Authors Note: Sorry this is late! I burned all my writing energy on a different story last week, so pushed this one back given the holiday. I hope you find the finished product was worth the wait!
This is Duel: A Tech-Noir Detective Story
Previously: Black Zaelland has shot DB431, Gerard Bergenz has captured Bridgett, and Detective McElroy flees the scene with his associate’s body…
Sol II System, Eden, Outskirts of New Chalcedon. 20:07 Local time
Detective James McElroy did not know how long he had been driving when he came to a stop. The night was deep. Behind him, in the distance, the lights and towers of New Chalcedon reached out of the ground, sending beams of light fruitlessly into the sky. James’ ears were ringing—he wiped tears from his eyes as he looked at his friend, his closest companion, his associate, DB431, who remained inert, slumped in his chair.
James stared a long while at his friend, and pulled his pipe out from his coat pocket, and with shaky hands deposited some tobacco, spilling some but not caring to pick it up. His hand shook as he struck a match and tried to light the pipe—the match burned down to his finger tips: he yelped, threw his pipe, punched the steering wheel, flung the car door open, stepped out, and slammed it shut as hard as he could, he swore loudly into the night, before slumping down onto the ground next to his car.
I’m a dead man. He thought. And I never took the time to live.
The weight of the task weighed heavily on his mind. He briefly thought about running. I could drive to Keras and take a passenger shuttle to space and take the next ship out, wherever it goes.
But his thoughts turned to Bridgett. She was struggling against her uncle and four guards—they surely had her in custody. Gerard is going to keep her from me while Black Zaelland hunts me down and kills me. Then who can stop him? Who would there be to take the case?
He held his head in his hands. I’m so tired.
He pulled himself back to his feet and stood. The broken windshield still holding in place, for now—cracks radiated out from the bullet hole in the corner.
The corner. James stood in line with the bullet hole in the windshield and the hole in DB431’s chassis. He mentally rotated the car—This bullet was for me, but I fishtailed into the street in reverse. If he’d acted one second slower, he would be dead and DB431 would be alive. He smiled. Black Zaelland can make mistakes.
He went over to the passenger side door and opened it, and looked closely at DB431’s chassis where the bullet had punctured it. Only a few things are actually damaged—he can probably be repaired. This wouldn’t be a fatal blow to a person, to get shot in the body like that. This might not be a fatal blow to him. But how to repair a droid? This was a specialized trade.
McElroy kicked the tire of his car. He was stuck. He needed DB431. He needed to get out of here. He needed to get rid of the car. He needed to go back. He needed everything and nothing at the same time. What am I going to do? I’m so tired.
He started mapping out decisions like they were moves in a chess game, it was so hard to see a path that led to him living, much less solving the case. Black Zaelland was a relentless bounty hunter, and he was surely already on the hunt. Neutralizing Black Zaelland had to be priority number one. But how?
He pulled out his phone. Who can I call? Do I know a guy? He scrolled endlessly through the years of contacts he kept in his phone—many contacts which lay fallow for too long and probably wouldn’t pick up, old friends who had forgotten him, past clients who forgot why they had ever called him in the first place.
There was nobody. This was on him. He would have to figure it out entirely on his own, without even the consolation of the droid who was designed for the purpose. Can I even be a detective without DB431? Is he the reason I succeed?
James looked out at the endless grassy fields from his perch on a frontage road just off the highway. It was like looking at them for the first time. He used to see only tools and resources—he couldn’t turn off his investigative mind, he couldn’t help but see conspiracy and suspicion hidden in the grass. But now—he saw only simplicity. Beauty. A world that was passing him by even as he worked tirelessly to make a living. What am I even doing?
He was pulled from his reverie when his phone rang. What? Who could this be?
He answered tentatively, cautiously: “Hello?”
“Mackerel, is that you? As I live and breathe, I didn’t know if you would answer or if you were dead—it’s been so long. It’s me, Tyrone Worran.”
James wanted to cry—it was like hearing the voice of an angel. “Ty, what the heck are you doing calling me? You have no idea—”
“Just come back to take care of some bureaucracy, bought a plot of land out in Sector Five so gotta, register ‘n all that nonsense. How you been man?”
“Hey, Ty, listen, I can’t talk right now, but let’s meet up. Where are you? New Chalcedon?”
“Yeah New Chalcedon, staying in a hotel for the week while I finagle all this paperwork. What’s going on man?”
“Perfect. I need your help.”
Thank You For Reading!
This has been DUEL, a tech-noir serial featuring Detective James McElroy and his Detective Droid DB431. This will be a serial publishing every week because I seem to have gotten my act together! There are nine episodes planned, and I reserve the right to add more if I can’t tell the story succinctly (it is looking like there will be a few more).
If you enjoyed this episode, please let me know with a like, or a comment! If you REALLY like it, tell your friends with a restack? If you’d like to not miss an episode, be sure to subscribe!
DB stands for Datguy Bettergetfixed! 🥲
I’m definitely suspicious about Tyrone and this very *convenient* phonecall.. is our intrepid hero about to walk into a trap?