Shadows and Stardust: A Tale of Ambition & Quest for Recognition

Why cAnT I sTOp? – Graffiti scrawled on the wall near victim number six

Operation Menu: Phase Dinner (D-130 hours)

FRAGO: Operation: Marianne's Vigil (D+10 hours)

Tauru sat on the ledge and scanned the previous messages while Estelle was on the street below adjusting a map overlay.

Whisper:> After 6 hours, nothing on the video front. I’m about 280 hours in and all I got are swamp donkeys, tugboats, ugly hookers, old lady handbag, the occasional combatant, and useless police messing up the crime scenes.

Indigo:> Shopping? Can you cc: me the video?

Whisper:> Sure one sec…Heather won’t let me call her Baguette Lady or Bag Lady, so I call her old lady handbag.

TC:> I like Bag Lady 😊

Whisper:> IKR?

Heather:>…

Tauru watched the video again. It was a bit blurry, but he could make someone in a long flower print dress carrying two large bags. One of which had a baguette sticking out the side of it.

He pulled out a deck of cards and began to shuffle them. The first card he flipped over was XVIII, the Moon.

“Finally,” he muttered and continued to scan the dialog again.

Indigo:> This isn’t right, NPCs don’t shop!

TC:> What do you mean?

Indigo:> Coders observed in the Beta testing phase that everyday NPC functions like shopping were consuming excessive processing power. Upper Management was unwilling to allocate extra resources to enable ADA to facilitate basic functions such as eating, using the toilet, and similar tasks. They’re just supposed to go into the store, wander around a bit, then leave.

TC:> Why do you know so much about this place?

Heather:> TC! How many times do I need to remind you that people’s lives outside of BC are a personal matter!!!1! 😐

TC:> Sorry Bro ☹

Indigo:> No it’s cool. My background might help us catch this guy. Short version – I was a front-end developer and then a Beta tester before BC went live.

Heather:> You worked for Rhom Cybernetics?

Indigo:> I wish! I was more like outsourced sweatshop labor. After my contract was done, I was picked up by Upper Management to beta-test the systems.

TC:> I can respect that, bro.

Indigo:>Lucky for me I was about to score a gig as a combatant!

Tauru fast-forwarded through the small talk to where he had marked it earlier.

Indigo:> I followed Bag Lady through the available CC footage. Still sifting through the rest.

Heather:> grrrrr

Indigo:> Sorry, old lady handbag, I tracked her till she disappeared in the Iron Works factory. Speaking of which, we need cameras in there!

Heather:> about 500 people are working there, and about 130 are on the graveyard shift.

Indigo:> Can you cross reference the people working on the night shift and where bodies were deposited?

Heather:> one min…

TC:> Zzzzzz…j/k

Tauru moved through the dialog till he found out when Heather finally answered.

Heather:> I got about 75 names.

Whisper:> Can you filter out those who went into the S-Mart?

Indigo:> That might take a bit. Can you go to S-Mart and access their CC footage?

Whisper:> On it!

Tauru forwarded through another hour of messages, and he saw that Whisper uploaded the video of the people who entered the story.

Whisper:> Well, there’s ‘bout 25 suspects who entered, plus BAG LADY!

TC:> Better than 130…

Indigo:> If you forward me the names, we can start collecting the addresses.

Between T.C., Indigo, Heather, and Whisper they checked out ten of the addresses.

“Time to go,” Tauru said and jumped off the ledge to the street below.

He landed next to Estelle, who started to stretch. Tauru constructed a route, and they moved towards the first location which was within their territory.

Estelle and Tauru checked the first house on their list. According to Indigo’s notes, it belonged to Jordan and Emily Lee. One of them worked in HR, and the other was a welder. After a quick interview, neither of them possessed the finesse to wield a fine enough instrument to remove a head from the body.

The next suspect was Nathan Brooks, a materials manager with a wife and five children. Between his nagging wife, children who needed constant attention, and an excessive amount of overtime, he was quickly ruled out as a suspect.

After taking an hour's break, they checked out the next suspect, Sara Patel. The mine’s Health and Safety Officer was immediately ruled out because she was missing an eye and confined to a wheelchair due to an accident while inspecting the mine.

“I hope the next suspect isn’t a chatty Cathy,” Tauru said checking his shoulder to see if Sara was within listening distance.

"Ms. Kopf is next on the itinerary," Estelle said as she consulted Indigo’s notes. "It says here she's the medical officer, and according to the records and has a son."

"The little shit’s name is Gilbert, which is awfully close to Guillotine," Tauru said, slowing his pace down.

"Perhaps we should observe these suspects first," Estelle suggested, and began to scan the map for a suitable spot.

Across the street, they found a home with a pile of newspapers at the door. Estelle moved around the back. After confirming the house was empty, she picked the lock with a hairpin and let herself in.

Estelle opened the door and began exploring the home.

“Looks like the family is on vacation,” Tauru said as he made air quotes with his finger.

“Vacation?” Estelle asked as she checked to see which room offered the best view of the Kopf home.

“Yeah, Upper Management recalled them routine maintenance,” Tauru said reading a note pinned to the task board.

He opened the refrigerator to check to see if there was any food. After closing the door, he checked a second time.

“Not a single morsel in this house, fuckin’ NPC,” Tauru muttered and checked one last time.

Estelle placed her Brooch of the Spider on the windowsill and wandered into the living room. She threw herself onto the couch, turned on the TV, and started flipping through the channels. Tauru sat down on the synthetic leather lounge chair and propped up his feet on the coffee table.

After he watched Estelle channel surf for ten minutes asked, “Ever notice that when you watch a movie or read a book, nobody ever uses the toilet? I mean, it’s a basic function of life, lil’ Boss Kitty.”

She opened one lazy eye, glanced at him, but continued changing the channels.

"We got that director guy, you know the one with the foot fetish, who does scenes where people go use the toilet and something bad happens when the character actually has to go, and not to grab a gun or get ambushed. But does it really count if it’s just a plot device?" he asked her.

Estelle briefly stopped changing the channels and pondered the question. Snorting into the pillow she went back to surfing.

“Damn, almost had you,” he said and smiled at her.

Sitting in the chair, his body felt heavier and heavier. At one point, Estelle stopped changing channels, and the drone of the monotone announcer continued endlessly. He closed his eyes for a moment and drifted off to sleep.

Tauru slowly stirred from his slumber, the soft hues of the setting sun casting warm shadows across the room. The enticing aroma of freshly cooked pancakes wafted through the air, steam still rising from the stack placed on a plate.

The clinking of dishes and the sound of running water accompanied Estelle's cleaning efforts in the kitchen. He picked up a pancake and smeared butter on it. He took a bite and checked to see if she was still in the kitchen. Piled on the kitchen island was a bag of groceries.

"Shopping and cooking? I see you are in a domestic mode, Darla Darling," Tauru asked, his eyes scanning the notes. “Anything new on the Guillotine front?”

Estelle replied, "TC and Indigo are staking out a couple they named Bert and Ernie. Whisper and Heather are conducting interviews with residents near the crime scenes."

"And what about that lil’ Gilbert turd?" Tauru inquired, his voice muffled as he chewed on another pancake.

"Arrived precisely at 15:00, and been indoors for the majority of the day," Estelle responded. "There seemed to be a dampening field detected around the Kopf residence. This warrants further investigation once Ms. Kopf goes to work.”

“The lil’ NPC’s probably jerkin’ off to computer schematics or something,” Tauru said and checked to see if earned a reaction from Estelle.

Estelle ignored him and retrieved her broach from the vantage point on the window.

He rolled his eyes stuffed another pancake into his mouth and said, “Least I can get some more 10-08 action.”

Tauru and Estelle patiently observed from the house, waiting until Ms. Kopf emerged from her house to head to work. Her once-bright blond hair was now slightly dull, covered by a worn flower-print scarf. As she walked down the street, her shoulders were slumped under the weight of exhaustion, and her footsteps lacked their usual vigor. Every movement seemed burdened, as she vanished down the street towards the iron factory.

A soft glow emanated through the window as Gilbert flicked on the light, casting a warm hue on the light brown curtains. He then closed the curtains and sat down in a chair. Occasionally, his silhouette was visible as he moved about the room. Tauru and Estelle exchanged glances, their eyes fixed on the scrawny teen who passed by the window now and then.

Stepping out of the house, they maneuvered across the street. They silently took cover behind the dense foliage of the bushes.

“So, what’s the plan?” Tauru telepathed. “Dynamic entry or something devious?”

Estelle grinned mischievously as she pulled out her flip phone, she dialed the number of the local pizzeria. After placing an order for five pizzas, hot wings, and breadsticks and prepaying for the delivery, she snapped the phone shut, a sly glint in her eyes.

"Something devious, I like it," Tauru remarked, mirroring her grin.

They bided their time, patiently waiting for the teen to settle down once more before discreetly making their way to the back of the house.

A swing swayed gently in the wind, its chains creaking softly with each movement. Directly beneath it, a well-worn footpath led toward the house. The garden, adorned with glass hummingbirds and oversized bee decorations, shimmered in the moonlight.

Somewhere in front of the house, the sound of a bicycle bell echoed through the air as a delivery boy approached.

Estelle waited until he had rung the doorbell before discreetly pointing toward the balcony on the second floor and indicating that it was time to move.

She jumped onto the balcony and tested the window to see if it was open.

“Bloody hell,” Tauru complained as he climbed up. “I’m not as dainty as you. Some of us must do this the old-fashioned way.”

By the time he arrived, she was in the process of opening the window, but the overpowering scent of cleaning products hit her nostrils like a wave, forcing her to recoil. When the smell reached him, Tauru rubbed his eyes, attempting to alleviate the discomfort caused by the pungent smell of pine.

Once inside Tauru and Estelle scanned the room. The room was decorated in a soft pink and white motif. Glass bees and hummingbirds were plastered across the frame of the vanity.

Estelle ran her finger across the back of the dresser and nodded with slight satisfaction when she found no dust.

Tauru lifted the starched bed cover that cracked and peeked under the bed. He lifted the mattress and laid it back down.

“Hospital corners too,” he signed, his hands forming the shapes in sign language.

Estelle nodded and checked the communication network. The primary and tertiary network was inaccessible. She tapped her ear. Tauru waved his hand under his chin and tapped his ear.

She checked her phone and signed, “Wide spectrum interference, but medium-frequency band functioning.”

Tauru replied by signing back, “Full spectrum jamming, easily noticed.”

Estelle gave him a thumbs up. After giving the room a search and finding nothing but neatly folded and ironed clothes, Estelle signed to Tauru that they needed to search elsewhere.

Downstairs, the delivery teen was beginning to raise his voice at Gilbert and said, “Just take it; this order is already paid for. If I don’t deliver per instructions, I won’t get my tip!”

“Mama is gonna kill me if…” Gilbert started to say.

“I don’t care if the top ten assassins are behind that door right now; ‘cause my boss is gonna kill me if I don't make other deliveries,” the delivery boy snapped back.

He pushed past Gilbert and deposited the order on the coffee table, then shoved the receipt in his face.

“Sign here, please,” he said, waving the paper.

Tauru watched from the edge of the stairs and snickered. With a smug look on her face, Estelle pulled out her phone, and her fingers began dancing across the keypad.

“He is alone; we can take him,” Tauru signed.

“Possible dead man’s trigger; we need to muddle the Akashic record more,” Estelle replied, her hands moving swiftly in sign language.

Tauru signed, “Fair enough, what next?”

“Something devious.”

After searching for a pen and signing his name, the delivery boy left. Gilbert stood over the food, muttering to himself when someone rang the doorbell. Estelle flicked her nose at Tauru and walked casually down the stairs.

Gilbert opened the door and four teens, two boys, and two girls were waiting outside.

“So, this is where you have been hiding Gill?” the tallest boy with curly red hair said and walked inside.

“Hey Gill,” said the girl wearing a short black dress.

She ran her hand across his chest and walked towards the food on the table. Gilbert then noticed Estelle and Tauru as they strolled down the stairs. When he started to say something to them, the delivery truck pulled up to the house.

“Like, the bed upstairs was totally perfect for freakin’,” Estelle said in a fake high-pitched voice.

The girl with the black dress grabbed the hand of the tall teen and dragged him upstairs. Two overweight workers in blue overalls stepped out of the truck and unloaded two kegs of beer from the back. They brought them to the door on a squeaky dolly.

“I’ll be happy to relieve you two of that cargo,” said Tauru and picked up both kegs.

“Could everyone please…” Gilbert said but was interrupted when the delivery driver forced a clipboard into his hand.

“Sign here, Mr. Kopf,” he said in a gruff voice.

Gilbert signed the form, and the second worker shoved two beer nozzles in his hand, saying, “In 2 days, we’ll come pick ’em up, k?”

“I don’t even know what these things are for,” he asked the worker, who ignored him.

“I’ll take those, thank you very much,” Tauru said and snatched the beer nozzles out of Gilbert’s hand.

A thin, wiry smile appeared on Estelle’s face as more would-be partygoers arrived. Estelle was watching her handwork from the corner of the room her handwork when a teenage boy with light brown hair and blue eyes approached.

He wore a blue letterman jacket with a big BC on the side and carried two cups filled with mostly foam beer. He handed Estelle one of the cups, but she placed it down on a nearby table.

“Hey cutie, which subjects did you take?” he asked and wrapped his arm around her. “I’m feeling the sudden urge to switch classes.”

She was taken,” Tauru said as he stopped pouring the beer and moved towards them.

“If you dump him or need a side piece,” he said and made a telephone gesture.

Estelle’s cheeks turned red, and Tauru escorted her to the side of the stairs.

“I didn’t know you were into jocks. Think he knows how to…” Tauru asked and made a ‘V’ symbol with his fingers and held it up to his lips.

Estelle crossed her arms and turned away.

Tauru rubbed her shoulders and said, “You know I was just yankin’ your collar, Boss Kitty.”

He jumped as a loud smack snapped across his rear. Estelle ignored it and noticed a side door under the stairs. She tested the doorknob and found that it was locked. Tauru tapped her on the back.

“Umm…” he said, stuttering.

“Tauru, would you be so kind as to provide me an entrance to…” Estelle started to ask and turned around.

She stopped midsentence, her eyes as wide as his.

Standing in front of them was an older teenage girl with red eyes, a short bob haircut, and a head shorter than Estelle. She wore a plaid red punk rock-style dress and smiled at them both.

“She looks just like your…” Tauru said slowly.

“I know,” Estelle answered, her heart beginning to race.

“You like?” she asked and spun around, showing off the dress, and saw the blank looks on their faces. “Error 404: Color Protocol Violation. AI Fashion Module Malfunction. Incompatible Color Alignment Detected. Red Attire in Blue Territory. Initiating Color Harmonization Protocol. Rectifying AI Wardrobe to Avoid Disruption of Social Cohesion.”

The teenage girl waved her hand, and the color of her dress changed to dark blue. Tauru shook his head, but Estelle continued to stare.

“Umm,” Estelle whispered, turning away and blushing.

“Right, one door to open,” he said and kicked the door. “Knock, knock mutha’ fucker.”

The wood snapped under the pressure of the handle, and the door swung wide open, creaking on its hinges. Tauru stepped aside, his hand gesturing gracefully, and he bowed with a flourish. Estelle hesitated for a moment, her eyes scanning the room before she entered, her footsteps echoing lightly on the floor.

“Pleasure to meet you, Tauru,” ADA said, her voice soft and melodic, as she glided in after Estelle. “I’m ADA, by the way.”

“Boss Kitty has told me so little about you,” he said following behind them.

The concrete stairwell leading into the basement allowed for only one person at a time to descend.

“I was forced to initiate the Vanishing Echo: Displaced Entity Reconnaissance Protocol when you two vanished from the grid,” ADA said.

“The situation is under control,” Estelle said coldly, then halted abruptly at the bottom of the stairs.

ADA and Tauru walked past to which he muttered, “What the actual fuck?”

Lined along the walls of the basement were shelves round fishbowls filled with blue water and the severed heads of twenty-three victims. The eyes blinked and rolled to get a better look. Tubes and hoses were inserted into the noses and ears of a few of the heads, while others had wires embedded into the skull.

In the center of the room sat a leather chair, its front turned to face the row of severed heads. Estelle inched closer and sniffed the chair. She detected the faint scent of bleach, the sterile tang of alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and a subtle yet clean aroma reminiscent of freshly laundered clothes.

“What... do you want to do?” ADA's voice came from behind Estelle.

“We need to free them,” Tauru said, moving toward the containers.

However, Estelle swiftly positioned herself in front of him, extending her hand to halt his advance.

Estelle blinked a few times, her eyes glowing bright purple as she activated her Witch Sight. Thirteen of the victims emitted various colored lights around them, except on the left and right sides of their heads where no light appeared. The others glowed in a soothing sea-foam blue.

“The combatants are implanted with cerebral explosive devices,” Estelle said, pulling out Lost Battalion.

“Mama, you grace me with your presence,” said a female voice from a speaker mounted in the chair.

A female head with silver eyes blinked several times and smiled at Estelle.

Estelle tipped the bowl over the edge of the shelf and drove her dagger through the opening and into the top of the skull. The head turned pale blue and faded away, leaving behind a black, saucer-sized plate at the bottom of the bowl.

She repeated the procedure with the next bowl.

“Tauru, could you please inform the police that a loud party is disturbing the neighborhood?” Estelle said.

He pulled out his phone and headed up the stairs.

"How cognizant were you of the Guillotine situation?" Estelle inquired, her tone measured, as she moved to the next bowl.

ADA placed her hand on the glass from an NPC and began to glow green.

“Only partially aware, but we didn’t have the full scope of what was going on,” ADA replied.

With a loud crack of the blade against bone, Estelle ended the life of another combatant. She moved efficiently from one combatant to the other.

“Cops on the way,” Tauru shouted downstairs.

"Once the officers arrive and I'm away, please alert the police," Estelle said, as she thrust her dagger into the last gladiator's skull.

Moving toward the door, Estelle was halted by ADA, who grabbed her hand.

"Wait, do you not wish to notify the police yourself?" ADA questioned. "Who will receive credit? Who will thank you?"

Estelle withdrew her hand, stating, "I do not require acknowledgment for fulfilling my duty."

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Estelle observed two officers outside, appearing bewildered and standing near Tauru, who had Gilbert in an arm lock.

ADA's screams echoed from the basement. One of the officers placed his hand on his weapon and rushed inside.

A second squad car arrived, prompting Estelle to position herself between two tall bushes.

Crossing her arms, she smiled smugly. Her mind wandered toward ADA and her appearance. Her thoughts shifted to the way the jock had gazed at her with hungry eyes.

"He was rather dreamy," Estelle mused. "Wait, what am I thinking?"

An arm encircled her hips, drawing her close.

"What do you think..." Estelle began, but a sharp pain shot through her neck, and freezing sensation ran down her spine.

Estelle's vision dimmed, and her knees gave way. Before her eyes closed, she recognized the scent from Guillotine's trophy room.

***