World's Collider: A Shared-World Anthology by Steven Savile & Simon Kurt Unsworth & Trent Zelazny & James Moran & Aaron Rosenberg & Jonathan Green & Kelly Hale & Richard Wright & Jonathan Templar

Author:Steven Savile & Simon Kurt Unsworth & Trent Zelazny & James Moran & Aaron Rosenberg & Jonathan Green & Kelly Hale & Richard Wright & Jonathan Templar [Savile, Steven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nightscape Press
Published: 2013-12-07T11:00:00+00:00

He was standing in the lounge room of his apartment, covered in sweat. He felt wrung out, but for the first time since he'd woke up that morning, something was different. He sent a command to his lips and the sound of his voice almost surprised him when it actually arrived on cue.

“What are you?”

Smug silence. No answer, but he could feel that smugness. That sleek self-satisfaction.

“How do you know all this stuff about me? Where I keep everything?”

Again, no answer. Perhaps the intruder had exhausted itself. Joseph looked around his apartment, surveying the mess it had left. He'd need to clean all this up. The intruder's recklessness was even more concerning than the fact it could mentally overpower him. He wasn't egotistical enough to think he couldn't succumb again, and he picked the trophies off the floor and placed them back in the wardrobe. A little more relaxed now, he closed his eyes and spoke again, mostly to prove he still could.

“What are you?”

I'm your conscience.

Joseph's eyes snapped open, startled to get a reply.

There was a knock at the door.

I wonder who that could be.

Another knock. Clearly not going anywhere.

Joseph walked over to the door. Composed himself. Opened the door. Smiled.

The cop smiled back. He didn't even ask to come in, simply walking past Joseph into the apartment. “Good morning, Mr Tern,” he said. His voice had a Czech accent, so he was definitely local. The intruder in Joseph's head uncoiled a little as his mind raced. He knew the police were short-handed these days, but this guy was clearly someone to be reckoned with. He could already tell the cop was trying to rattle him, so he determined to play it cool.

“Won't you come in?”

The cop smiled at this. “I'm Sergeant Kladivo. Why do you think I'm here?”

“I presume word's got around: I'm an excellent kisser and still relatively cheap.”

Kladivo smiled again. “Are you going to shut that door?”

Joseph did so. He tried to remember if there was anything incriminating lying around the apartment. He knew he was already in trouble, but there must be a reason he wasn't already in handcuffs. His heart-rate slowed and his mind began preparing a strategy...

Sweat broke out on his brow.

He wasn't hot.

Nor was he nervous.

But for some reason now he looked nervous... The intruder? Could it do that?

He considered wiping the sweat away, but figured that would merely draw attention to it. “So. What can I help you with, Sergeant?”

“Just a couple of questions, but can we start with a cup of tea?”

“Sure.” Joseph walked to the kitchen, Kladivo watching him like a hawk.

The short knife was sitting on the kitchen table. Its blade still had the runt's blood all over it.

Joseph immediately stepped between Kladivo and the table so that he couldn't see the knife. He didn't stop moving, and he'd already figured out what he would do: he'd grab the knife and quietly put it in the sink while he filled up the kettle. When the kettle was full he'd leave the tap running and let the water clean the blade without raising any suspicion.