down by uniforms with clubs. Stein
hadn’t been hurt, but friends had. Things got bad after that, though Stein had
mostly excused herself from that part of the fight, a decision which probably
saved her life. Ever since then, she’d found it damned hard to look at a
security officer without imagining a set of crosshairs superimposed on them.
Until she met one with dopey, puppy dog eyes.
Problems on the horizon though, just like always. He wanted
more. More of her time, more of her thoughts, more of everything. She didn’t.
It would come to something bad and painful, eventually. Always did. But for now
he was fun to share a beer with, and, occasionally, a bed.
But not someone to trust with crazy hypotheses about AI
systems tampering with the maintenance database to inconvenience government
workers. Instead she asked, “So, even the Security database is incorrect
sometimes? Sergei, Sergei. Letting slip these chinks in your armor. People will
stop fearing you soon.”
Sergei snorted. “It happens. Not that I’ve ever seen it
happen, but it must. People move. Addresses change. I don’t even know how it
updates, but it does. Any system built by man will break sometime.”
Stein silently assented, her day job a result of it. A
sudden punch in the back of her shoulder announced the arrival of Bruce, and
shortly thereafter, many more drinks.
§
“And that’s why everything you believe in is wrong,” Bruce
concluded, three hours later.
Sergei nodded, his face composed. It wasn’t the first time
he had met Bruce, but he had been on his best behavior on that occasion. Less
so tonight — Stein had been stifling laughter all evening watching Sergei’s
reactions to Bruce’s antics.
“Fair enough. I guess I’ll have to make some immediate
changes in my life,” Sergei said. He held up his glass, allowing Bruce to
lustily collide his own with it. Stein smiled.
Maybe I’ll keep him around a
bit longer.
Sergei’s eyes drifted over the bar, to the mirrored wall
with the stacks of bottles and glassware on it. He focused on something. Stein
followed his gaze, but couldn’t see what he was looking at.
“That prick can’t even drink properly,” he said.
“Who?”
He blinked in surprised, seeming to have forgotten where he
was. “No one. Koller. Some asshole I work with.” He jerked his head backwards.
Stein looked behind them, seeing a burly looking man sitting against the back
wall, staring at the table, a nearly full glass in front of him. “Real son of a
bitch,” Sergei continued. “Wouldn’t know a good time if it sat on his face.”
That sounded like most cops to her, but she kept that thought
to herself. On her other side, Bruce, who rarely kept things to himself, was
busy noisily licking the inside of his glass, trying to get the attention of
the bartender.
Sergei tugged at the sleeve of Stein’s shirt. “We have to go
now,” he said.
“What, why?” Stein asked, alarmed. She searched his face for
clues, finding only a pair of twinkling eyes. She smiled. “Oh. That. Yeah, all
right.” She turned to Bruce. “We have to go now,” she repeated loudly.
“What’s all this I hear about you having to go?” Bruce
asked, squinting at the pair.
“We have to go,” they replied in unison. Stein giggled, her
eyes widening, surprised at herself.
Bruce nodded, looking down at the new drink which had just
arrived. “Well, it’s a school night for me, too.” He finished the drink in one
swallow, then flagged down the bartender again. “So, I’ll be here for awhile.
You two have fun.”
They stood up and began walking from the bar, Sergei casting
another glance at his mopey friend in the back while Stein eyeballed her own.
She felt a flicker of guilt leaving Bruce there. He had certainly left her
alone many times, pursuing one of the many lady friends he’d had. He could very
well have another one tonight. Still, that flicker of guilt lingered as she
walked out, catching a final glance of him.
hadn’t been hurt, but friends had. Things got bad after that, though Stein had
mostly excused herself from that part of the fight, a decision which probably
saved her life. Ever since then, she’d found it damned hard to look at a
security officer without imagining a set of crosshairs superimposed on them.
Until she met one with dopey, puppy dog eyes.
Problems on the horizon though, just like always. He wanted
more. More of her time, more of her thoughts, more of everything. She didn’t.
It would come to something bad and painful, eventually. Always did. But for now
he was fun to share a beer with, and, occasionally, a bed.
But not someone to trust with crazy hypotheses about AI
systems tampering with the maintenance database to inconvenience government
workers. Instead she asked, “So, even the Security database is incorrect
sometimes? Sergei, Sergei. Letting slip these chinks in your armor. People will
stop fearing you soon.”
Sergei snorted. “It happens. Not that I’ve ever seen it
happen, but it must. People move. Addresses change. I don’t even know how it
updates, but it does. Any system built by man will break sometime.”
Stein silently assented, her day job a result of it. A
sudden punch in the back of her shoulder announced the arrival of Bruce, and
shortly thereafter, many more drinks.
§
“And that’s why everything you believe in is wrong,” Bruce
concluded, three hours later.
Sergei nodded, his face composed. It wasn’t the first time
he had met Bruce, but he had been on his best behavior on that occasion. Less
so tonight — Stein had been stifling laughter all evening watching Sergei’s
reactions to Bruce’s antics.
“Fair enough. I guess I’ll have to make some immediate
changes in my life,” Sergei said. He held up his glass, allowing Bruce to
lustily collide his own with it. Stein smiled.
Maybe I’ll keep him around a
bit longer.
Sergei’s eyes drifted over the bar, to the mirrored wall
with the stacks of bottles and glassware on it. He focused on something. Stein
followed his gaze, but couldn’t see what he was looking at.
“That prick can’t even drink properly,” he said.
“Who?”
He blinked in surprised, seeming to have forgotten where he
was. “No one. Koller. Some asshole I work with.” He jerked his head backwards.
Stein looked behind them, seeing a burly looking man sitting against the back
wall, staring at the table, a nearly full glass in front of him. “Real son of a
bitch,” Sergei continued. “Wouldn’t know a good time if it sat on his face.”
That sounded like most cops to her, but she kept that thought
to herself. On her other side, Bruce, who rarely kept things to himself, was
busy noisily licking the inside of his glass, trying to get the attention of
the bartender.
Sergei tugged at the sleeve of Stein’s shirt. “We have to go
now,” he said.
“What, why?” Stein asked, alarmed. She searched his face for
clues, finding only a pair of twinkling eyes. She smiled. “Oh. That. Yeah, all
right.” She turned to Bruce. “We have to go now,” she repeated loudly.
“What’s all this I hear about you having to go?” Bruce
asked, squinting at the pair.
“We have to go,” they replied in unison. Stein giggled, her
eyes widening, surprised at herself.
Bruce nodded, looking down at the new drink which had just
arrived. “Well, it’s a school night for me, too.” He finished the drink in one
swallow, then flagged down the bartender again. “So, I’ll be here for awhile.
You two have fun.”
They stood up and began walking from the bar, Sergei casting
another glance at his mopey friend in the back while Stein eyeballed her own.
She felt a flicker of guilt leaving Bruce there. He had certainly left her
alone many times, pursuing one of the many lady friends he’d had. He could very
well have another one tonight. Still, that flicker of guilt lingered as she
walked out, catching a final glance of him.
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