Insert generic spiel here.

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Chapter 6: Cold Call

Date: Sep, 12, 2597

After Mitzy left Emma started on her meager dinner. Simple skillet grilled chicken with rice oregano pepper and a lemon wedge with some green beans and corn. It was cheap but decent in the nutrition department and at least a little flavorful if not light.

Emma knew anything more might upset her stomach once she went to sleep so this would have to do. Just after placing the dishes on the drying rack a phone ring sounded from her coffee table.

Emma immediately thought Mitzy might have forgotten something, or maybe she had another thought before going to bed. Emma signaled to answer while she focused on scrubbing the oily frying pan. “What do you want Mitzy? Did you forget something?”

Mitzy was one of Emma’s few closest friends and someone who she could relax around so she enjoyed a little banter that she rarely had the chance to do.

“Well I’m glad you two are so close. I was hoping to catch the both of you so you could get started immediately, though it doesn’t make much of a difference.” The reply though sounded garbled and foreign.

It did not match what Emma was expecting so it took her a second to realize something was off. “Hey, where are you? It sounds like you are near a transfer gate with the amount of feedback coming through.”

The pit of her stomach grew heavy and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Something wasn’t right and she knew even before she admitted it in her mind.

“Wait, who are you? This isn’t Mitzy is it?”

The voice answered, “Well seeing as you are the first to catch on, I guess its only right to introduce myself as this is only polite. No, I am not Mitzy. You may call me Osiris. You saw my work the other day with the couple and you were the first to notice. As we are now two sides to the same coin, it is my duty to test if you truly are worthy of being my other half.”

Emma knew she was in trouble. This was without a doubt the killer.

[How did he find out? How did he find me? What is his plan? What should I do?]

All these questions flew through her head for a moment before she took a deep breath and replied, “What do you want?”

The voice chuckled before answering, “It’s simple my dear, in order to prove your worth I shall give you a test. None can stand with Osiris until their soul is weighed against the feather of Maat. If you prove worthy I shall show you the evil of nirvana and grant you the power to destroy the injustice here.”

Emma contemplated her options. He knew her, who she was, where she lived, her partner, and that she was chasing him.

She was in check and he knew it.

“What do you mean two sides to the same coin?”

“Simple, I mean you and I stand for justice. The only difference is how we go about it.”

“What happens if I fail?”

The voice sighed as if a troublesome topic had come up. “Well, you can guess from my previous work my dear. Also, I will know if you tell the chief about it, so this stays between you, Mitzy, and I.”

Emma knew they meant business and didn’t want to endanger anyone else. “Okay, what is the plan then?”

“A nondescript package will be at your desk at headquarters tomorrow. It will contain a set of holo-data on a previous case some years ago. All the evidence collected by the retainers will be included. Your job is simple. Review the data with Mitzy. Then when you are ready contact me by selecting the scale icon included. We will then discuss the case and your thoughts on it. It’s as simple as that.”

This was good and bad. If the package could get into the HQ it wouldn’t contain anything like a bomb or toxins. The bad thing was the open-endedness of this test.

Emma would have no idea what he wanted to hear. If she tried to play him he would know. She grimaced as she thought about her options.

[I could tell chief, but considering the holo-data from the crime he might be an amazing hacker. It’s too dangerous. I could hole up. No, that won’t work. He already knows my address and can probably get to me when I’m defenseless. I don’t know how much he knows about me. Considering, he might even use my brother or sister to get to me.]

The thought alone made her shiver.

[At the least, we can call in backup if he shows any dislike to our answer. With no leads, I don’t have any leverage. I hate when I don’t have any cards to play.]

The voice then added in a flat chilling voice, “Oh, by the way, if you don’t accept the test little Miss Sheri and Mister Lance won’t make it to nirvana on Tuesday.”

Emma froze.

There was no way out for her.

Only Emma and Mitzy knew Emma’s brother and sister were coming to nirvana on vacation and to visit her. It had been a spur of the moment idea and no one else should know. They just might have the connections to reach Sheri and Lance and that was not a risk she could take.

They were all she had left. She couldn’t risk losing them too.

Distraught internally at this piece of information she finally spit out the words as if tasting maggots in her mouth, “Fine, I’ll do it. Just don’t hurt them. I’ll do whatever you want, but please, ….. just don’t involve them.”

With a satisfied laugh the voice finished, “Until next time Emma. Let’s see if you can obtain the name of Maat. Oh, by the way, you should treat yourself more. Chicken and rice isn’t very extravagant. You deserve it.”

The voice slowly laughed as it faded and the call ended.