Neal Barrett - Judge Dredd

Fergie pressed three fingers against the wall. Nothing. Moved a foot to the right. The third time, he moved down a foot and a half. Pressed against the cold concrete. A seam appeared, the width of a door. Fergie gave it a gentle shove. The slab of concrete hissed aside.

“Very impressive,” Hershey said.

“Not bad,” said Dredd.

“Thanks,” Fergie said, “I’m underwhelmed by your support.” The door slid shut behind him. “If anyone’s interested, that thing hasn’t been used in a hell of a long time. Whoever’s coming in and out of this Janus deal has another way than this.”

“Good,” Dredd said. “Maybe they won’t expect us.”

“I’ll drink to that. Soon as we find a bar.”

“Scanner?” said Hershey.

“That way,” said Dredd.

The passage went another hundred yards, twisting in every direction, the floor slanting steadily down. Dredd noticed the absence of rats and guessed the reason why. He didn’t need the scanner now. He could feel the deep tremor of power. The rats didn’t like that at all. Dredd didn’t blame them. He hefted the Remington and nodded at Hershey. Hershey raised the Lawgiver above her head, telling him she got the warning and understood.

“Air.” Fergie sniffed. “Fresher than where we’ve been. Processed air.”

Dredd nodded. The corridor took a sharp turn to the left up ahead. “Douse the light,” he said. “Stay near.”

He moved past the corner. Hershey followed.

“We’re close,” she said softly. “I can feel the electricity in my hair. We’d better— DREDD!”

A blur of metal, cold and silver-bright. It whipped around Hershey’s waist, jerked her off her feet. The Lawgiver fell from her hands. Dredd brought his Remington up to fire, The robot was faster. An automatic weapon chattered in its free hand, stitching a deadly path. Fergie stood frozen, staring wide-eyed at the monster overhead.

“Down!” Dredd yelled. He started toward Fergie, knew he was a millisecond late. Fergie cried out, grabbed his chest, spun around twice and slammed into the concrete wall.

Dredd didn’t stop, couldn’t risk a look back. He bent low and stalked toward the big robot, blasting with the Remington, racking one shell into the chamber after the next, knowing he wasn’t even denting the metal warrior’s hide, that he didn’t dare fire at the brute’s face or its steel and copper gut. He might put a hole in the son of a bitch’s vital parts, but he might hit Hershey instead.

A bullet plowed a shallow furrow through the flesh of Dredd’s upper arm. The pain rocked him on his heels. He sucked in a breath, fired again and again.

Useless… not hitting anything… not even making the bastard mad…

Hershey screamed, kicking out against the robot’s grip. The warrior took a step toward Dredd, its massive foot sending a minor tremor through the earth. The other foot creaked, whirred, came down hard. Gray dust showered from the ceiling. Dredd threw himself aside, saw a flash of metal struts, hydraulics and coils, winking red lights, tucked behind the foot’s steel plates.

The robot turned, its gleaming arms whirring as it fired a volley at Dredd. Dredd felt flecks of stone slice his cheek. He rolled, came to his feet, held the Remington at his waist and blasted at the narrow slit in the robot’s metal joint.

A blue electric flash, a wisp of black smoke. Dredd fired again, saw the bright sizzle, heard the high-pitched whine as steel tendons snapped. A silver tube whipped free, writhed like a snake, and pumped dark and foul-smelling lubricants into the air.

The robot shuddered. Its brain said FORWARD MODE. One foot made it off the ground. The other didn’t budge. The robot roared like a prehistoric beast, teetered, then hit the floor like a quake, FORWARD MODE was still intact. The robot pounded its good foot against the ground, a jackhammer gone berserk.

Hershey was still in the robot’s grip. Dredd ran to her. Maybe he could find a handy tool somewhere, use the Remington to pry her free…

He heard the sigh of air, turned, saw the door slide open behind him. Rico. Rico and a woman. Both held weapons in their hands. He recognized the woman at once. Ilsa Hayden from Rico’s trial. What was she doing here?

“That’ll be enough,” Rico said. “Just put the weapon down.”

“No way. I shot this thing. I’m going to eat it.”

“That’s amusing, I’m sure.” Rico turned to the robot. “Fido, you clumsy bastard, if you don’t mind functioning a while, break Judge Hershey’s neck, please, on the count of three. One… two…”

“Hershey? You all right?”

“I’m—yes, I’m all right, Dredd.”

Dredd let the Remington fall from his hand.

Rico laughed. “How human of you. You’ve become a romantic, brother. ” He motioned with his weapon. “Inside now. Fido, if the lady moves, crush her.”

Ilsa walked past Dredd. She glanced down at Fergie, rolled him over with her foot, shrugged, and turned away. When she bent to pick up Dredd’s weapon, she looked directly into Fergie’s eyes.

“Nice. A bit crude, but nice.”

“Watch her,” Rico said. “She’s a real tease, Dredd.”

“Where’s your boss?” Dredd said. “He let you out of your cage for the day?”

Rico shook his finger at Dredd. “If you’re trying to get on my good side, it won’t do you any good. I don’t have one.”

“Where’s Griffin?”

“Chief Justice Griffin has retired, so to speak. In his absence, I have assumed his responsibilities.”

“You mean you’ve killed him.”

Rico looked pained. “Me? Of course not. He had an accident with Fido. Doggie is not entirely housebroken, I’m afraid.”

Ilsa raised her weapon, closed one eye, and let the muzzle drop to the level of Dredd’s chest. “Rico said for you to move, dear. I think you should do what he says.”

Dredd didn’t answer. He walked toward the door where Rico and Ilsa had entered.

“He looks like you,” Ilsa said.

“He is a lot like me. Naturally.”

“I’m nothing like you,” Dredd said.

Rico turned on him. “Wrong, brother.” His eyes were slugs of lead. “The only difference between us is that you destroyed your life to embrace the Law. I destroyed the Law to embrace life.” He grinned at Ilsa. “That’s rather good, don’t you think? I need to write that down.”

He swept out his palm in a graceful motion, bowing slightly to Dredd. “After you, please. Step into the future, brother. This is how tomorrow looks. This is the way Rico’s world is going to be!”

Dredd stepped inside. Rico spread his arms wide. Half a million razor-points of light burned in the darkness overhead. Dredd felt the tingle of static in the air, the deep hum of energy below. He drew in a breath. A hundred columns of luminescent brightness rose up from the floor, glittering capsules, pods of azure blue, shimmering tubes of life. They stood erect in the clear blue fluid, clones, mutants, beings unborn and already alive. Dredd stared at a watery face—sharp planes, rigid neck. It opened its silver eyes and looked back.

Rico laughed. “This is the nursery, brother. Don’t you recognize it? This is where you were born.” He caught Dredd’s expression. “Don’t look at him with such distaste, Joseph. That isn’t just me in there. It’s you.”

Dredd felt the agony, the pain, and knew it wouldn’t go away. Rico had guessed his thought, seen the revulsion, the horror there. And Dredd knew he was right. It was true. Looking at the clone was like looking in a mirror at himself.

Rico walked away from Dredd, turned, the shimmering pods at his back.