Enforcers are synthetic humanoid organisms, bioengineered and grown by Godson Corporation.

 

Their enhanced strength, durability, reflexes, and agility give them superior combat aptitude, making enforcers ideal for use by the government as peacekeepers in volatile areas.

 

Recently, Godson Corp has begun experimenting with the new batches of enforcers, giving them new cognitive functions, with the goal of expanding the enforcer’s uses.

 

Zero is the first in the new Delta Series. It is also the most controversial enforcer to date.

 

Zero is the first enforcer embedded with a new experimental ability called “Judgment.” With this, Zero is able to utilize principles and inferences in its decision making. Gone is the formulaic approach utilized in previous model Enforcers. Zero is able to use nuance, compromise, and middle ground.

 

Godson Corp claims this will increase Zero's investigative and combat effectiveness.

Critics argue this gives Zero too much leeway in its decisions and lowers its predictability.
 

To prove the effectiveness of this ability, Godson Corp has organized a test: On this night, Zero will be sent unsupervised and unchecked, to locate wanted criminal Dennis Richards.

 

Its mission: locate and execute JUDGMENT.

 

 

Demeter’s Circle – The Lower Echelon – October 10th, 2217

            It was, as tends to be the case in most investigative narratives, the initial leads from the case, that led Zero to the Demeter’s Circle apartment complex. The aged but still standing exterior, and its location in the lower echelon of the high tech city, practically advertised the apartment complex’s utility to criminals as shelter from the law.

            The sun had just started to set and the owners and the front desk clerks had been notified ahead of time that Zero would be coming. Even though enforcers wore human faces, one could still spot the artificially grown brain behind the mask. This was not the first time the owners had dealt with enforcers, and they were sure this would not be their last.

            “Evening. Delta Zero with the Enforcement. I’m here investigating the tenant in apartment A113.” The man and woman tending the front desk had trouble hiding their shock at this new enforcer. The enforcement had told them that the enforcer visiting them tonight would be a new prototype, but they had not expected this. Most enforcers bore the appearance of men, with variance between young and middle aged, but this was the first one they had seen modelled after a young woman. It looked youthful but not childish. Its voice, light but not cheerful. Its blue eyes were pure but not innocent. Its demeanor was calm but its presence was not calming. Its pale skin looked fresh and didn’t have a wrinkle on it, but its hands moved with the fluidity that came with years of experience, as it produced its badge. It looked so feminine, but was not female.

            “Yeah…” the man responded after reclaiming his train of thought. “The guys at HQ said that they had reason to suspect this guy of a crime right?”

            “That’s correct. Do you know the state of the room?”

            “No, we don’t. I can tell you that they haven’t been paying their rent. That’s why we called you guys in the first place. Go ahead in.” He handed Zero the key. It was aware the man continued to watch and left the front desk toward the apartment. The rain outside did not deter Zero as it made its way through the open apartment complex from the admin building to block A. Its hair was cut short so as to improve eyesight during combat.

Zero walked up the staircase to room 113. It was about to knock on the door when it became aware of a small rubber ball bouncing down the stairs nearby. Zero caught the ball perfectly and tracked its origin back up the stairs to discover someone walking down after it. It was a boy. Zero knew about children, but it had never seen one until now. Zero observed the child closely in order to gain as much information as possible.  

            The boy froze on the staircase, staring at the woman in front of him. He had never seen her before, but the fact that she was dressed in a dark blue police uniform meant she could be trusted, and this made him excited to meet someone new.

            The way the boy stared at her would be considered by some amusing. Zero was fascinated at this reaction, and decided to try interacting with him:

            “Hi,” Zero greeted, smiling as it knew how. It held out the ball to him. “Is this your ball?”

            “Yeah, it’s really cool, huh?” he said as he walked towards her.

            “Yeah, it’s pretty” Zero responded. The boy’s excited nature was new to Zero. It seemed like he was happy just to meet her. He seemed so innocent.

            “John!” The boy’s mother came rushing down the stairs. “Don’t go running off like that, wait for Mom and Dad!” The woman grabbed the boy gently to stop him. She noticed Zero. The woman’s eyes went wide as the father came down the stairs. He too seemed surprised. Zero broke the silence.

            “Is this your child?” It asked as it smiled.

            “Uh… yes…” the mother answered. Zero became aware that the woman was trying to edge past it. Reacting to the discomfort the woman was experiencing, Zero dropped its smile a little.

            “I caught his ball for him.” Zero held out the ball towards the family. The woman reached forward and quickly took it from Zero. “He’s really cute.”

            “Uh… Thank you. Now come on John, let’s go.” The woman took the boy towards the stairs.

            “Have a good day, madam.” Zero waved, still sporting a small smile

            “Um… you too…” Zero could hear the woman muttering something to her husband. “Was she a…” The husband whispered his response. “Oh my… are you kidding me?” At this point, they were out of range, so Zero did not give much more attention to it as it knocked on the door. After getting no response, Zero pulled the key from its pocket and unlocked the door itself.

            Room A113 of the Demeter’s Circle Apartment Complex was one of the lower-end rooms offered for living in. It was nothing more than a few small rooms with heating, air conditioning, running water, functioning outlets, and a few lights where it mattered. After searching the room and finding nobody, Zero started searching for evidence as to the criminal’s whereabouts. The fridge still had food, but the pantry was partly empty, as were the closets. One of them was completely empty, with some small hangers left inside. Evidence of the inhabitant leaving in a hurry. Zero noticed some wrinkled papers next to the telephone. The last call on the telephone had taken place yesterday. The time and date matched the address hastily written on the paper.

Hades Dance Club – The Upper Echelon

            Hades was a nuisance to the Enforcement. The upper echelon had every right to enjoy themselves, but the line between indulgence and gluttony was one that was crossed easily, and in this club, frequently. The stereotypical booming bass, feverish tempo, and strobe lights established the club’s hypnotic atmosphere. Faces of dancers, entranced by the music, would appear briefly before being overtaken again by shadows. The heat generated by so many bodies close together was so intense that one could get the impression they were entering Dante’s inferno.

Frank Jacobs was the owner of the club. He was a real character, constantly at odds with the Enforcement, constantly challenging their authority, and he was not particularly good at dealing with Enforcers. These problems were not helped by the fact that he enjoyed partaking in some of the club’s luxuries. On this night, he was in the mezzanine, overlooking the main dance floor, speaking with some business partners. He was approached by his assistant and some bodyguards.

            “Sir, Richards has sent a message. He has successfully evaded the Enforcement, but they have an Enforcer on his tail.”

            “What? One of those skin bots? Just kick him out.” The guards had already left.

            “I don’t think she would like that, sir,” the assistant cautioned.

            “You mean him?”

            “I think you mean ‘her,’ Frank,” one of the business men pointed out. They all turned and watched as the Enforcer fought its way through the line of security guards. Its slender frame and small form, barely breaking five feet, did not foreshadow the immense strength and speed that it possessed as it dodged punches from the security guards and quickly disabled them with quick precise strikes. Even a clean blow received from one of the guards did not disorient the Enforcer, as it quickly retaliated with a brutal strike to the elbow, breaking the guard’s arm. After finishing off the last guard, Zero walked over to the table.

            “You all should go.” Zero stated simply. The men all stood and quickly left.  Jacobs shook his head.

“The Enforcement has evidence that you have been harboring wanted criminal Dennis Richards. By law, you are required to tell me where he is.” Zero stated.

            “Hey, I don’t know anything. I’ve never even met the guy.” Jacobs asserted.

            “The Enforcement has recordings captured from the security cameras of buildings next to Hades, showing you dealing with him. Would you like me to show them to you?” Zero challenged. It would not take a psychic to tell Jacobs was thinking to himself that he should not have been surprised at this.

            “Look, he’s a lot more desperate than you think—” Jacobs tried to state.

            “Where is he?”

            “He’s not a bad man, he’s just trying to get his stuff together—”

            “Where is he?” Jacobs realized the Enforcer wasn’t going to hear what he had to say.

            “I’m not telling you.” Zero didn’t notice that its eyes twitched slightly as it grabbed Jacobs and took him to the roof. “Is this really necessary? If you’re trying to scare me into giving you his location, pick a better spot. I don’t think the fall from this height would even injure me.”

            “Exactly.” Jacobs could only scream as Zero dropped him from one story down onto the hard concrete. Zero effortlessly jumped down next to him. Jacobs slowly got to his knees.

            “Aw man… you know, treating a man like this is grounds for a lawsuit, right?” Zero ignored him and picked Jacobs up, propping him against a nearby truck.

            “Where did you send him?” It was not within Zero’s knowledge of what to do in the event the person being interrogated started to laugh.

            “It must be frustrating, huh? When they don’t cooperate for no good reason? And they don’t even care because all I know is that if I don’t tell you, then you don’t get to find him, and that makes you angry. You look so stupid when you’re angry.” He mocked Zero, and Zero could tell. It picked him up and slammed him against the metal door of the truck. This only made him laugh. “You can do that all you want, I’m not telling you anything. I am not betraying him. Especially for a stupid little girl like you!” Zero didn’t notice its hand shaking as it punched him repeatedly in the face, but even with blood flowing from his nostrils, Jacobs continued to laugh. “Got anything else to try, honey bunches?” Zero pulled out her phone and checked the messages.

            “There’s been an update. The Enforcement has linked you to the crimes that Richards committed. They have issued a new kill order on you.” Zero pulled out her pistol.

            “Are you kidding me?!” Zero continued to ready her gun. “Alright, he’s in Persephone Tower! If you’re going to kill me, kill him too!” Except, the Enforcement had not issued a kill order on Frank Jacobs.

            “What was that about him being your friend again?” Jacobs could have sworn that he saw it smirk. 

Persephone Tower – The Old Echelon

            The sun was beginning to rise over Persephone Tower. It was located in the old echelon, an aged, but not forgotten part of the city. Persephone was built in the early 2190s, around the same time that the Beta Enforcers were first unveiled. When Godson Corp moved further north in the valley to build a larger factory to manufacture the Gamma Enforcers, the city had to follow, leaving the old echelon behind to be monitored sparingly by Enforcement patrols.

Zero didn’t bother checking the lower floors. For some reason, those being hunted always hid on the top floors. Maybe it was the result of a rash decision made in the heat of the moment. Hiding on the top floor did mean she had to climb more stairs, but a man of reason would know that it also left him with no way out.

Zero entered the forty-eighth floor to the building, just two floors from the atrium on the top. There were already signs of inhabitants. Some of the rubble was freshly overturned as if someone had searched for supplies, and there were signs of fresh footsteps. Multiple sets in fact. As Zero walked through halls, it noticed some etchings on the walls. They appeared to be poorly drawn pictures of flowers and houses, drawn in crayon… the sound of shuffling feet nearby caught Zero’s attention. Zero followed the sound into a foyer area. There were statues of angels on the pillars, their faces overlooking the room. Zero searched for the source of the footsteps. The slightest sound of falling debris drew its attention upward, where it came face to face with Dennis Richards, watching her through a hole in the ceiling. His face disappeared and was replaced with the sound of beeping, signaling Zero to run for the stairs, narrowly avoiding the explosions from the bombs placed in the floor. The carbon enforced steel beams of Persephone Tower could take the explosions but the floor could not, and almost swallowed Zero as it collapsed.

Zero made it to the staircase and sprinted to the forty-ninth floor, arriving just in time to see Richards run up the staircase. Zero fired a shot at him and managed to wound him in the shoulder, but he still got to the staircase. Zero raced across the room and up the staircase after him. It found the door locked. A hard kick gave it access to the atrium on the fiftieth floor.

A young woman rushed at Zero, a knife in her hand. Zero quickly disarmed the woman and threw her off to the side. Richards had fallen down onto a patch of grass in the middle of the garden. Zero approached him and readied her pistol. But her aim was blocked by someone jumping in front of Richards. It was a little girl.

“Don’t hurt him! Don’t hurt my daddy!” she cried. Zero’s eyes widened. This girl was Richards’ daughter. And that meant the woman coming to was his wife.

“Look, Honey, just go back to your room,” Dennis told his daughter, trying desperately to move her out of the way. He moved his daughter away and sat himself up. “Please, I know you’re here to kill me.”

“Please, don’t kill him!” the wife begged.

“Sarah, it’s okay!” Dennis assured her, before turning his attention back to Zero. “Please, hear me out. I didn’t mean to kill the teller, I was only taking money out of the drawer. I needed the money for my daughter.”

Watching the girl’s face covered in tears, Zero realized that the hand holding her pistol was shaking. She quickly grabbed it and steadied her hand. The wife got to her feet and rushed Zero again. Zero didn’t expect this and fired a shot into the woman’s thigh. She collapsed on the ground screaming as she clutched her leg.

“Sarah!” Dennis cried out. “Why did you do that?! She was only trying to protect her!” He screamed at Zero. Both of Zero’s hands were shaking now, and she couldn’t stop them. This man had a kid and had taken care of her. He wasn’t an evil man.

 

Was he?

And what of the daughter?

Zero couldn’t shoot Dennis in front of her.

Doing so would destroy her innocence.

And that was her goal:

Protect the innocent.

Right?

Or was innocence not counted?

She also had to bring justice to criminals like Dennis.

But then again, was he a criminal?

No he wasn’t.

He was trying to help his daughter.

But he had killed a teller, so he was.

But he wasn’t.

But he was.

She couldn’t do it.

She couldn’t judge the situation.

Her vision was fogging up as she began to hyperventilate.

What could she do?

Was there anything she could do?

There was only one thing she could do.

 

She raised her pistol. Dennis shouted to his daughter:

“Honey! Cover your eyes! Don’t look!”

Epilogue

Godson Corporation, Secure Internal Transmission, #10927-10112217-083642

11 October 2217

From: Harold Godson, High Administrator of Godson Corporation

To: Dr. Edwin Tyrone, Head Bioengineer of Godson Corporation

 

Edwin,

It would appear that our latest project has failed in the worst way possible.

The Enforcement tells me that Delta-Zero suffered a functional breakdown during the operation.

 

I have already made arrangements to have its self-termination covered up and the apparatus disposed of. We’ll be passing this off as a case where one of our enforcers was caught off guard, as implausible as that is. This will not sit well with the media, and the I.T. division will be pulling all-nighters for the next month keeping this under wraps.

 

It seems that your concerns about the instability of Judgment were legitimate as were your worries about sending Delta-Zero out before we had finished beta testing. I’m sure that those glitches can be worked out. Maybe we can try that “embedded memories” thing you were talking about earlier.  Let me know when you’re free so we can speak more about this.

 

- Harold

 

JUDGMENT NIGHT

By Peter Platon

Inspired by the Film “Blade Runner” by Ridley Scott