Alicia Jones 3: New Frontier by D. L. Harrison Read Free Book Online Page B

killed my inner
hermit.  Senna actually won the most reserved award out of the five of us,
which was a change for me, but she was definitely having fun.  I got the
impression she didn’t get out of the palace very much back on Leira.
    After, letting Al drive, we went to a pool hall with a full
bar.  There was more staring and comments, but it was kept to a minimum,
and I was pretty sure our security was the reason for that.  They weren’t
loud and crude about it either.  Mostly, it was just that my sense of
hearing picking up things most people wouldn’t.  Some of it was very
flattering actually.
      The first game, Kristi and Nadia played a game of
nine ball, while I explained the rules to Senna and Nora.  They didn’t
look all that excited about it at first, but before we left they were quite
addicted to the game.  It almost came to the point where we just skipped
the show, but we decided to stick to the plan.
    I’d have rather gone dancing.
    However, it wasn’t meant to be.  On the way to the
Broadway show we got stuck in traffic, just sitting still.  Manhattan was
one of the places I wasn’t allowed to fly, so I couldn’t just go over the
traffic, at least not legally.  Accidents weren’t that common an
occurrence anymore, so I didn’t think that was the problem.  Not since
A.I.s could drive, and although the cars weren’t like my shuttle, they did run
off of small fusion reactors instead of gasoline, and were extremely reliable.
    We all exchanged looks.
    I asked curiously, “Al, what’s going on up ahead.”
    Al took a moment to respond, I assumed he was checking the
net for information, “There is some kind of hostage situation on the roof of
the nearby building, a man holding a woman at the edge.  The man is
threatening to kill himself and take his wife with him.  There has also
been an accident because of the gathered crowd before the police arrived, and some
people are stuck in their car, emergency vehicles are in route.”
    I thought about it for a second, then moved to get
out.  Kristi just looked at me and followed outside of her door. 
    I smiled, “I thought you’d argue with me.”
    She replied, “Only if you went alone.  I followed you
into space battles, did you think I’d stop you from dealing with a jumper, and
an accident.”
    I snickered, she had a good point.
    We heard the others get out and follow as we walked between
the card toward the scene.  Outside of some strange looks by the other
drivers, no one stopped us until we got up to the police barricade.
    The officer said firmly in a strong New York accent, “Go
back to your car ma’am, everything is in hand.”
    I looked up and saw the jumper on top of the six story
building, standing on the edge with who I assumed was his wife, in a
headlock.  I could also see the car crushed against the telephone
pole.  I wasn’t exactly a hero, but I was here and had the technology to
help. 
    I shook my head, “I can help.”
    The officer looked me up and down with a doubtful look,
until his eyes reached back up to my face, perhaps seeing it for the first
time, and he froze a moment.  Then he noticed the people behind me.
    He still looked unsure, “How exactly can you help?”
    I smiled, “Gravity.”
    Kristi coughed to hide a laugh.  I had to admit it
wasn’t much of an explanation.
    “I mean, I have a device that can create gravity fields, it
isn’t in the open market yet but it is available to law enforcement. 
Don’t you guys have them yet?”
    He frowned, “It’s part of the riot gear, how would that help
here?”
    I shook my head, “It can do a lot more than just make people
feel heavier.”
    Maybe I’d have to talk to someone in charge and educate them
about what they now had access too.  This thing could move a tractor
trailer off the side of the road easily, much less a jumper on the edge of a
roof.  For that matter, during a police pursuit it could lift a car a few
inches off the road.  There were so