Division Zero by Matthew S. Cox Read Free Book Online

PubTran came to a complete halt at her stop, the Police Administrative Center. She jogged down the steps onto the metal sidewalk toward the massive office building. She took no small amusement at the stunned look on the suit’s face watching her walk to the police-only entrance.
    “Dammit dad, you are going to make everyone on the PubTran think I’m on drugs, talking to an empty seat.”
    He followed her through the wall of the PubTran and kept up with her as she made her way through the doors into the lobby.
    “I’m just worried. Besides, tell them you have one of those dermal thingees.” He waved his finger around the side of his head. “Implanted comm whatevers.”
    She stopped and faced him, knowing that sometimes spirits could learn things in ways she had yet to understand. “Anything specific or just general dad worry?”
    “Nothing specific, I um…” He sighed and looked down. “I’m sorry.”
    Is that what’s keeping him here, guilt?
Kirsten felt ashamed her only non-surviving relative tried to apologize to her and she did not want him to. Maybe she did resent him for not noticing years of abuse, but if she accepted his apology, he would go away forever.
    The idea filled her with paralyzing sorrow.
    “I was ten. I didn’t think you’d believe me if I told you. That bitch was such a different person when you came home.” Kirsten made her body tangible to ghosts and hugged him. “I wanted you to stay home, but you kept leaving.” She sniffled, her voice faltered. “I’ve been dodging your apology because you’ll go away again if you find peace.” She paused for a moment. “I’m sorry, too.”
    The wrinkles around his eyes deepened as he smiled. After a long, knowing pause, he reached to take her hand. “I am honestly worried about you. What she did to you can’t be excused.”
    She stepped back and looked him in the eye. “Look, dad. I’m fine. I know more about it than you think. I’m not going to do anything that’ll make them come after me, and
you
can stop feeling guilty about mom. It’s not right you’re stuck here and she’s gone on.”
    “You don’t think they got her, do you?” He looked off into nowhere with a fearful expression.
    Her eyes narrowed as she resumed walking. “If I was writing the laws of the universe they would have. I don’t know if her delusions were true evil or just twisted and cruel. I hope she realized just how wrong she was once she crossed over and there was no fat man in a toga waiting for her by some goddamned gate.”
    “Well,” he said through a smile, “I don’t believe for an instant you’re the devil’s child. That wouldn’t say much for me, now would it?”
    She turned to answer, but found empty space. Slouching into a sigh, she stared at the floor. No flash of silver came, though she feared he had moved on. Red filled in around her eyes as she fought the urge to cry at the second loss of her father. She could not do that here―not in front of all these cops. Swallowing it, she drew in a breath and held her head up.
    The rest of the police complex drifted by in a silent haze. Hallway after hallway passed; filled with a sound borne of a thousand conversations and an uncountable collection of technology. The central node, as busy as ever, filled with members of the various police divisions. She navigated the crowd on autopilot past the halls leading off to the combined command group for Divisions 1, 5, and 6. A stream of Division 1 beat cops, bored and dutiful, wandered past a couple of men from the special anti-cyborg interdiction team who loitered around the entryway cracking jokes and making fun of how an aug had run around for thirty full seconds last night―after his head got blown off. Kirsten shivered at the group of Fives.
Those guys have a death wish.
Two men in bulky, augmented Division 6 armor, front-line assault Marines rotated to in-city duty, stomped past everyone without making eye contact, mission-focused eyes locked