The rain was heavy. Another full day of craps was done, and as usual Jason was the last to leave due to his last-minute boss giving him some shit tasks. As a zeta citizen, the lowest grade in humanity, he could not deny the task. It happened quite frequently as he was one of the best maintenance technicians of the company.
The problem was that his citizenship levels did not allow him to stay past 22:00 in the street as it was sanctioned as a major infraction. He already got some twice already this year. His boss has always played fair and backed him up. So, the last few times he only got a fine and a salary decrease.
Anyways Jason did not want to try his luck a third time so near the end of the year as judge weren’t so lenient and so he was running as if his life depended on it to his flat in sector 3 using some maintenance open corridors and bridges.
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Meanwhile in some office in drone civilian security corps, Ben, a pilot drone is taken his break with a coffee around a few coworkers.
“And so, ben do you think you will get some extra vacations this year?”
Ben answers with a smirk: “Sure I am just missing a catch and I am finished with my quota of the year and perhaps I can even get a bonus and take my break on one of the sun towers above the clouds”.
“Way to go, you sure are one of the best catchers of the floor”
“Yes, you even got the eye of Maribelle”
Pensively ben pauses then adds: “hum, could be a nice touch to ask her to join me for sure but the work will not do it itself so let’s go back to surveillance.”
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Everybody groans but quickly finish their coffee to return to their cockpit hoping for a good catch and a nice bonus to go on their pay for Christmas.
Later, on one of his usual hunches, Ben pilots his drone away from his usual hunting ground toward sector 3, not a good spot most of the time.
His hunch pays immediately as his thermal camera gets a target running on one of the low levels running among the maintenance corridors. It is a difficult target as drones are not good in these cramped spaces, but ben is one of the best. A smile creeping up his face, he engages the target for its hunt. He quickly dives for the lower levels while trying to get some maps to find the best place for the capture of his prey. He finally finds a bridge at the entrance of sector 3 which his target will have to cross and finish his drive to it. Meanwhile he continues to track his target by the infrared. The prey is quite good seeming to choose the best path while nonstop running. Ben hesitates a second then decide to set a trap. He activates a decoy in the middle of the bridge. Theses top tech gadgets display a false security drone and have some autonomy to mimic the standard behavior. Meanwhile, Ben places his own drone just over the exit hiding from its prey. The decoy has a high cost and if he misses it will cost him, but the target seems not to be an easy one et shows a too good knowledge.
As the citizen emerges from the corridor, Ben sees him launch a small device at the decoy. A quick flash and the decoy drop while the prey continues his course. Fortunately, Ben is just of the range of what seems to be an EMP detonation. He quickly dives, acquires the target and shots 2 impulses. The first seems to be absorbed but the second is a hit and the prey stumbles and drops to the ground.
Around Ben all the coworkers, which were watching from the beginning of the chase erupt in joy and give each other high fives. Yes, he definitely gained his vacation and a good bonus.