XXXXXRob Evans arrived at Emil's apartment via a very confusing route. He'd taken the long way here to ensure that he wasn't followed. He'd managed to evade the stranger and he wanted to keep it that way. He locked the door, and went into the kitchen to find something to eat.
XXXXXOnce his hunger had been sated, he searched Emil's closets for some nondescript clothing. He didn't want to stand out in a crowd. The young man was approximately the same size as Evans, so it didn't take long to find a few items that suited his needs. He also found a small pistol in a drawer. He stuffed this into a small duffel bag along with the clothing he'd taken. He then wrote a short note to Emil detailing everything he had taken or used and promised to pay him back. Then he sat down at a small desk to consider his next move.
XXXXXThe tenth time Ian McKay checked his watch, he'd had enough. Where the hell was Evans? If he wasn't home and he wasn't at his shop with Emil, then...he must be at Emil's place! After retrieving Emil's address from the police computer files, he headed there immediately.
XXXXXHaving finally decided on a course of action, Rob Evans pulled on his coat and prepared to leave. As he threw the small bag of supplies over his shoulder, he heard a noise coming from outside the apartment door. An apartment as cheap as Emil's didn't come equipped with electronic door locks and the manual ones were quickly being unlocked from the outside. Evans knew Emil would not be coming home this early.
XXXXXHe ran to the window across the room from the door. Opening it, he looked down to see that there were no emergency escape stairs. The door burst open behind him and he spun around to face his pursuer.
XXXXX"Go ahead...jump.", said McKay, pointing his gun at the replicant by the window. "It will make my job a hell of a lot easier."
XXXXXEvans turned back toward the window and looked down one more time. McKay stepped closer.
XXXXX"I'll give you to the count of three."
XXXXXEvans mind raced. The only escape was through the window in front of him, but he didn't know if he could make the jump to the street below.
XXXXX"One . . . "
XXXXXHe put one foot out the window and then the other until he was sitting on the window sill with his legs dangling outside.
XXXXX"Two . . . "
XXXXXA slight smile threatened to cross McKay's face. It really would spare him a lot of paperwork if the guy jumped.
XXXXX"Thr . . . "
XXXXXEvans pushed off from the window sill and fell silently from McKay's sight.
XXXXX"Well, I'll be damned.", muttered McKay. "He really did it."
XXXXXHe walked to the open window and looked out. Evans had survived the fall and was stumbling down the street with a pronounced limp. The pedestrians below parted to clear a path for the injured man who had seemingly fallen from the sky into their midst.
XXXXX"God damn . . . !" McKay stuck his gun out the window but couldn't fire without hitting any of the people that crowded the street. He cursed and ran out of the apartment.
XXXXXOnce he was outside, he glanced up and down the street for Evans as he walked to his spinner which he'd parked about a block away. His eyes continued to scan the crowd as he opened the door of the police vehicle and sat down with his feet on the ground. Now how the hell was he going to find Evans?
XXXXX"Get in."
XXXXXThe voice behind him answered his question. He turned around slowly. Evans sat in the passenger seat with a small pistol pointed at McKay's head. He slowly pulled his feet inside the spinner and closed the door, keeping his hands in view at all times. In his head, McKay cursed his carelessness.
XXXXX"Well, now what?", he asked the replicant.
XXXXX"Who are you? Why are you trying to kill me?"
XXXXX"I'm a blade runner. That's my job."
XXXXX"Blade runners are supposed to kill Replicants, not . . . " Evans paused. "My God. You think I'm a Replicant, don't you?", he asked incredulously.
XXXXX"Correction. I know you're a Replicant."
XXXXXEvans shook his head. "No. No, that's not possible. If I were one, don't you think I would be aware of it?"
XXXXX"Maybe, maybe not. But you are a Replicant and I've seen your file. You're up for retirement, pal."
XXXXX"Wait. Isn't there some kind of test you use to tell the difference between humans and Replicants?", pleaded Evans.
XXXXXMcKay nodded. "Voight-Kampff."
XXXXX"Let me take the test. That will prove I'm human."
XXXXX"Fine . . . ", McKay conceded. "And when it confirms you're a Replicant, I retire you."
XXXXX"And if it shows I'm human . . . ?", inquired Rob.
XXXXXMcKay paused. "We'll see."
XXXXXNeither man was prepared to trust the other, but eventually they both agreed to leave their weapons in the spinner while the Voight-Kampff test was administered in Emil's apartment. Hours later after every question in the Voight-Kampff database had been asked and answered, Ian McKay leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily. Evans looked at him expectantly from across the small table.
XXXXXMcKay looked him in the eye. "You're human.", he conceded.
XXXXXNow it was Rob Evans' turn to sigh, but in relief. "Now what?"
XXXXX"Well obviously I can't kill you.", McKay said.
XXXXXEvans couldn't help but notice that McKay had said 'kill' and not the more euphemistic term 'retire'.
XXXXX"Now the question is, why does the LAPD want you dead?"
XXXXXEvans shook his head and shrugged. He hadn't thought of that.
XXXXX"You have to hide out for a while until I find out what's going on."
XXXXX"You're a cop.", said Evans. "Can't you just tell them it was a mistake?"
XXXXX"It's not that simple. For some reason, the LAPD has targeted a human being for retirement, and I want to know why."
XXXXXMcKay sat quietly for a few minutes. He then got up and headed for the door. "You stay here. If you don't hear from me in six hours, start heading out of town."
XXXXXEvans nodded. "McKay . . . " The blade runner paused in the open doorway.
XXXXX"Thanks.", said Evans.
XXXXXMcKay nodded back.
XXXXXHarry Bryant was lazily sorting through a stack of files on his desk when his office door swung open, banging into the wall behind it. Ian McKay strode in and stood in front of Bryant's desk.
XXXXX"He's human.", stated McKay, without preamble.
XXXXX"What the Hell . . . ?" Bryant rose to his feet.
XXXXX"Rob Evans. He's not a replicant, he's human."
XXXXX"Evans? You still haven't put him on ice? I sent you out hours ago and you still haven't retired that pathetic little skinjob shopkeeper? What the Hell is wrong with you?"
XXXXX"Bryant, listen to me!" McKay's voice began to rise. "He's a human being. I gave him Voight-Kampff and he passed. Now I want to know why you've got me out there trying to murder a man."
XXXXX"Hey." Bryant also began to raise his voice during McKay's tirade. "Hey!"
XXXXX"HEY!" That got McKay's attention. "Sit down and shut up and I'll tell you what I think is going on."
XXXXXMcKay quietly complied.
XXXXXAfter a short pause, Bryant began to speak again. "We suspect that somewhere in the city, the rep-symps are reprogramming skinjobs. They're reprogrammed so well that they easily pass for real people. So well, in fact, that even the thing itself thinks it's human. The trouble is, we can't find the place. This Evans skinjob may have been fixed up by them."
XXXXX"Is that kind of reprogramming possible?", asked McKay. "I mean wouldn't that screw up their personality database? That's like trying to reprogram a man's brain."
XXXXX"For Christ's sake, McKay, they're not alive. They're not real people, they're fucking machines. If my own mother was a skinjob, I would have no problem blowing her to pieces." Bryant leaned back in his chair.
XXXXX"You know, McKay, I think you're a little too involved in this case. You're starting to develop feelings for them. You care about them.", Bryant sneered.
XXXXX"Oh, come on, Bryant." McKay stood up. "Just because you suspect there's a secret lab or whatever, doesn't make this guy a replicant."
XXXXXBryant sat unmoving. "You've seen the file."
XXXXX"There isn't shit in that file. Just basic information that could be a bureaucratic mix-up. We can't just kill this guy. We owe it to him to make sure exactly what he is."
XXXXX"We don't owe IT anything. It's a machine and that's all." Bryant fixed McKay with a piercing gaze. "As of now, you're off this case."
XXXXX"Fuck you, Bryant. I quit." McKay turned to leave. He heard a slight creak as Bryant leaned back heavily in his chair.
XXXXX"You never did fit in here.", taunted Bryant. "You never were a REAL blade runner. And don't think about trying to warn your friend. I thought you might chicken out, so I sent Holden out as soon as you called for landing clearance."
XXXXX"Good luck finding him.", taunted McKay with a confidence he didn't feel.
XXXXXA smile appeared on Bryant's face. "No problem there. While you were flying around in that 'holding pattern' for twenty minutes, we downloaded your spinner's arrival/departure log. Your friend is retired."
XXXXXMcKay bolted from Bryant's office and out of the station. He knew he'd be denied access to his police spinner. He was surprised he managed to get away with his gun. Although this meant that he would now be wanted by the LAPD. It was several minutes before he found transportation to Emil's apartment. To make matters worse, it was a ground car. McKay doubted he'd make it there in time.
XXXXXOnce he'd arrived at Emil's apartment building, McKay bounded up the stairs three at a time. From the end of the hallway where he stood, he could see that the door to Emil's apartment was open. Drawing his gun, he walked slowly down the corridor, and stopped beside the doorway. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the room, gun at the ready. He looked quickly around the room. Seeing that it was empty, he lowered his gun and stepped further inside. There was no trace of Rob Evans. He was pleased with the fact that there were no bullet holes or blood stains in the room. Suddenly the door slammed shut behind him.
XXXXX"Bang. You're dead.", said the voice of Dave Holden.
XXXXXMcKay turned around slowly. Holden had been hiding behind the open door and now had his gun pointed at Ian.
XXXXX"Where is he?", asked McKay.
XXXXX"Drop the gun.", said Holden coldly.
XXXXXKeeping his left hand in Holden's sight, Ian flicked the safety on and tossed the gun aside. "Where is he.", he repeated.
XXXXX"Who, your android buddy?", said Holden. "I don't know. He was gone when I got here. And the fact that this is the first place you came, tells me that you don't know where he is either."
XXXXXMcKay shook his head.
XXXXX"Now.", continued Holden. "What am I going to do with you?"
XXXXXIan was silent.
XXXXX"Stealing police property, illegal possession of a firearm. Aiding and abetting an escaped replicant. That alone would get you the death penalty.", sneered Dave.
XXXXX"He's not a replicant, Holden."
XXXXX"Yeah, yeah, save it, okay? Bryant told me all about it while you were on your way over." Holden gave a small laugh and shook his head as he cautiously lowered his gun. "You know, McKay, when you first came to the bladerunner unit, I thought you were good. In time, you could have been the best. Now . . .? Now, you might as well be a rep-symp. What happened?"
XXXXX"Maybe I've seen that replicants can be more human than us."
XXXXX"Sure, pal. 'More human, than human.' ", said Holden sarcastically, as he quoted the Tyrell Corporation's motto. "You make me sick, McKay. I'm 'retiring' you."
XXXXXHolden raised his gun and aimed at Ian's head but before he could fire, the apartment door burst open, distracting him. It was Rob Evans. Holden squeezed off a shot, but Evans was too fast for him. He stepped out of the line of fire and rushed at Holden.
XXXXXWhile the two grappled for possession of Holden's gun, there was little McKay could do. He didn't want Evans killed but he didn't want Holden's blood on his hands either. As Evans and Holden continued to wrestle, the gun went off. McKay felt a huge explosion of pain in his stomach. He looked down to see blood pouring from a hole in his abdomen. He stumbled to the floor as the world went black.
XXXXXWhen Ian opened his eyes again, he saw Rob Evans and several other men standing over him. "You'll be okay, my friend.", said Evans. McKay closed his eyes against the pain and once again lost consciousness.
XXXXXIan McKay hurried to keep up with the small group of technicians as they went to meet the freight spinner that was landing nearby. Most of the men were former employees of the Tyrell Corporation. Now they were replicant-sympathizers, or rep-symps, as they were more commonly known.
XXXXXMcKay had joined the rep-symps here at their 'secret hospital' which operated under the cover of the Van Nuys Pet Hospital. When he'd awakened here three days after being shot, Rob Evans was gone. The doctors that cared for him could only tell him that Evans had saved his life and that Holden had escaped unharmed.
XXXXXIronically, Bryant's suspicions were correct. The secret lab, the replicant reprogramming, were all true. It was also true that Evans was a reprogrammed replicant. For the past several months, Ian had been helping to repair and reprogram damaged replicants. It was hard work, but he found it rewarding.
XXXXXThe group reached the spinner and opened the rear cargo doors. The pilot had moved to the back and was waiting for them. "I've got four of them. Three alive and one dead." McKay glanced past the man at the four bodies on stretchers. The techs began unloading them. "Cuh-Christ, we just ruh-reprogrammed this guy le-less than a year ago.", said a man named Isidore.
XXXXXIan looked over and recognized the body of Rob Evans. The body was unmarked except for a small round hole in his forehead indicating a bullet entry wound. Sadness gripped McKay. "Can he be repaired?", asked Ian.
XXXXXIsidore glanced at the wound. "G-gosh no." Seeing the look on McKay's face, he softened his tone a little. "Did you know him?"
XXXXX"He was . . . a friend."
XXXXX The spinner pilot watched the exchange of words, then spoke up. "Yeah, he was killed by a blade runner named Holden."
XXXXX"Dave Holden?", asked Ian.
XXXXX"Yeah , that's him. He got his though."
` XXXXX"What do you mean?", asked Ian.
XXXXX"That Holden guy found himself a Nexus-6 posing as a worker inside the Tyrell Corporation headquarters. The six was onto him though. Now Holden's got chest wound you could fly a spinner through."
XXXXX"Did he die?", asked McKay hopefully.
XXXXX"Not yet . . ." The driver flashed a slight grin.
XXXXXIan smiled back as he took one end of Rob Evans' stretcher. He could always hope.
