Chapter 1 (Danella)
I looked across at Stella. I know Stel better than anyone, she is my sister after all, so I new that she was not prone to exaggeration.
"The Omni service is not usually wrong Dan. Their target is the insurance system...." Stella let it hang.
I had been a Doctor for quit a while so I had seen all kinds of atrocities, but to have the Insurance system brought down would mean that everyone’s DNA files would be lost.
"Frig Stel, this is serious. What’s omni doing about it? They gotta be doing something. I mean, Crap, when people die, they would be DEAD!"
"Don't you think I know that Danell" Stella's voice started to rise.
I reached across the table and held Stel's hand, trying to soothe the emotional Crat.
"Stel you gotta calm it." I said in a harsh whisper, "All we need is this to get out. Frig; half of RK would be goin vigilante. Lots, and I mean lots, of innocent people would get lynched for no good reason accept that they MIGHT be the baddies plannin this.
They were sitting at the same table they always sat at in the same crap hole bar they always met at in Boriallis. The owner preferred the 'Aged' look so nothing ever got fixed. It was small, single room, 9 tables in all, with 3 or 4 chairs around each table. The bar stood at one end with the door to the outside world at the other. It was always full and always smoky.
Amanda came by, always efficient in her duties.
"You girls need anything else?"
Stella looked at her and smiled.
"Maybe a new job.... You hirin?"
Amanda chuckled. Here brown eyes passing between Danell and Stella.
"And let you muscle in on my dream job... Not likely!"
"Then I think the bill is all we need." I interjected.
"A walk might do both of us good."
I threw some creds on the table.
Stella looked at the credits and smiled. "If you’re buyin, I definitely need a walk!"
"Ha, Ha" I scoffed.
With that they got up, both giving a hug to Amanda and saying goodbye, and walked out.
As they walked out into the bright light of he RK day Danell looked at Stella and smiled.
"Even after all this time, through all our differences, I still love her like no other" she thought.
It was 4 years ago, almost to the day, Dan realized, that it happened.
Danell and Stella where twins. They had grown up on RK as neutrals and although there was always around fighting and death they seemed to live a good existence. Their parents where Doctors, very good doctors, and they helped anyone who needed help, Clan, Omni, it didn't matter. Danell and Stella where allowed grow up together and do kid things. They where inseparable.
One day their parents where helping some injured soldiers from a battle that had taken place in Upper Stret East Bank. There has always been a general truce when in the care of a Doc, especially a neutral Doc, which was observed so the separation of the 2 factions was not necessary. But on this day, things got out of control. No one knows who started it but it ended with us being orphaned.
I held on to my father and watched the light go from his eyes because I did not have the skill at being a doctor to help him. Stella had killed a battle-crazed clanner that had shot her mother to death.
Our parents where adamant traditionalist and did not believe in the insurance terminals. "When your time is up, that’s it." they where fond of saying. "Why be a doctor if every time you are injured, you just gotta put the gun to your head and pull the trigger and BAM your good as new"
Amanda had been a friend of our parents and took us in but it was from that point on that we went our separate ways. Stella joined the Omni's, unable to fogive the Clan for the death of her mother, and was quickly rising in the ranks of the Bureaucrats while I joined the Clan doctors because I felt it was the best way to stop the bloodshed.
"So what next?"
Stel's question knocked me from my reveries.
"And why the hell are you starin at me?"
"Sorry" I stammered. "Just thinkin 'bout old times."
"Well stop it and focus on the present! Thats the problem with you clammers, no focus."
"Lay off Stel. Same old argument. I don't need it right now."
She had a way of getting to me.
"Sh*t, sorry Dan. This whole things got me spooked."
I let it drop. "I know what your sayin. Anyway I gues we try to figure out who's plannin this thing. I'll go back and see what I can dig up. You do the same."
"Guess there's nothin else for it then eh Dan." Stel looked at me, that same sad look in her eyes.
She was beautiful. As beautiful as any Nano born on RK. She drove everyone crazy. Tall, but not to tall. Long dark hair and soft features. But it was her eyes that allways got to the guys. That was the difference between her and I, the eyes. She could look at you one minute and own you the next. It always seemed so easy for her. She had it so easy whe we were younger but since she joined the Omni's she pushed it to the next degree her suit was the topper. She always wore it. Always black and always skin tight.
"Sorry Dan. I really hoped to hang with you for a few days. We never see each other any more."
She looked away, distracted.
"Sonny Lets Go!" she yelled.
Here assistant bot rambled over.
"As you wish madam. I park your Yalmaha this way."
Stel turned to me, opened her arms and smiled. I moved in to them and we hugged.
"I miss you Stel. Keep in touch"
"You too Dan"
And with that I watched her hop into her Yalm and drive away.