It seems like our friend constable Wyatt has gotten himself in quite the pickle. Chasing after a wastrel that somehow managed to break into Dr. Verloc's "private office" under Haworth Labs. After some chasing and "Lawful use of force" our poor constable appears to have gotten himself trapped in some sort of weird device. No worries though as there appears to be some sort of emergency release button, just have to press it and everything will be right as rain.
Oh...oh my, well that seems to have made things worse, just where has that contraption taken out beloved bobby? Well, no time to worry, just find a bobby popper and that will be that. First though, those downers need to be dealt with, all that arguing about football is going to upset the Wellies and we can't have that now can we?
Well isn't this a fine mess, looks like those downers didn't take to kindly to our constable upholding the law and have brought in .... their own constabulary? Now that is going to far! Impersonating the law is a serious crime, guess its time to give these imposter's a helpful reminder. There that should do it, now to ....
Today is not constable Wyatt's day, seems that the poor bobby got knocked out cold by some form of constable called a Te-ka-sas Ranger, luckily he has been patched up by an angel named Abby. Goodness by the look on his face our bobby has become smitten to this first responder and why shouldn't he? She is treating his injuries while standing up to a very, very displeased crowd in order to give our bobby, who has just realized that he is no longer in Wellington Wells, let alone the UK a chance on the other side of the pond.
Guess that means constable Wyatt is on holiday, funny he's always wanted to go on holiday to Barcelona, guess Te-ka-sas will have to do, but who is he to complain? This place has everything food, clean water, and families... Actual families with parents and kids. Better pop a Joy constable, don't want any of those bothersome memories to trouble you during your time off, or ever.
Um, looks like our constable has realized a problem, he's almost out of blackberry joy, normally this wouldn't be an issue but being so far away from home constable Wyatt's options are limited.... very limited...... okay non existent, so you better keep a good eye on your joy consumption dear constable.
This was supposed to be shorter, but I got carried away.
We Happy Few belongs to Compulsion Games
To say it was one wild night would be the understatement of the year. Abby and her coworkers were waiting for work to begin, not knowing the crazy train they were about to board.
She was outside chatting with one of the ER receptionists on break when there was a sudden flash of purple lightning off in the distance. At first the two thought nothing of it, Texas was known for having non consistent weather patterns so there was nothing to get worked up about.
However, less than ten minutes later Abby and the other first responders get a call. They were needed in Oak Lawn, from what the operator said, there was some lunatic running around assaulting citizens. Instantly, Abby and her team grabbed their gear and headed off in the ambulance.
As they drove, Abby noticed a Texas Ranger cruiser quickly zipping passed them and civilian traffic, its lights and sirens blaring. Everyone in the ambulance's thoughts turned to the worst, if the Rangers were involved that meant the situation had to be serious. They shared their speculations from active shooter to lone terrorist, whatever or whoever it was, the first responders knew there was going to be injured folks and that they had a duty to help them, lunatic or no.
When they arrived, the responders were met by fellow paramedics, police, and Rangers, one of which approached them.
The Ranger told the paramedics that because they were the last ones to arrive on scene, they would have the great honor of treating and escorting the detainee to the county jail. The responders flashed a look of unease at each other before being escorted through the crime scene by the Ranger.
Parts of the were tapped off, Abby watched as criminal investigators took pictures of evidence spread about the area. Time seemed to slow down as Abby and the others passed by. She saw a helmet laying on its side, a light emitting from a strange star badge on it, not far from it was a night stick, to her it looked more like an electric cattle prod, and as a pair of investigators passed by, Abby heard them talking about a weird patch of burnt grass, mentioning that it looked like it had been hit by a stray bolt of lightning, could it be tied to the lightning strike she saw earlier that night?
As they walked on, the Ranger explained the situation. To the paramedic's shock and horror this criminal managed to wipe out all of Oak Lawn's PD when the Rangers got called in, the Ranger mentioned something about the criminal being on some sort of drug, but its type was not listed on any drug registration in the databanks, meaning it would be up to the pharmacologist to unveil the capability of these mysterious pills. The Ranger handed an evidence bag containing said drug over to Abby. Looking at the small, branded box concealed in the plastic bag, Abby could make out the label.
"Blackberry." Abby quietly read as she turned the bag over to the drug facts, but to her surprise, there wasn't much.
"Side effects: Intense withdraw, Intense mood swings. Warning: Do not take regular Joy, nor its optional flavors as substitution. Consumption of normal Joy or its optional flavors while Blackberry is in body's system circulation will result in cramps". Abby continued moving on to the ingredients.
" Mercury Amalgam X2
Special Pituitary Extract
Pheromone from the dust of a red owl butterfly
Digitalax"
Some of the ingredients confused Abby, but from the stories her father shared during his days in the army, he would mention how some of his army buddies had been exposed to mustard gas and from that they would develop different cancers due to the pituitary extract from the gas exposure. She wondered what effects these weird ingredients had on a person.
They approached the suspect, who was being pinned down by two Rangers. Abby quickly noticed the Rangers excessive use of force.
"Hey, that's enough! The aggravator is not responding, they probably have a concussion from being tackled"! Abby shouted.
"Sorry mam, but this feller just attacked a group of civilians right outside the sports bar all while dressed up as a cop, then when the real police came in, he dun gone and beat the hell outta them too! So, we can't just out right hand'em over to y'all knowin how dangerous he is, we need to book'em and lock em up in prison "! The Ranger argued.
"And we will, but if he doesn't get treated right now, he will bleed out and die"! Abby exclaimed angrily.
"While that is understandable Ms. Mercy, the detainee appears to be an illegal alien, according to witness testimony. Accounts state his accent wasn't Texan or any associated with our allies and he is not listed on any registration as a past, current, or pending citizen, thus E.T. over here is excluded from the God given rights of every Texan and Southern allied citizen." The other Ranger explained.
Abby furrowed her brow, giving the two Rangers a dead serious look.
"Get off." Abby said sternly.
The Rangers were about to protest but another voice shouted out.
"Barker, Seagull, get off and stand down." Came an authoritative voice.
Abby looked over to see a giant of a man stomping over to them. He was dressed in the formal Texas Ranger uniform, the rim of his duster's coattails worn and riddled with holes, the belt buckle he wore was one reserved for the cream of the crop, for a hero. The look in his eyes was one that could scare even the devil, but Abby just rolled her own in annoyance.
"Hello, Leroy." Abby said plainly.
"Ms. Mercy, do I have to bring you in for interfering with Texas security"? Leroy asked.
"I'm just doing my job Leroy, this man is severely injured and needs medical help, but your buddies here are keeping me from working." Abby replied.
"He's a dangerous criminal Abby; he's assaulted our own and illegally trespassed into our home country." Leroy stated.
"Our own commit crimes too Leroy, and there is nothing in this or the pre succession laws that says we can let whoever we see unfit die as we please without a trial. Besides, there might be more to this." Abby argued back.
Leroy sneered in defeat.
"Fine, but your just wasting medical supplies." Leroy said.
"What do you mean"? Abby asked suspiciously.
"I was sent here from Richardson; word of this incident spread all the way up to the president and she has personally ordered me to retrieve the offender and bring them to her for trial." Leroy stated.
"Fucking hell"! Abby thought.
The paramedic had a strong sinking feeling that the president wasn't going to let their alien here walk out or to prison without a bullet in his head. Abby had to think of something fast, thankfully something came to mind.
"He needs to be given a mental health evaluation first, despite being here illegally our detainee is still given the right to an evaluation. We need to check to make sure he isn't suffering from any mental illnesses or disabilities, if he does then that's going to affect his trial and its outcome. Or do you want to be the one to explain to our disability advocate president that you may have gotten a man in need killed?! Abby retorted.
Leroy mumbled under his breath, before speaking.
Alright, take him back to Parkland hospital and do what you need to. I'll let the president know there will be a delay, but you better have him and your evaluation ready by the time she calls back." Leroy warned.
Abby nodded in agreement. Before she headed off Leroy spoke once more.
"Slingshot, please accompany Ms. Mercy's team and their patient, just in case our "guest " decides to reject our hospitality." Leroy ordered.
The female Ranger rushed over to Abby with her orders. As for Abby, her and the other paramedics quickly got to work.
Their immediate concern was to stop the patient from bleeding out. Abby's stronger coworkers flipped the patient over onto a gurney. The man let out a painful grunt as he was laid on his back, his face was caked in blood from the gash on his head, his left eye had been given quite the shiner and was swollen shut, the right one cracked open, looking around until his icy blue eye met with Abby's.
"Are, are you an angel"? The man asked, his speech slightly slurred from his injuries.
Abby felt a small wave of relief, her patient was awake and conscious, now she just had to deal with that gash .
"Sir, I'm Abby Mercy with the Parkland hospital first responders, you were in a confrontation with the police and have sustained some serious injuries. My team has been sent to treat you." Abby told the patient.
"Isn't that lovely, your help is greatly appreciated Ms. Abby. especially at the moment as I am feeling quite vertiginous." The patient replied.
They were loaded onto the ambulance, were the Ranger Slingshot had the patient tied down to the stretcher with restraints and handcuffs for the safety of the responders.
Abby grabbed the materials she would need to patch up the gash in her patient's forehead. As she cleaned the wound Abby realized that the man was wearing some sort of mask. She would have asked the patient to remove it or did it herself, but surprisingly it was somehow managing to compress the bleeding. With a spool of thread and a needle, Abby began to stitch the wound up. The man hissed and winced at the pain, but what Abby found weird was that he was smiling through the process. After he was patched up, the responders were able to figure out the patient's blood type and got to work to set up a blood transfusion to replenish what the patient had lost.
When they arrived at the hospital the patient was moved to a private room, Ranger Slingshot following closely behind, though she walked in wearing different shoes than her work ones.
"I am sincerely sorry again Ms. Mercy for the disgorge I left back on the floor of the ambulance. I hadn't realized how long it had been since I had last rode in a moving vehicle." The patient, now known as constable Wyatt or Mr. Wyatt apologized.
"It wouldn't be the first time that's happened Mr. Wyatt, and it certainly won't be the last. So, don't stress about it alright"? Abby assured.
"Speak for yourself." The hospital janitor said as they pushed a mop and bucket towards the ambulance parking lot.
Looking at the clock in the room, Abby knew time was growing short. Leroy could return at any moment, and a psychologist still needed to have the mental health evaluation done and ready; Mr. Wyatt's life depended on it.
Abby contacted a close friend of her father's, a psychologist named Dr. Bellagio, who arrived not long after and sat at Mr. Wyatt's bedside. Abby moved over to the room next door to give them privacy, in the other room, a doctor was looking at a blood sample of Mr. Wyatts, while another and a nurse were going over X- Rays. Slingshot stood guard right on the other side of the door.
"Since you have the free time Ms. Mercy, you should take the drugs we found on Mr. Wyatt's person down to your people in labs. We need to know what those pills do to a person and if it played any role in the Martian's Whack-A- Mole spree." Slingshot said.
Abby did as such, she grabbed the evidence bag containing the box of pills and headed over to the labs. The pharmacologists were very intrigued in the pills Abby had brought them, they thanked the first responder for handing over the drug and estimated that they should be able to decode the mystery drug within the next few days. Abby thanked the pharmacologist for their work and was about to head back to check on Mr. Wyatt when her thoughts were interrupted by the hospital's emergency alarms, a female voice came over the PA.
"ATTENTION, ATTENTION, WE HAVE A CODE ORANGE, REPEAT, WE HAVE A CODE ORANGE. ALL MEMBERS OF THE BIOHAZARD TEAM PLEASE REPORT TO ROOM 50 FLOOR 1, ROOM 50 FLOOR 1. THIS HOSPITAL IS NOW ON LOCKDOWN." The announcer said.
Before Abby had a chance to process what was going on, metallic doors in and around the hospital began to lower and shut, sealing everyone inside away from the outside world. Abby understood what was happening, the hospital was on a quarantine lockdown. The room mentioned was Mr. Wyatt's, this caused Abby to begin to run.
As she rounded the corner, Abby ran straight into two members of the S.D.P. (Southern Disease Prevention). Their inflated hazmat suits cushioning the collision. They looked on at Abby in concerned.
"Ms. Mercy, we've been looking for you. The doctors who did the blood work on the individual your team brought in found that he is an asymptomatic carrier of an unidentified plague." One of the SDP members warned.
"What"?! Abby gasped.
"That's why the hospital has been quarantined, the doctors determined that this plague is contagious through contact and have asked for our assistance in gathering up everyone that has been in contact with the patient for decontamination and examination." The other SDP worker explained.
Abby felt a chill run up her spine, that was a lot of people. Not only that, but this could potentially ruin any chance of a good trial outcome for Mr. Wyatt.
Abby was escorted by the SDP members to the decontamination wing of the hospital. When they got there, she was instructed to go into the women's decontamination locker room and dispose of any and all contaminated clothing into the incinerator chute, from there Abby was to head to the showers and have a thorough washdown, afterwards Abby will be given a fresh pair of decontaminated clothes and taken to a waiting room to wait for a doctor to examine her and make sure Abby was not infected by the plague.
When Abby walked into the women's locker room, all eyes turned to her. Doctors, nurses, patients, visitors, and security stared at her, glaring.
"Everyone is upset at tonight's events; they are angry that I didn't let Leroy, and the other Rangers just finish off Mr. Wyatt as soon as they rolled onto the scene." Abby thought to herself.
Although guilt was trying to worm its way into Abby's conscious, she couldn't help but shake it off. Something in her was screaming that there was more to Mr. Wyatt then just being an invasive species.
After the shower, getting dressed, and wearing the face mask supplied by the SDP, Abby made her way to the waiting room.
It was crowded; the room was filled to such a capacity that people had been moved to the hallway, lined up against the wall waiting for their turn.
Dr. Bellagio was inside the waiting room sitting on a chair. The older psychologist saw Abby and waved her down, offering her his seat. However, Dr. Bellagio wasn't the only familiar face in the room. Sitting right across the two was Leroy, his arms crossed. Even with the medical mask, Abby could see the clear anger in his glare.
Leroy had been called back to the hospital once they discovered the plague in Mr. Wyatt's blood. Just like the other hospital quarantined populace, Leroy too was subjected to the SDP's protocols. He didn't say a word to Abby, his silence and body language were more than enough to convey the anger Leroy had towards Mr. Wyatt and his disappointment with Abby.
To distract herself, Abby turned to Dr. Bellagio.
"So, Dr. Bellagio, how did the evaluation go with Mr. Wyatt"? Abby asked.
"Well, I can't say much due to patient confidentiality, but I can say there is a positive case for Mr. Wyatt. However, due to this recent "incident" I fear the president may not even bother to look at the evaluation, the safety and wellbeing of Texas citizens may outweigh Mr. Wyatt's condition." Dr. Bellagio answered.
"There's no hope then for Mr. Wyatt to make it through this ordeal breathing then"? Abby asked dishearten.
Dr. Bellagio was about to speak, but stopped, thinking for a moment.
"Not quite. It's not mentioned much anymore since the border walls were put up, but back when Texas was first starting out as a nation, we would allow citizens to sponsor illegals. This is only allowed in certain circumstances, such as if a plane filled with those overseas crashed in Texas, citizens could help them out by being a sponsor and either helping the spondee until they were able to go home or successfully went through the Texas citizenship process. The sponsor is basically the voice and representative of the spondee." Dr. Bellagio replied.
"If an illegal had a sponsor would that sway the president into hearing out their case"? Abby asked.
"Certainly, it's the president's duty to do what's best for her people. If that means a citizen wants to help an alien, then she is obliged to hear them out and allow the program to run. However, there is a catch." Dr. Bellagio said.
"And that would be"? Abby asked.
Dr. Bellagio was hesitant to say, so Leroy interjected.
"It means in a case like tonight, the sponsor is subjected to persecution." Leroy said bluntly.
Abby looked over to Dr. Bellagio.
"Is that true doctor"? She asked.
Dr. Bellagio sighed in defeat.
"Yes Abigail, should a spondee break the law, the sponsor will be held liable as well." Dr. Bellagio said.
"Don't do it Abby, that alien isn't worth it. You can end up in prison for life or worse if E.T. acts out like he did tonight"! Leroy warned.
Abby thought deeply, her heart thumping. Maybe she was being too sympathetic, but that voice inside of her was screaming that there was more to Mr. Wyatt and that he deeply needed help.
Abby released a held breath and spoke up.
"Dr. Bellagio, I would like to sponsor Mr. Wyatt until he can return home or becomes a Texas citizen." Abby decided.
Dr. Bellagio seem to give a small proud smile, while Leroy groaned and held his temples in frustration.
"The sponsorship papers are in my office, once we're cleared from infection we can head there and you can sign the sponsor part of the documents. Then I'll inform Mr. Wyatt about the sponsorship and he can fill out his half of the document. Since Mr. Wyatt will be in your care Abby, that means you will have permission to view his medical documents, which I strongly advise you do before Mr. Wyatt's trial with the president." Dr. Bellagio advised.
Abby nodded in agreement.
It wasn't long after their talk that Dr. Bellagio got called in for examination, leaving Abby and Leroy alone in the waiting room.
" You really dived into the deep end this time sis." Leroy commented.
"I know Leroy, but I just can't shake this feeling? Urge? Instinct? That Mr. Wyatt is in need of help. I know this can end badly for me, but if I don't do something no one will." Abby said in honesty.
Leroy thought about what his little sister just said. She had a caring heart and it was doing a lot of good for both Texas and its allies. However, Abby had never heard the stories their father told of his service during the succession war, nor those who tried to take advantage of Texas and its at the time, future allies vulnerability. He didn't want Abby to be harmed in a similar fashion.
Abby was soon called in for her examination and escorted by a nurse to the examination rooms. After the normal examinations by the doctor, they had some great news to share.
"Well Ms. Mercy, I can happily say that you and the others are plague free." They told Abby.
She gave a sigh of relief.
"That's great to hear doctor, thank you. How about Mr. Wyatt? Is the plague going to cause him any complications"? Abby asked.
"Mr. Wyatt gave us a lot of helpful information about this mystery plague. From what I understood, there are a few ways to cure the plague in Mr. Wyatt's home country. Luckily, we can reproduce some of those cures here with the help of our Southern allies. As for Mr. Wyatt, since he's asymptomatic we would like to keep a close eye on him just in case any symptoms develop." The doctor replied.
"I'll see that he does." Abby said.
Once Abby was cleared by the doctor, she returned to the waiting room. Dr. Bellagio was waiting for her and signaled to follow. They headed for Dr. Bellagio's office were he presented Abby with the sponsor paperwork. After quietly reading through the very long essay about the sponsor program, Abby signed her part of the papers. Once she was done it was time to head back to Mr. Wyatt's room and present the sponsorship to him.
There were Rangers guarding Mr. Wyatt's room, their rifles unholstered and standing at full attention. They stopped the doctor and first responder right outside the door. The two showed their credentials to the Rangers and were allowed through. Mr. Wyatt had been moved to a chair still restraint and now sporting a Dallas County Jail jumpsuit rather then the strange police uniform he was originally wearing.
Abby sighed, everyone was doing everything they could to make Mr. Wyatt look as guilty as possible. As she stood in front of Mr. Wyatt, she noticed how aside from the weird face mask he wore, the rest of Mr. Wyatt's skin was red and covered in scratches and bruises. Abby pieced together that the hospital staff treated Mr. Wyatt rather roughly during the decontamination treatment. Yet, despite the pained expression in his eyes, Mr. Wyatt still smiled.
"Lovely to see you again Ms. Mercy, I just had a... uncongenial appointment with your fellow cohorts to be decontaminated. I wanted to share my gratitude to you once again for patching me up and for being altruist. When I return to the constabulary from holiday here in Te-ka-sas, I will be sure to ask the Executive Committee to compensate you appropriately." Mr. Wyatt said sincerely.
Abby had to cover her mouth to silence a laugh, the way Mr. Wyatt pronounced Texas was unexpected. She struggled with holding in her chuckle, Abby didn't want to give Mr. Wyatt the wrong impression that she was insulting his speech.
"You don't have to do that Mr. Wyatt, especially after the "warm" welcome we gave you." Abby said.
"I should be the one apologizing Ms. Mercy, had I known I was on holiday and that your home treated Downers differently I wouldn't have gone and persecuted them like I did." Mr. Wyatt apologized.
Both Abby and Dr. Bellagio were confused by the word Downer, but right now there were bigger issues that needed to be dealt with.
"Mr. Wyatt, we came back to inform you that due to your unique circumstance of your entry into Texas, you are eligible for the sponsorship program our nation runs. With this, you will be allowed to stay in Texas via a host until you are able to return and hopefully this will improve the outcome of your trial with the president." Dr. Bellagio explained.
The psychologist handed the spondee part of the papers to Mr. Wyatt. The constable going through them, looking a little confused by all the terms and conditions.
"While I am grateful for this avenue, I do have a concern where this parchment states my advocate shall endure similar retribution should I break the law." Mr. Wyatt responded.
"Well, Mr. Wyatt all I can ask is this, do you trust yourself to follow Texas's rules"? Dr. Bellagio asked.
She almost missed it, but Abby caught a look of doubt in Mr. Wyatt's eyes. He seemed hesitant or even a bit scared. From all that's happened tonight it was obvious that Mr. Wyatt had been traumatized by his first encounter with Texans.
"I...I guess I can adhere to the Texas jurisprudence. I must admit though it maybe exigent for me to retain such information." Mr. Wyatt admitted sheepishly.
"No need to fear Mr. Wyatt, your sponsor will help you get your footing with our Texan way of life " Dr. Bellagio assured.
The psychologist offered a pen to Mr. Wyatt so he could sign the spondee forms. Right as Mr. Wyatt was just about to sign when he abruptly stopped and looked back up to Dr. Bellagio.
"Um, who is my espouse by the way"? Mr. Wyatt asked curiously.
Abby stepped forward.
"That would be me." Abby said.
Mr. Wyatt was surprised by the reveal.
"Ms. Mercy?! I'm terribly sorry Ms. Mercy, you have been such a saint, I'd hate for you to undertake this ordeal." Mr. Wyatt begged.
"It was my decision Mr. Wyatt, thought you should have at least one person on your side while here in the lone star nation." Abby replied.
Abby saw a small genuine smile crack on Mr. Wyatt's face. He proceeded to sign the spondee documents.
Abby felt a little weight lift from her shoulders, one challenge down, only a dozen to go.
It was at that moment the metal doors sealing away the hospital began to lift, the quarantine was over and so was Abby's time as a banging knock could be heard outside the door.
"Alright Abby, times up"! Came Leroy's booming voice.
Not long after, Abby and Mr. Wyatt we're being escorted out of the hospital and into Leroy's cruiser.
Both Slingshot and Dr. Bellagio accompanied the two. The only sound from the group being the chains of Mr. Wyatt's hand and ankle cuffs.
When they reached outside, Mr. Wyatt paused as he became distracted by the different noises of Texas, from airplanes flying overhead, to the cars driving on the street, and the buzzing songs of the cicadas. It was still dark outside, making the environment Mr. Wyatt was in feel even more other worldly than it already was.
Abby noticed Mr. Wyatt being distracted and gently ushered him forward, less Leroy or Slingshot implement their own encouragement with the butts of their rifles.
Leroy has Abby sit in the front passenger seat, while Mr. Wyatt was placed in the back.
Mr. Wyatt was once again heavily restraint, a gated barrier divided him from the front of the car.
Abbey put a sick bag next to Mr. Wyatt in case he felt nauseous again while the vehicle was moving.
It wasn't long before they were ready to go, Dr. Bellagio and Slingshot staying at the hospital. The psychologist waving the trio goodbye as they pulled out of the hospital parking lot.
Mr. Wyatt tried to adjust to the hard plastic, it was not only uncomfortable but it made it hard for him to look out the car window so he could see more of Texas. Meanwhile upfront, Abby was occupying her time by going over Dr. Bellagio's assessment on Mr. Wyatt.
As she went over Mr. Wyatt's basic information, Abby was shocked to see that Mr. Wyatt was quite underweight for a man of his age and size. She continued to read on, finding that Dr. Bellagio believed Mr. Wyatt suffered from PTSD due to his avoidance of certain topics that were brought up like memories of Mr. Wyatt's past, his hypervigilance, though Dr. Bellagio added a side not that this part could be due to Mr. Wyatt's recent run in with Texas law and asked the president to please allow the psychologist to bring Mr. Wyatt on as a patient. Mr. Wyatt's memory loss was a major concern to Dr. Bellagio believing Mr. Wyatt could be suffering from a multitude of medical conditions.
Abby made sure to read over every note and evaluation, making sure she understood the diagnosis Dr. Bellagio evaluated Mr. Wyatt having. She took a glance at the rear view mirror to check on Mr. Wyatt, by now they had reached the highway were Leroy proceeded to turn on his sirens and sped up. This looked like it made Mr. Wyatt incredibly uncomfortable.
"Can you slow down a bit, This high speed is making Mr. Wyatt sick." Abby told Leroy.
The older brother shook his head in response.
"Can't, we've been delayed too long and the president wants to get this done and over with." Leroy said.
Abby decided to try and distract Mr. Wyatt from his motion sickness.
"So Mr. Wyatt, I see here that your first name is Austin. That is quite the coincidence." Abby
"How so Ms. Mercy"? Mr. Wyatt asked curiously.
"Well, because Texas's capital city is also named Austin." Abby said.
"Was." Leroy Interjected.
Austin Wyatt looked over to Leroy in confusion.
"Austin was the capital city of Texas, but after the succession it was changed. The president voted to change our capital city to Richardson while Austin was repurposed to become a prison city." Leroy continued.
Knowing that the term prison city would be confusing to outsiders like Austin, Abby added on, her tone carrying regret.
"A prison town is where all of Texas's criminals are held. They keep those that are a threat to the public, the republic, and the Texan way of life. Unfortunately, this also included innocent asylum seekers. This happened not long after the succession war and with our independence fully gained, Texas decided it was time to remove the "problem" the non allied states put upon them, so Texas rounded everyone not registered in the former state's census and had them held in Austin. Where they were either deported, detained, or released if they could prove they had gotten citizenship prior to the succession. It was just.....It was just a complete mess." Abby admitted.
Leroy didn't say anything as he continued to drive, taking the exit to Richardson.
The building they pulled up to was heavily guarded by Texas Rangers. Leroy stopped at the gate and greeted the security, after a short moment, they were allowed through.
With the car parked, the trio got out and headed towards the building, Austin being held by a tight leash as two rangers firmly grabbed one of his arms and escorted them inside.
The receptionist typing at the desk looked up for a brief moment before returning to her work and speaking.
"President Bell will see you in a moment, please make sure the offender has his fingerprints, profile picture taken and recorded before you are called in." They said blandly.
Leroy led Austin towards the booking desk, while Abby explained the booking process to Austin, the constable doing his best to follow Abby's instructions as a security officer took Austin's fingerprints, the ink ending up all over his fingers. He was then placed up against the wall for the photo.
"Sir, can you remove your mask? We need an unobscured photo of your face for the records." The security guard asked.
"Sorry, but I will have to decline that entreaty. My happy face mask is an essential part of my life back home. Should I return not wearing it, well, they might mistake me for a downer and chase me out." Austin explained.
The security guard rolled their eyes and muttered something under their breath about tourists.
Abby had to have a screening before being allowed through. Since Leroy was a high ranking Texas Ranger, he could bypass the normal security protocols.
"Alright, the president will see you know. Please take the elevator down the hall here up to the top floor." The receptionist pointed out.
As the trio stepped into the elevator, Leroy spoke up.
"Your not going to vomit in the elevator are you"? Leroy asked Austin.
"I haven't felt nauseous on one yet." Austin replied.
Leroy pressed the button for the top floor.
As the elevator rose, Abby tapped on Austin's shoulder.
"Look behind you." Abby whispered.
The constable did and saw something amazing.
The sun was starting to rise, its lights unveiling the land of Texas. Polished windows sparkled as Austin marvelled at the tall skyscrapers and freeways that seemed to go on forever.
"So E.T., how does your home saddle up to ours"? Leroy asked, a hint of smuggness in his tone.
"It's so... unceasing, home isn't quite expanse as this!" Austin said in awe.
Abby wondered about their visitor's home country. There had to be something bad going on for Austin to be underweight. Then there was what Austin said about his "happy mask" and how if he didn't wear it at home others would think Austin was a downer.
"Just what is a downer anyway? From how Austin mentions them, being a downer sounds like a bad label to have. " Abby thought to herself.
A ding from the elevator signalled that they had arrived at the top floor. Abby felt dread shoot down her spine as Leroy led them towards the president's courtroom.
The hall leading to the courtroom was lined with Rangers. They stood tall and attentive, standing so still that it would be easy to mistake the guarding Rangers as nothing more than mere statues.
As icy cold air was blasted from the overhead AC, a dim spotlight beckoning them forward.
"So,this is the coyote that's been stirring up the chickens in my coop." Came an older female voice.
"You certainly have some nerve coming onto our turf and running around smacking my people like they were pinatas." President Bell continued.
"And I sincerely apologize madame. At the time I had no perception that I was encroaching on your homeland. I was doing my diligence as a member of the constabulary back in Wellington Wells, chasing after a law breaker when I became entrapped in this most peculiar room." Austin began to explain.
There was a sound, like the president was putting a heavy object on the desk before her.
"Go on." President Bell permitted Austin.
"Well, you see madam, I found what I had thought at the moment was an emergency release button. When I pressed it, the room I was trapped in made this curious buzzing sound and shortly after, it became engulfed in this brilliant purple light." Austin continued.
"And let me guess, this purple light is what brought you into Texas." The president said in an accusing tone.
Leroy stepped in.
"Madame president, we do have both eyewitness and TNWC (Texas National Weather Chasers) reports of some strange weather phenomenon happening tonight." Leroy intervened. He handed the president a file.
Moving into the spotlight revealed the president.
She was a tad older than Leroy. President Bell brushed away her graying red wood hair to reveal her pale blue green eyes, staring daggers at Austin before turning her attention to the files.
As the president was going over the witness files, Abby noticed how tense Austin seemed to be getting. Something about the president was making him nervous.
"Hm, interesting." President Bell thought out loud.
She closed the file and was about to speak, but at the same moment Austin seemed to have reached an epiphany.
"Oh, I get it now, she's a Mid-." Austin was muffled by Abby's hand.
The first responder quickly caught on to what the constable was about to say and cut him off just in the nick of time.
"I'm so sorry madame president! Mr. Wyatt, while certain words might be alright to say where you are from, they are definitely not okay to say in Texas. Especially spicy nouns that target certain groups." Abby told Austin as she sweat nervously.
Even Leroy looked on in stunned shock.
Realizing his mistake, Austin began to apologize.
"Oh dear, how uncouth of me. I didn't mean to offend your condition ma'am, I." Austin was cut off.
"Enough!" President Bell shouted.
When the room fell quiet, the president spoke.
"Let's just cut to the point Mr. Wyatt. While I can overlook your bizarre arrival into our country, I can't ignore the fact that you beat up both Texas civilians and law enforcement and brought in some sort of fucking plague of all things! Mr. Wyatt, despite your unexpected arrival at some point you should have realized that you were no longer on your home turf"! President Bell said angrily.
Abby was able to get a good look at the item president Bell had placed on the desk earlier, a well-polished six shooter western style pistol. With how the trial was going, Abby feared Austin was going to be on its receiving end.
"Madame president if I may interject." Abby interjected.
President Bell glanced over to Abby.
"Abigail Mercy, your Leroy's sister. Why are you involving yourself in this"? President Bell asked.
" I'm his sponsor ma'am." Abby replied.
President Bell looked at Abby as if she was crazy. From the president's perspective this was a losing case, thus thought it was foolish for one to put themselves in the path of the charging bull of justice. Nevertheless, Abby was a Texan willing to stick her neck out for this strange alien before them and as a public servant, the president vowed to listen to her people.
"Alright Ms. Mercy, let's hear your case." President Bell said.
Abby stood anxiously before the commander and chief. It was now up to her to convince the president to spare Austin.
