3.20.02

[virtualda]

episode: Virtual Dark Angel episode 20

season: Virtual Dark Angel season 3







ACT II



Jam Pony – 3:15 PM

Logan, wet from the rain that had started to fall, came down the ramp and approached the counter. Normal barely glanced up from the envelopes he was sorting. “I told you she’s not here. What, you had to come and see for yourself?”

“Maybe,” Logan said defensively. “She hasn’t shown up yet?”

“No. Imagine that. Got her check, took her first run, and hasn’t been seen since.” Normal handed a paycheck envelope to Sky as he passed by. “Here. Don’t let me catch you faking signatures again or you’ll be missing more than a few hours of pay.”

Ignoring Normal, Sky moved across the room to greet Sketchy. They began playing hacky-sack as Logan turned back to Normal. “Where was her last run to? Maybe I can track her down.”

“That’s confidential. Customers trust that we don’t give out their information.”

“I’m just looking for Max. Tell me where to look.”

Normal gave him a sideways glance and sighed. He turned around to check some papers on a clipboard. Logan glanced briefly to the side and saw the hacky-sack game moving closer to the counter.

Still facing the rear wall, Normal read from the clipboard. “833 Hamlin. Sector elev – Hey!” Normal had turned around and finally noticed the game. “No games inside! This is a place of business, not a park!”

“Come on, Normal, we’re going for a record here,” Sketchy protested, concentrating on the beanbag. He and Sky kept kicking it back and forth.

Logan pulled a notepad out of his pocket and jotted down the address Normal had given him.

Normal charged out from behind the counter. “Do I have to get in the middle of this again? You slackers don’t even know the difference between break time and work time. Gimme that!” He reached for the beanbag. Sketchy and the other messenger managed to play keep-away with it, grinning mischievously as Normal ducked this way and that in his effort to snatch the beanbag away.

“I told you, Normal, the record won’t be brok – AAH!” Sketchy tripped over one of his trailing shoelaces and fell headfirst. Arms flailing for balance, he accidentally knocked a huge stack of papers off of the counter as he went down. Sketchy crashed to the floor, and the papers floated off the counter like falling leaves. The wind from the rainstorm outside blew them farther around, sending some of them gliding across the room.

“You idiot!” Normal cried, stooping to grab some papers from the floor. “If any of these delivery slips get lost, it’s coming out of your pay!”



Sublime P.I. – 3:25 PM

When Gem came to, Cody was on his cell phone. “Yes, sir,” she heard him say. Hanging up, he turned, and seemed surprised to find her awake. “Rats. I should have hit you twice.”

Gem sat up. Cody was lifting Elfie out of her stroller. “Cody, no!”

“Stay back,” he warned. “If you think I won’t hurt her – you’re nuts.”

“What are you doing?” Helplessly, Gem put her hands on her thighs. “Leave her alone!”

“I’m taking her with me,” Cody said grimly. “And you’re going to do exactly what I say.” He balanced the baby on one hip, and reached into his pocket with his other hand. He extracted a pair of handcuffs.

“Oh.” Gem’s voice was tight. “Oh, God.”

Cody threw the cuffs at her. They bounced off her knee, and landed on the floor with a metallic thud. “Pick them up.”

Tentatively, Gem reached for the cuffs. “Why are you doing this?”

“Shut up!” he shouted. “Don’t make me kill you! Do you think I want to kill the mother of my baby?”

“What are you going to do with her?” demanded Gem.

Cody looked down at Elfie and broke into a smile. “She’s my ticket – back to a real life, the life I’m supposed to have.”

“You’re insane,” Gem breathed. “You’re going to sell her!”

“It’s more of a trade,” he clarified with a shrug. “I give her back, and I get what I want. It’s as simple as that.”

“Please don’t do this,” Gem begged. “She’s just a baby.”

“Get up.” Cody shifted his weight, watching her. Cautiously, Gem got to her feet, still holding the handcuffs. “Slow!” he snapped, and Gem froze. Stiffly, she held up her hands. “Handcuff yourself to the radiator.”

“Cody –” Gem started, but he cut her off.

“Do it! And be glad I’m not taking you back, too.”

“Screw you!” she said angrily.

Cody grinned. “You already did.”

“No,” Gem said. “I mean – screw you!” She threw the handcuffs at his head, and Cody batted them away. Gem ran forward. Dropping to the ground, she swept his leg. Cody fell, swearing, and Elfie started to cry. Scrambling, Gem pulled the baby out of his arms. Cody grabbed Gem’s leg, and she kicked at him. He made an angry noise. Gem bounced to her feet and took off for the exit. She snagged a laundry cart, pulling it alongside her as she ran. Cody was up almost immediately, right behind her.

Gem plopped Elfie into the cart just as Cody reached out. Cody grabbed Gem from behind, circling her waist. She twisted, kicking, and sent Elfie spinning back across the room, past the long row of washers and dryers. The laundry cart ended up in the far corner, next to the rectangular table and the bag of dirty diapers. Elfie peered over the side, her eyes huge.

Cody picked Gem up, and she gasped. “Crafty,” he whispered in her ear. “But now I’m going to have to mess you up.”

Gem twisted in his arms, struggling. She brought her own arms down, and broke his hold. She landed on her feet, in a crouch. “Someone’s gonna get messed up,” she panted. Cody threw a punch, and she blocked him. She drew her leg back sharply, and kneed him in the groin.

“Oh, jeez.” His face turned red.

“That’s right!” Gem pivoted on her back foot. She kicked. Cody’s eyes were wide with shock, his mouth hanging open. Flailing, he fell back against the edge of the washing machine.



Jam Pony – 3:30 PM



“Gimme a break, Normal, I tripped,” Sketchy muttered, shaking his head and climbing back to his feet.

“Yeah, well, if you’d learn how to tie your shoes like any kindergartner can, you wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

Despite his worry, Logan was watching the scene with amusement. As Normal bobbed at the waist, picking up the papers scattered across the floor, a padded envelope caught Logan’s eye. He moved forward slightly to get a better look, saw that it was addressed simply to “Max,” and leaned down to pick it up.

Normal spotted it just as Logan started to open it. “Hey!” He rushed over and snatched it out of Logan’s hands on his way back to the counter. “Not for you!”

“Who’s that from?” Logan demanded, wheeling closer to the desk, attempting to look at the return address. There was none.

“Don’t know, don’t care,” Normal retorted, busy trying to reorganize the piles on the counter that had been disrupted by Sketchy’s fall. “None of my business. And it’s none of yours, either.”

“Don’t talk to me like that.” Logan raised his voice. “I’m not one of your messengers.”

“Well, you’re not a customer either, are you?”

“I could be. You never know,” Logan said, inching closer to the envelope while Normal was distracted.

“Yeah, right. The only pickup you ever come for is Max.”

“And this envelope,” Logan announced as he grabbed it. Normal looked up and reached for it, but Logan backed up out of Normal’s reach and quickly resumed opening the envelope.

Normal stood there for a second, as if making a decision. Then he muttered, “If the cops come asking about mail tampering, I had nothing to do with it.”

“You didn’t,” Logan murmured, reading the unsigned note he had pulled out of the envelope.

Eyes Only,

Your broadcasts have become inconvenient. You will cease to pursue your current topics and instead begin informing the populace as to the necessity of secession. To ensure your cooperation, we have taken Max. We recommend that you follow our instructions below if you do not wish to see her harmed.

“Who sent this?” Logan demanded again, looking up with renewed urgency. The worry in his voice was unmistakable.

Normal opened his mouth to refuse information again, but one look at Logan’s face made him change his mind. “Sketchy, get over here!”

“I’m between runs,” Sketchy argued as he ambled over.

“Talk to him. He’s the one who made the pickup,” Normal told Logan, and walked away.

Logan held up the envelope so Sketchy could see it. “Where’d this come from?”

“It was a pickup on Hamlin, in Sector 11.” Sketchy cocked his head and stepped closer to Logan. “Is Max in trouble or something?”

“Don’t know yet. Did you say – Hamlin?” Logan repeated in disbelief. He pulled out the note he had written himself a few minutes earlier. “833 Hamlin?”

“Yeah, man, how’d you know?”

“Never mind,” Logan said, pocketing the notepad. “If you hear from Max, have her give me a call.”

“Sure thing.” Sketchy watched Logan leave, until he got hit on the back of the head with the beanbag. He turned back for another game.

As soon as Logan got outside, he found a quiet, empty spot and reread the last sentences of the note. Don’t believe we have her? We’ve enclosed something that should make it obvious enough. Taking a deep breath, he turned the envelope upside-down and shook it until something fell into his waiting hand.

His gasp echoed through the alley.



Undisclosed Location – 3:45 PM

Blearily, Max opened her eyes. She was staring up at a ceiling. She groaned, lifting her head. “Where the hell am I?”

She planted her palms on the hard cement floor. “I was making a delivery. But – what happened?” She shoved herself upright, gasping at the effort. “Ugh.” She put her head in her hands. When she spoke again, her voice, bouncing back at her off the cold concrete walls, was hollow. “I feel terrible.”

She got up on her knees, and tried to stand. Her head swam, and the room tilted sharply. She was out before she hit the floor.



END OF ACT II

Act III