Pancake Night 7: Roughness and Madness

by Seven


Disclaimer:  Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company.  All rights reserved.



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"A new what?" Liam asked, confused. He held up the oddly-made orange jacket in front of him, wrinkling his nose. The flaming color stood out amidst the subdued blue of Da'an's office like a traffic cone in a deserted highway. Da'an, perched in his seat, smiled at his protector's evident disgust.

"Straitjacket," Lili supplied, smiling and pulling the sleeves up, so that Liam could see their firm attachment to the jacket's shoulders. "It's used to restrain people who are crazy or dangerous."

"It's dangerous to look at!" Liam exclaimed, holding it away like a dead rat.

"Nevertheless," Da'an said, coming down from his thronelike chair. "This jacket has been constructed with Taelon polymers. It is virtually indestructable, to heat, cold, sharp instruments, and brute force."

"I bet I could get out," Liam said, holding it up.

"You could not," Lili snickered.

Liam glared at her, holding it to his chest now. "Could so."

"Could not."

"Could so."

"Could-"

"Why," Da'an interrupted, "does Major Kincaid not put the jacket on? Then we will know whether it can stand such efforts to escape it?"

As Liam began to protest, Lili waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry, Liam. I have the key in my pocket. Just put the thing on." She lifted a sleeve with a sly smile.

Liam sighed. "Oh, all right." He pulled his arms out of the leather jacket and slipped them into the straitjacket, binding them around his chest. Lili pulled the straps tightly and locked them, then buttoned the jacket up and locked those too.

She stood back to view the bound-up agent, then slapped Liam on the shoulder. "How is it?"

"Tight, and I'm beginning to sweat," Liam said briefly. "I'm out. Unlock it."

"Nooooo," Lili said sternly, waggling a finger at him and making Da'an smile. "You need to struggle, see if you can get out."

"I'm going to struggle, and then I'm going to get out one way or another," Liam said. He began to writhe, his elbows and hands trying to break through the bright orange fabric. Then he gasped. "All right, you win. Unlock it."

Lili grinned and reached into her pocket. It faded away as she began to slap her pants, then a look of terror overtook her face. "Uh oh."

"What do you mean, uh oh?" Liam asked with rising alarm. "You do have the key, right?"

"I... oh boy," Lili said, grimacing. "Well, Liam, you may have to be tied up for a while."

"What?"

"We should be able to duplicate the key in a few days," Da'an said soothingly as Liam began to flap his bound arms helplessly.

"I'm sorry, Liam," Lili said apologetically, but with laughter creeping into the corners of her mouth and eyes.

"Are you telling me," Liam said slowly and deliberately, "that I'm going to have to wander around in a straitjacket for however long it takes for the scientists to make a new key?"

"Yes," Da'an agreed.

"AAAAArrrrgggggrrrrrr...." Liam's green eyes blazed. "Lili, I've never been so tempted to kick you out a window."

"Just don't follow up on this and we'll be fine," Lili said, biting her lips to restrain a smile. "Come on, we have to meet the leader of the Western US Resistance." She took his orange-clad and tried to pull him to the door.

"Hold on," Liam said, staring at her and bracing himself away. "You can't be serious. You can't possibly think that I can show up for that meeting wearing this!" He waggled his elbows like wings.

Lili couldn't help it anymore. She began to giggle, running out of the room. Liam's footsteps pounded after her, and Da'an calling for them to come back. This has the makings of true weirdness, she thought wryly, heading down to the shuttlepad with Liam a few steps behind her.

****

Zo'or only noticed Sandoval's ruffled appearance when the implant began to give his report in the usual monotone. The Taelon stared at Sandoval's torn shirt, lack of jacket, mussed hair, and a faint cut on one cheek. For a long time, Zo'or sat and stared at Sandoval, then his curiosity got the better of him.

"Agent Sandoval?"

"The mothership's conventional... Yes, Zo'or?" Sandoval interrupted himself and looked up at Zo'or calmly, seemingly oblivious to his state of disarray. But he knew. Inwardly, Sandoval winced at the stare Zo'or was giving him. He always tried to be perfectly groomed, and showing up like this felt more than a little... odd.

"May I ask why you are in this state?" Zo'or asked.

Sandoval's usually emotionless face showed plainly that he wanted to sink into the floor. "I was waylaid by a mob of Taelonists on my way to my shuttle this morning," he said simply. "They wanted to see you."

"Why?"

"Because the Taelonists worship the Taelons."

Zo'or mulled this over for a moment, then commented, "I must discuss this with the Synod. Is there anything else, Agent Sandoval?"

Sandoval bit his lip. "One young woman on the street told me to tell you... uh, she thinks you're a babe."

"A what?" Zo'or asked blankly.

"Attractive."

"Oh," Zo'or said, a faint flicker of bewilderment touching his face. He sat back, still staring off into nothing. "Very well, you may go." A... babe?

****

Da'an's meditations were interrupted by a roaring noise outside the Embassy. He rose from his chair and stepped down to the floor, walking to the window. Outside was a mob of humans, clad in white robes and with shaved heads. Taelon script was dotted across their robes, in black, red, and blue ink.

Da'an sighed and returned to his seat, then waved his datastream up, hailing Liam. In a moment, his captive protector appeared on the screen, looking hot and bothered. The image was slightly lopsided. "Yes, Da'an?"

"Liam," Da'an began, then stopped. For a moment he searched for the right term, then commented, "I am being swamped."