I wrote this story in 1988, very pre-Xena, but I think you will agree the flavor is there. It was written for a short story contest in which I tied for 4th place. This was no mean feat considering all of the judges were published sci-fi writers and all men over fifty. You will see that I had to be very sneaky in the way that I wrote it.
Disclaimers: with apologies to the people at Kodak. There is a little violence, a little love, a few naughty words, and a few surprises.
The characters in this story are totally my own creation, except the rights to green and blue eyed women; MCA/Universal has that don't they?
I hope you enjoy it.
A Shot in the Dark - Rocky
God I felt awful. The soft music on my alarm sounded like a Dixieland jazz band, my pillow seemed like a concrete slab. My mouth stuffed with cotton, and oh… my guts! I rolled out of bed and rushed to the lav.
"Honey, are you okay?" Guess I'd wakened Amber in my rush to loose last night's supper. Broccoli - I hate broccoli. Especially that sauce crap she puts on it.
"Ya, I'm all right." That was funny. I meant it. Now that I'd voided myself, I did feel better. Even my headache was gone. However, I don't recommend puking as my favorite way of waking up. Yuck, broccoli!
When I came out of the lav, Amber was setting out my clothes, making sure that all the colors matched. We did not want the neighbors to know that they had a Mono in an all Koda building. While they knew that I was a police officer, they didn't know that I was a member of the all-Mono Blacklighter squad. Residential prejudice is illegal, but who wants trouble.
"Cole called while you were in the john." Amber said, looking up. "He doesn't need a ride, and he'll meet you at the station" She turned, drawing me into her arms, kissing me and then whispering into my ear. "I'll get breakfast, you check on Mickey." Then I watched her round little behind head down the hall to the kitchen.
Mica's room was a mess, as usual, toys and books everywhere. He was Amber's son from her previous contract, and probably the closest thing I would ever have. .
"What?" Mickey called out, as he peered into the darkness. "Who's there?"
"Mick, its just me. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I apologized and reached over to turn on his night-light.
"Oh Hi, is it time to get up?" He asked rubbing his eyes.
"No, I'm going to work. Mom just asked me to check on you. I didn't mean to wake you up." I smiled. "I must be losing my touch."
"It's okay, Sylver, I forgot for a second that you could see in the dark. I guess it spooked me a little." He said yawning. I tucked him back in bed and turned out the light. Brushing the hair from his forehead I kissed his brow and watched as he slipped back into slumber. I mused, as picked my way through comic books and teddy bears, at how one little boy could set my life, and my heart up-side down.
The procreation rate for monochromes is only seven percent likely, but since Amber had already had her allotted child, she said, "Seven percent chance was better than none!" So every term, I kept my appointment at the Zygote Centre, even though I knew we were just fooling ourselves. Thus, Mica was more than just a little spoiled.
At the beginning of my shift, I went to give my sample. That's the way it is, every shift pee in a cup. I thought to myself that I had been peeing in a cup so long and so often, that I could probably hit the damn cup if I set it on the floor between my feet and put both hands over my eyes. I chuckled to myself at the picture that would make. 'Look Ma, no hands.' Every shift, pee in a cup.
"Come on, you're late!" Shouted my partner from the corridor. Cole was a man I trusted with my life, but one I would not be caught dead with in the shower, or bent over tying my shoes in the locker room.
I rushed to my locker, changing to my uniform; no mistakes about color here. Blacklighters wore a uniform of fuliginous black, a color so dense that it absorbed all light, giving no reflection whatsoever. Kind of the black hole of fashion. Hell, even the underwear was fuligin.
I was late for roll call. I slipped through the door and into my sear beside Cole.
What took you so long?" He hissed. "You want us to get stuck with that shopping mall beat again?"
"No, of course not." I whispered back, "I woke up feeling shitty this morning, so I was a little late."
"You look fine," he said, "but you are still more than a little late."
I sighed. "I missed the damn tech at the sample station. I had to have him paged. You'd think that just once, he'd stay two seconds into his break when he knows there's another sample coming."
"Ya, I know what you mean," he said, nodding, "but you don't see any Kodachrome officers hopping after techs to get their samples processed. You should see the union steward and report him."
"No, it's not worth the trouble." I replied. "Besides, I don't plan to be late again!"
He just shook his head. "Ever since you got yourself contracted to a Koda…"
"Her name is Amber." I said, giving him a dirty look.
"Fine then, to Amber." He rephrased. "Look, she's a nice girl. I like her. I like your kid. But you've got to stick up for yourself. You are right about one thing - don't be late, for both our sakes, I don't want that damn mall beat again!"
"Excuse me officers!" Barked the sergeant. "If we could have the courtesy of your undivided attention."
She was big, and she was almost as black as the uniform she wore. Almost too big, Sarge was getting fat, but no one was going to tell her that. Also, no one gave her any lip.
"Thank you." She said as the entire shift instantly fell silent. "Same routine as always, but there are a few things worth mentioning. A group of moles hit a surface warehouse last night. Keep your eyes peeled in Sub Town and in Dark Town, they may be trying to fence the stuff right away. The list of stolen goods is posted. Mole gangs hitting topside means something is up. I want to know what. All personnel are to carry an extra charge for their tasers, plus I'm issuing Sunspots to all teams." A loud groan filled the room. "Yes, Sunspots." She stated. "You don't have to use them. Just carry them for emergencies. They may save your lives. Now come back in one piece!"
Sunspot was a dirty word to the Blacklighters. Miniature magnesium flares that not only blinded any Monochrome chasing you, but also yourself if you weren't careful. I intended to return mine to the armory, still in its wrapper, at the end of the shift.
Well, Cole was happy. We managed to get street duty. Just walk down the corridor looking important and tough, hoping that no one was stupid enough to break the law in our presence.
By lunchtime, we had worked our way down to "E" level, on the outskirts of Dark Town. We stopped to eat at the diner before working our way back up. The food was good here. We often stopped in when on street duty. The restaurant was clean, and because it was close to Dark Town most of the customers were Monos. When something was up with the mole gangs, it was as good a place, as any, to pick up bits of information.
Kodachromes, Kodas or topsiders as some called them, stuck out like sore thumbs down here. The light was very dim. Their infra glasses gave them away, much like black-out glasses gave Monos away topside. Personally, I had learned to get away with sunglasses and squinting when I went out into daylight. There was only one thing I hadn't managed, that was color. It was such an alien concept that I really hadn't thought about it until I met Amber. She made me realize that for her the world of sight had more than light and texture, it had different flavors as well.
Once, while we were making love, she leaned up on one elbow and said. "You have the most beautiful green eyes."
"Just what, exactly, is green?" I asked stupidly.
She rolled over onto my chest so that we were nose to nose. "Green is the color of growing things," she answered. "Like grass or the leaves of trees. Yours are so vibrant and sparkling that I lose myself in them. I love all of you, but I especially love your eyes!"
I loved the way she smelled. I loved the feel of her skin on mine. I loved the way she looked at me. These things all stopped my heart. Suddenly I just had to know more. " And what is it that your eyes are supposed to be?" I asked looking into hers with expectation.
"Blue." She said, shyly kissing me on the end of my nose. "The color of a clear sky at noon."
It was noon now as I looked down into my plate of scrambled eggs. Thinking about Amber at work, Mickey at school, but mostly about how I didn't want to finish my eggs. "Hey Cole," I asked, "You want my eggs?"
"Sure!" He said. "What's wrong with them? Mine were fine."
"Nothing, it's just that Amber made some broccoli last night that didn't agree with me."
"All right." He nodded and went to work on my lunch. He never asked twice if something was free, especially food."
My lunch, however, was not behaving itself. "Cole, pay the check, will you?" I said, tossing a five on the table. "I'm going to the can. I'll be back in a minute."
I rushed into the lav just in time to lose my lunch. Yuck, broccoli. Never again. Washing my face and looking into two supposedly green eyes in the mirror, I heard somebody in the alley outside.
"Man, what do I need with a color TV?"
"Come on, what difference does it make if its color or not? It's brand new merchandise, and the price is right."
"Oh sure. And me and my contract are gonna be sittin' there watching a color TV when the B'lighters pop in for a chat. No way man. I'm getting out of here."
"Now wait a second, how the hell are the B'lighters gonna know you got a color TV any more than you? There aint hardly any Kodas down this far…"
By this time, I had crawled up onto the sink so I could look down out the narrow window, to see the two men arguing below. They were moles all right; and from what I could see, they were local boys. The one doing most of the talking was seated behind the wheel of a three-wheeled truk. I could just imagine what he had stashed under the tarp in the back.
"Cole, heads up!" I whispered into my wrist com.
"Got you, what's happening?" He answered.
"I'm pretty sure that we've got a mole trying to sell some hot goods."
"Holy Shit!"
"Where are you now?"
"I'm at the front door, waiting for you. Where's the mole?"
"He's in a truk behind the diner. If he moves out, slap a tail on him. I'll catch up." I hopped down from the sink and hurried back through the diner.
Cole was gone. Damn! "Cole, Where is he now?"
"I'm two sections up, he just turned right. I'll keep on him. You get a mobile unit, and hurry! I'm getting too old for this foot-chase shit." Cole panted.
I rushed over to the nearest phone and dialed up a mobile, hoping that Cole could keep the truk in sight until I could get there.
I jumped into the unit almost before it stopped in front of me. I slapped it into manual and tore off after Cole and the hot merchandise.
I caught up with Cole minutes later. He was leaning in a doorway watching the truk parked across the corridor.
"About time you got here." He said, still out of breath as he slid into the seat beside me. "He's in the Raven's Nest."
The Raven's Nest was one of the toughest bars in Dark Town. Home to pimps, pushers, prostitutes and peabrains. We didn't have to wait long for our particular peabrain to come back out. We set off tailing him at a safe distance.
"We're getting pretty deep. Maybe we should call this in and get back-up." I worried out loud, as we dropped another level.
"Don't be silly." Cole chided me. "We keep back, we check out what's going on, then we call for back-up."
"Well maybe I'm paranoid, but something bugs me about this." I replied, just as the truk slowed and pulled into a garage. I stopped the unit a section away.
"I'm going to case the building." Said Cole. "You sit with the unit. I'll call if I need you."
"Look Cole, what are you trying to be, a hero?" I said angrily. "Don't you think…"
"Hero-schmiro." Cole cut me off. "Don't be stupid. If this turns out to be a wild goose chase, do you want to explain to Blacky how we left a unit in Dark Town to be ripped off?"
I nodded wearily at his left-handed logic. Arguing wasn't going to get me anywhere. I could never understand Cole's macho attitude. If we had done this by the book, I'd have already called this one in and taken my lumps if it fell flat. Still, Cole hated writing reports, and if sticking his - pardon me- 'our' heads out meant skipping paperwork… Well 'nough said. Oh, I knew he'd be careful, but sometimes careful just isn't enough.
"Sylver, wake up, we've got trouble." Cole buzzed through my com. "This is a blind house. Something's got to be up."
A blind house, no one needed a blind house unless they were up to no good. Most Monos can see in just about total darkness. Yet in order to see, there has to be some minute source of light. For instance, I could quite comfortably sit in the dark and read a book if someone in the next room was holding a lit match. Whereas a blind house had effectively no light sources of light - none.
No more taking chances now. I grabbed the radio. "Officers request backup, "H" level - section twenty-eight. Investigating blind house in connection with last night's topside robbery at the warehouse."
"Roger, Sylver, backup is on its way. ETA ten minutes." Came back on the radio.
"Thank you Control," I replied, "have officers contact us via com when they get here. I'm going in."
A new voice on the radio roared. "Like hell you are. I want you guys to stay put!" What was the sergeant doing on the radio?
"No can do, Sarge. Cole's already in place. I have to cover his back." I argued, as I pulled the taser rifle from its holster behind the seat.
"What is he doing on site alone?" Growled Blacky. "No, I know better than to ask, but you stay put! And you tell that blockhead partner of yours to squat right where he is and wait for backup. I don't want you going anywhere. I just got your sample report back and you are in no shape to be doing anything. You hear?"
Damn stupid samples. "Sarge, I didn't get that last bit, there must be interference from the train or something. Sylver out." I shut off the radio. I wasn't going to leave Cole sitting there just because I had the flu. I should have known it must have been more than some bad broccoli.
I slowly made my way down the corridor beside the garage. I saw Cole's mark beside a slightly open door. The idiot had gone in already! I called him a few choice names under my breath as I slid into the doorway.
"You shouldn't leave your com open if you are going to call me names." My com whispered.
"Where are you, you jerk? Why didn't you wait?"
"I'm about ten feet ahead of you, it's a baffle door, you have to make three one-ninety turns to get in. Man, is it black in here!"
"Stay put, let me catch up." I said as I felt my way down four feet, turn, go back four feet, turn again. I just about tripped over Cole where he was crouched beside the wall.
"What gives, you dumb ass," I whispered as I repressed the urge to thump him one. "You know better than to go in on your own."
I felt Cole shrug under my hand on his shoulder. "I thought I heard something, besides the com link was open."
"Ya, I would have been here just in time to drag your body out. What do you think you are? Bullet proof?"
"Don' t be stupid. I'm wearing my flak jacket, aren't you?"
Then I did feel stupid, being late this morning, I didn't wear one. But who expected to be in a firefight on street duty? "I didn't think I'd need it." I replied, covering for my goof.
"Syl, you must be gaining weight, I thought you had it on. Oh well, we'll just have to sit tight until back up arrives."
Sit tight. That suited me just fine, since that's what the sergeant had said to do in the first place. Then the fertilizer hit the ventilator.
A sunspot went off flooding the area with intense light. Cole screamed with pain. He must have been looking in that direction when it hit. While I, on the other hand, had been crouched behind him and watching in the other direction. I heard the door slide shut behind us. It was a trap!
Squinting, through watering eyes, I could see the huddled form of Cole in front of me, still clutching at his eyes. To the left, I saw a pile of crates as a hail of fire punctured the wall behind us.
"Cole, are you all right?" I asked as I guarded our precious cover with the rifle.
"I can't see a thing." He winced.
"Well here." I said, unholstering his taser and pressing it into his hand. "If you hear something shoot at you - shoot back."
"We're in deep shit now. Has the sunspot burned down enough for you to see anything?"
The fear hit me as I realized that the flare must have gone down, and that the warehouse was still bathed in light.
"Oh, damn. They're using floods!" I said while another round of fire showered around us and into the protecting crates. "They're Kodachromes working with moles!"
"What!" Cole gasped incredulously. "How did they get this deep without being noticed?"
"Hey stupid, scum comes with both kinds of eyes, just like us good guys."
No wonder the moles had been brave enough to hit topside. They had inside help. In return, the moles had set up this warehouse for them. Now they would both share in the take. Except for a couple of snoopy police officers tripping over their stash. It appeared they were not going to give it up without a fight.
I ducked down beside Cole and wiped my streaming eyes, closing them tightly a second to earn some respite from the surrounding glare. I then realized, mentally kicking myself, that I still had my sunglasses in my shirt pocket. I grinned to myself at my luck, and all the ribbing I'd taken for carrying them around with me; an affectation from my mixed relationship. Now, we had a chance. Slipping the glasses on and looking out from between the crates, I could make out several crouched figures, half-hidden behind crates and the truk that was still parked inside the door. I readied my rifle and waited for one of them to slip up.
As I waited, I marveled at the surrounding structure. The moles must have simply revitalized a part of the original station that was here before the great accident. People had been trapped here for generations, carving out a life from the rock and darkness to become what I was today.
I waited as one of them crept closer, brave in the thought that I was near blind in the bright room, helpless. I popped him just as he was nearing the crate. He fell, sending his handgun skidding into the wall behind me.
"I got one!" I announced to Cole.
"Great, what did he do, walk into your taser?"
"No, I've got those 'useless' glasses on."
"Well, this is the first time I'm glad I've got a nut for a partner."
"At least we have a chance to hold out until backup arrives." Ten minutes they said. How long had we been here? It had happened so fast, yet it seemed like an hour.
"Sylver - Cole?" Our coms came to life. "Are you two lamebrains still alive in there?"
"Sarge, my it's nice to hear your lovely voice." Cole replied sarcastically.
Blacky was peeved to be sure. "No more crap Cole report!"
"Sarge, we're pinned down by several Kodas with projectile weapons in a brightly lit garage. I'm blind, but Syl managed to stun one of them so far."
When Cole said 'projectile weapon' an idea popped into my head. If I could just get a hold of that hand-gun…
"Kodas, huh? That explains a lot." Sergeant Blacky answered. "We're coming to your level now. I'll call back when we're in place. Out."
I looked down at Cole. "We don't have time to wait for Blacky." I said urgently. "I've got an idea that should give me the advantage." The shots were getting increasingly accurate all the time.
"Okay Syl, you're calling the shots. I just wish that we were walking that mall beat right now!"
"Me too, but right now I've got to take care of those lights."
"Can't we just get Blacky to cut the power?"
"No, this is part of the old station. The Kodas must have supplied the moles with fuel for the original generator in this block."
"So how are you going to take out the lights?"
"That guy I popped lost his gun. I'm going to shot them out."
Cole reached up with unmistaking aim for a blind man, patting me on the butt. It was something that I had always hated. Now, I only smiled. No situation whatsoever could keep Cole from copping a feel. He smiled. "I'll pray for your aim, and for those 'useless' glasses."
"Right." I replied while sliding up to the edge of the crate closest to the wall where the gun lay. It was now or never. I jumped and rolled the ten feet to the wall. Someone came running out of nowhere. I watched him fall where I popped him, and twisted back to reach for the gun. My hand closed around it.
Then searing pain crashed through my shoulder. The rifle flew from my hand, and fell somewhere behind me.
'I'm hit!' I thought in panic. My training was the only thing that saved me. Clasping the gun tightly, I rolled to the relative safety of the nearest crate.
I lay there gasping for breath as more shots rained all around me. God and I had thought that I hadn't felt good this morning. At this point, I would have given anything to feel that good. To be home with my family… I felt the anger surging through me. No time for nice thoughts now; I was, 'not' going home in a bag!
I took careful aim, and prayed the clip was full. Systematically I began taking out those bright spots of anger in the rafters above me.
The clip was exhausted. Only two lights shone weakly in the far corner.
It was dark enough for me to see without my glasses. Casting the empty gun aside, I reached up and placed them tenderly back in my pocket. No, they'd never rib me about my affectation again.
I could feel the blood running down my chest inside my shirt, and my hand felt numb. My wrist com was a shattered mess, it must have broken when I lost the taser rifle. Unholstering my hand taser, I sat waiting, dreaming of sky-blue eyes.
The last thing I remember was a shattering explosion, the popping of taser fire. I lay back and let the whole world go black.
I woke up to a strange bed, a strange place, and a familiar face. Amber smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. "Hi Honey…"
I smiled back. "Hi." I tried to sit up, a pain shot through my shoulder, and I moaned "Ow, that hurts!"
"Serves you right for trying to move." Amber scolded. She adjusted the bed to a position where I could see that we were not alone. Blacky and Cole stood at the end of the bed. Cole had bandages over his eyes, but he was smiling that stupid grin of his.
Where's Mickey?" I asked.
"He's with your Mom." She replied leaning in to give me a quick kiss. "He'll be in to see you in a couple of days."
"Hi Sarge, Hi Cole." I said looking at the odd couple at the end of the bed. "I guess I jammed out before the party was over."
"Well, I will bet that's the last time you pull the old train-radio routine Sylver. You had the party all to yourself, and left us the mopping up." Blacky said with a scowl on her face. "And you have to be a hero in your condition!"
"Look Sarge," I said, irritated. "You wouldn't leave your partner's back unprotected just because you had the flu, would you?"
Blacky just tsked, shaking her head. She looked up at Amber "You haven't let the cat out of the bag yet, huh?" Amber smiled, and shook her head. Blacky laughed. "Woman you don't have the flu. You're pregnant!"
I sat there too stunned to speak. Amber finally broke the silence by asking. "A penny for your thoughts?"
"I wonder… " I looked up to see the love in her eyes and took her hand in my good one. Tears ran down both our faces by this point. "I wonder what color eyes the baby will have?"
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Well there it was. I hope you liked it. It was tricky to write! Try writing a story where the main character is androgynous up until the second last paragraph. However, at the time I wrote it was the only way to pry-bar alternative fiction into the mainstream.
Liked it? Hated it? All constructive criticism will be taken seriously.