Zero History

“Did you finish your Breast Chaser?” Thinking it might help, to keep her talking.
“Not enough detail,” Heidi said, sadly.
“Have an ETA?” Garreth asked someone. He was conversing in clipped but genial nearcode,
with some unknown number of people, his headset plugged into a switchbox
attached to an octopus galaxy of phones.
“How ’bout us?” said Heidi. “Do we?”
“Hush. He has to concentrate.”
“Understand what he’s doing?”
“No, but it’s complicated.”
“Ajay’s cousin got him up in whiteface. Filled the notch in his nose with putty. Dyed
his hair shit-brown and sprayed stuff on the sides.”
“They want him to be mistaken for Milgrim.”
“I got that. Why?”
“Someone’s kidnapped Bigend’s star researcher. They’re demanding Milgrim in
exchange for him.”
“Why would they?”
“Actually,” Hollis said, “it seems to be because you stuck the man who was following
you with that dart, though Milgrim had already fucked him up himself.”
Heidi, her large white hands locked tightly across her knees, black nails chipped,
regarded Hollis from just above them with utmost seriousness. “Are you shitting me?”
“No,” said Hollis.
“What are they, pussies?”
Hollis, framing her response, saw that Heidi was struggling not to laugh. She dug her
swiftly in the ribs with a knuckle.
“Win,” announced Garreth, his hand extended to mute all phones. “The Scrubs. The
model worked. Optimal venue. Unless there’s wind.”
“What model?” Hollis asked.
“Someone at the University of Colorado ran one for us. Scrubs was best for us. Excuse
me.” He took his hand off the box and began to type. The van slowed, honked, changed
lanes, stopped briefly, turned.
“Scrubs, dear,” he said to someone else. “Need you in the air. Don’t run lights, don’t
speed, get there.”
“What’s happening?” Heidi asked quietly.
“I think they’ve agreed on where they’ll do the exchange,” Hollis said. “I think we like
it.”
“They’re getting one ugly-ass version of Bollywood boyfriend.” Heidi shrugged.
“I thought you were trying not to go there.”
“Trying,” agreed Heidi.
“Do you feel better?”
“Yeah,” said Heidi, and reached under the majorette jacket to rub her ribs, “but it’ll