The Meteorite Bullet

The Meteorite Bullet¹

     Astrina traveled down a road at normal speed. When lights started flashing behind her she pulled over to the side. “What did I do? I haven’t done anything wrong that I know of,” said Astrina.

     The lights belonged to two Local vehicles and a Fire Extinguisher. They only went passed Astrina. “They just wanted me to pull out of the way,” commented Astrina.

     After the emergency vehicles turned a corner in the near distance Astrina continued on. She turned at the corner too. When she did she suddenly stopped. The emergency vehicles stopped a couple of streets ahead of her. Astrina just sat there - staring at what was going on. Suddenly she sat straight up in her chair. “That’s about where my house is at.”

     Astrina speeded up, and within a minute she stretched to a stop behind the second Local. She jumped out of her vehicle barely after the door next to her disappeared, and ran through the observers already gathered there. Pushing and shoving through them and a few Locals, trying to keep everyone back, Astrina ran into her house.

     When she got to her Living Area she discovered three things: A broken window, two Local Investigators and a meteorite burning a hole in her carpet. Just then a Fire Fighter used a hand weapon to put the fire out in the hole caused by the meteorite. “It was a Meteorite Bullet.”

     “I know that. As soon as it hit the window it set off the silent alarm, and when a heat signature appeared it said Meteorite Bullet. That’s when we were contacted,” said Tashi - the female Investigator.

     Morien examined the broken window. A single bullet hole created a hole almost in the middle of that window. The hole caused a fracture surrounding it. “One touch and the whole window would shatter into a hundred pieces. It’s definitely a Meteorite Bullet.”

     Tashi knelt down beside the hole now covered in a clear foam. Laying down with her head next to the hole in the carpet Tashi looked up at the hole in the window. “From the angle of this hole the Meteorite Bullet came from the roof across the street.”

     “What’s going on here?” Astrina asked. Her head darting around the Living Area. Then toward the ceiling. “Where are my children?”

     “I don’t know where they are, but they are here. While the Fire Fighters checked out the fire we searched the house for anyone here,” said Tashi.

     Morien picked up an Image Box² of three children on a small table near the carpet hole. The names and ages appeared under each one of them. Jandin was the youngest at ten. He stood at one end, and the oldest Doram at fifteen stood at the other end. In between the two boys was Hunae at thirteen. “Are these your children?”

     “Yes, they are.” Astrina snatched the Image Box from Morien. “Where are they? I’m happy they aren’t, but they should be here.”

     “Isn’t that the newest Image Box?” Tashi asked.

     “It is,” answered Astrina. “So what?”

     “They are very expensive,” said Morien. “How can you afford something like that.”

     “We did a background check on you on our way here,” said Tashi. “According to our records you barely make enough each month with what you get working as a Security Specialist.”

     “When my Mate died six years ago he left behind a large about of Units to only be used for the children,” said Astrina. “I didn’t know it, but when we became One ten years prior to that he set up an account for his children when we had any just in case something did happen to him, and he was secretly putting Units into it.”

     After calming down a lot Astrina continued. “Is that good enough of an explanation for you?”

     Morien and Tashi glanced at each other, smiled, and looked back at Astrina. “We thought it was something like that,” said Tashi.

     “I’m sorry, but we had to ask. What happened here wasn’t an accident,” said Morien.

     Before Astrina could respond to that Morien and Tashi both got contacted. After about a minute Tashi came up to Astrina. “Your kids are okay. They are at a friend’s house. We don’t know who sent them there, or how, but I think we know why. It’s so that you would be here alone. I think you were the target of that Meteorite Bullet.”

     “Why would someone want to kill me?” Astrina asked.

     “I don’t know why – yet,” said Tashi. “You are a Security Specialist. Maybe you saw something, or someone thinks you did, you shouldn’t have seen.”

     “It’s not that dangerous of a job,” said Astrina. “All I do all day is watch a large office building Monitor System.”

     “What kind of office building?” Tashi asked. “Is it a scientific or a government building?”

     “It’s neither,” said Astrina. “The first five floors are Medical and Defender’s offices, and the upper floors are offices of businesses.”

     “You’re right,” said Tashi. “That doesn’t sound dangerous.”

     Just then Morien joined them. “We have the shooter. He was still at the house across the street. According to him he said he wasn’t going to leave until he made sure you were dead. That’s why he hadn’t left yet. They are bringing him out now.”

     Morien, Tashi and Astrina walked over to the broken window. Astrina had to peer through the hole to see out. “I know that man. I’m not sure what his name was, but I got involved with him about a year ago. He got a little threatening so I ended it. When he started bothering me I got worried. Before I could do anything he got detained. He must have just gotten out.”


¹A Meteorite Bullet is called that because the pellets look like tiny meteorites.

²Image Boxes are so expensive because they change image and age wise each year.

The Word Count, including this line, is 997.