It was bleak yet beautiful. The huge skyscrapers that formed the urban canyons reached up towards the heavens, towering over even the thick smog and smoke of the cityscape. Smokestacks belched fire into the air, the combustion safely disposing the impurities in the gas through flaring. Gargantuan flying hoards advertised the possibility of a new life on the colonies to those rich enough to afford it. The light escaping out of each window shone in contrast to the dark silhouettes of the buildings, creating small star-like pinpricks upon the giant towers. A dystopia that at a glance was almost utopian.

Douglass didn’t notice any of it. He just sat, lost in his thoughts as the police spinner took him toward the LAPD building. The pilot, who sat beside Douglass, did not speak, channelling all his energies into getting them both to the police HQ. The spinner wound it’s way through the city at high speeds. Computers and navigation equipment bleeped and radiated a bluish light.

The pilot dropped altitude and started to prepare for landing as the LAPD building came into view. The craft hovered above the building and descended in a slow, controlled spiral, the very spiral that gave the Spinner it’s name.

Holden watched as the vehicle landed and took another drag from his cigarette. He didn’t like this. Didn’t like it at all. Douglass wasn’t ready for full duties yet, not so soon after the incident. If it had been up to him Douglass would never have gotten back into the Rep-Detect unit again but then the circumstances surrounding the whole thing had been rather special. Most people seemed to think that anyone could have made the mistake that Douglass had. Not Holden though.

Douglass walked into Bryant’s office and stood in front of the desk. The Captain didn’t take any notice of him or at least pretended not to, continuing on with his paperwork. After a minute he did look up and when he did Douglass wished he hadn’t. The overweight bearded man looked up at him with a mixture of disgust and anger.

“Sit down” he snapped and went back to the paperwork.

Douglass wearily slid into the chair and waited for Bryant to finish whatever he was doing. His boss seemed to be intent on keeping him waiting, sweating him out.

Just as Douglass began to feel himself falling asleep Bryant spoke.

“Surprised to be back?”

Douglass did not flinch or back down but he didn’t answer either.

“It’s been, what, three months now? Think you’re ready to go back to work. Feel ready to start working the old magic again?”

“Yeah, I do”

“Well that’s good. Because I got a job for you”

“How many?”

“Five”

“Where from?”

“The Vassago Rim. They’re Nexus Fives”

“Shit, I thought you’d give me something hard Bryant”

Bryant reacted as if he’d been slapped. He almost jumped back.

“Don’t go getting too cocky Douglass. That was what got you into that mess three months back. As it is I’m not totally trusting you on this one”

“What?”

“You’re working with Holden”

“I don’t need a babysitter. You can use Holden better than that”

“Don’t argue with me Douglass. You were pretty damn close to losing your badge and becoming one of the little people. As it stands you might still become one of them.”

“Nexus Fives? They’re way behind the Sixes. They’re not even close.”

“Maybe, but they’re still faster, smarter and stronger than the average human”

“You can use me and Holden better than this”

“We don’t even have any Six cases yet Douglass. Just take the file, get outta here and meet up with Holden”

Douglass did as he was told, only too happy to leave the office. Someone else stepped in. Gaff, the tall and mysterious bladerunner threw Douglass a scowl. The Captain looked up, smiled, got out two glasses and a bottle of whiskey before speaking to him.

“Hey Gaff. Needja to do something for me. There’s this here…”

Douglass walked out, closing the door behind him. He stepped on something and looked down. Despite being crumpled and dirtied by his boot it was still recognizable. A small origami model of a panther. Douglass growled and ground it down with his heel.

Holden was waiting for him in what had been his office before he’d had to leave the Rep-Detect unit. Douglass walked in and was instantly affronted.

“What the hell did you guys do with my office?”

The room was filled with file cabinets, stacks of sheets stood in piles. Boxes filled with discs had formed mountains.

“We turned it into a storage space” replied Holden, as if that much was not already obvious.

Douglass looked back at Holden, his stare imparting the fact that he was annoyed. Holden broke into a smile but not a friendly one.

“Hey, it’s not as if you were using it. To be honest I didn’t think you’d ever be using it again”

Douglass nodded slowly realising that some peoples’ opinions of him had changed in the last few months. Holden walked through the mazes of cabinets toward him.

“No, not at all. Didn’t think you’d be back. Fact is, you screwed up big time.”

“It wasn’t my fault Holden”

“No, but it was you who pulled the trigger”

“It’s not like he was a fine upstanding member of society”

“No,” Holden replied with an air of contempt, “but he was human.”