activated they looked like an old couple out for a walk, stopping to catch their breath.

“The flyer’s just arrived,” Vicky said. “It’s just landed over there, over to your left, about fifty yards away from you.”

A small yellow neon arrow flashed momentarily in front of them, pointing to the ramstat flyer.

“Can you let us hear what they’re saying?” Ginny asked.

An image maybe 6 inches by 6 inches appeared in the air in front of them. It was as if they were watching a small TV screen ... floating in the air. They could clearly both see and hear the occupants of the flyer.

“The one nearest us is Smythe,” Gabriel said. “I don’t recognise the other one.”

“... so the only good thing that little fucker did was set up tracers on the STUs he gave them,” said Smythe.

“Before they blew his fucking arm off,” said the other man.

“They’re talking about Swan,” Gabriel whispered to Ginny, who nodded back.

“He died screaming like a fucking pig,” Smythe laughed.

“Shame about Bryce, though,” said the other. “His kid’s due next month.”

Gabriel paled.

Ginny took hold of his hand and squeezed it.

“I thought all the STUs had tracers, anyway,” the other man said. “When they teleport, the HUB knows where they are anyway.”

“Yeah, but that’s just when they teleport. Otherwise nobody knows where the little buggers are. So, Swan adapted those STUs he gave out. They are continuously sending out their location. That’s how we know where the meds are right now.”

“Wonder why he even bothered,” the other man said. “I thought giving them those STUs was supposed to be a death sentence, anyway.”

“I guess Swan was one absolutely paranoid little fucker ... and rightly so, since they didn’t fucking die, did they?” Smythe said.

“But now they will,” said the other man. “And maybe we’ll get those bonuses after all.”

“Too fucking true, mate,” Smythe said, chuckling. “Anyway, I’m gonna get my head down for a bit. They won’t be out of their apartment for another hour, so why don’t you take a walk or something.”

“Or just shut the fuck up, eh?”

“Exactly.”

The other man opened his flyer door and stepped out. “See you in a bit,” he said.

Smythe reclined his seat, laid back and closed his eyes.

“Vicky?” said Gabriel.

“Yes?”

“How come they didn’t detect the other STU ... you know, the one that Sara and Zackery gave to us?”

“You never put it on, so it never activated.”

“Oh ... ok.”

“And Vicky?”

“Yes, Gabriel?”

“Can we request weapons?”

“Yes, Gabriel. What were you thinking you might need?”