A Shot in the Dark

The two live units continued fire, systematically dismantling, disabling and/or dismembering every possible threat in the concourse. As this included every person, sentinel, bodyguard and drone, this was a task that took several seconds.

It was a shame that personal weapons were in vogue this year. The first shots killed all five of their strikes - hyperkinetic weapons have a tendency to do that to lightly-armoured organic targets. Activating personal defence systems were the next twenty-six targets, which in turn necessitated about the same number in stray fire kills.

I watched dispassionately as the atrium erupted in fire. Most of it, of course, was mine. The weapons on the field, almost all designed to be discreet in form if not function, paled in comparison to military firepower.

In a solitary sphere of quietude, I led her towards our exit.