Ephemeral Permanence

Ephemeral Permanence

by Ticklefish

dedicated to barb

*****************


"And what do you think you would bring to the unit?" I asked, sighing inwardly.

It was a generic question and would almost always get a generic answer. Especially from people like the man sitting opposite me.

"I would bring dedication and commitment," he replied, naming two qualities that were basically the same, "I work the job, not the hours."

To be honest, anyone who says they stop working dead on five when there's still plenty to do is clearly too stupid to hire anyway.

He continued in much the same vein for a while. I nodded sagely and pretended to make some notes. I had heard it all before and had pretty much made up my mind a few minutes into the interview.

My mind wandered and I found myself wondering what the refectory was serving today. It'd probably be meatloaf again. I was beginning to really despise meatloaf.

Eventually, the interview wound to a close. I had asked a few more standard questions, gotten some standard replies and had checked every box on the form. The man shook my hand, then the Chief's and left.

I didn't know why I bothered inviting him in the first place.

"Huh," said Irons, "well that was another big waste of my time."

Despite my dislike for the man, I couldn't help but find myself agreeing. Our latest interviewee had been a pilot with the Air Force. His record had "insubordination" written all over it. Apparently, he was good at his job but terrible at taking orders. 'Wasted potential' was how one of his superiors put it. Not the sort of person I wanted in my unit.

Irons stood up and dusted off his pants. It was purely for show, I kept my office meticulously clean.

"Captain," he said in a contemptuous tone, "next time you want to interview some up-himself flyboy, don't bother having me along."

The Chief of Police and I never got along. Technically, he was my superior but he and I both knew that wasn't the case. I was there at the behest of my real superiors, the bosses at Umbrella Corporation and there wasn't much he could do about it. They gave him a pretty hefty bribe on a regular basis which kept his mistress happy but some small part of him hated the idea of being somebody's pet and it was always me who bore the brunt of his dissatisfaction.

"Chief, he came with a high recommendation. I couldn't not interview him, he could have been a valuable addition to the team."

"The 'team'?" he snorted with derision. "That bunch of misfits? I don't know why you're taking valuable space in my station with your so-called 'team'."

He narrowed his eyes and turned to me with a suspicious look.

"In fact," he continued, "I don't even know why they exist in the first place. Why haven't we got a SWAT team like normal people? What are you people up to?"

I leant back in the chair and tried to look relaxed.

"The whole point is that S.T.A.R.S. isn't your standard S.W.A.T. team. We're trying to make a difference in this city. If I'd wanted a bunch of thugs who'd come in and shoot first and not bother asking questions later..well..S.T.A.R.S is a unit that can use its brain as well as its brawn."

Irons looked unconvinced but he stopped narrowing his eyes.

"Its brain? So far, 'Captain'," he spat out my title as though it left a nasty taste in his mouth, "I've yet to see anything that suggests it even has one. Your so-called unit is nothing but a waste of money."

I drew in breath to object but he didn't give me the chance.

"Look, I'm no fool. I know where my money's coming from and, as far I'm concerned, you pencil-necks can do what you want. But you're wasting your time with this. You're better off going back to that fancy mansion and leaving the police work to the police."

I bit back a response. I knew now Irons was deliberately trying to push me and I was determined not to rise to the bait.

"Thank you for your input, Chief." I said, trying to remain calm as possible. "I'll take it under advisement."

"'Take it under advisement'? Jesus.." Irons walked to the door and grasped the handle. "Look, pal. You can do what you like, it's your funeral. But I'm a cop and have been for years. A real cop unlike some. If you want to play games with your toy soldiers, you leave me out of it."

With that, he left.

I seethed. Once again, he had managed to get to me. No matter how hard I tried to remain calm and objective, he always found a way to wind me up.

I pulled the form towards me and took a pen in my hand. It was a minor act of rebellion but, at that point, it made me feel very happy.

There were two blank spaces at the top of the piece of paper. One had just two boxes. 'Hire' and 'Not Hire'.

Imagining the Chief's face, I checked the 'Hire' box and chuckled.

The final thing I did was to fill in the final part.

Holding the pen carefully, I took great pleasure in writing the applicants name, speaking it out aloud as I did so.

"Christopher...Redfield.."


***


"Your boss was a bit of a nasty piece of work, wasn't he?"

"He wasn't my boss. Besides, he's dead now." I add in an off-hand fashion.

Instantly I regret it. I still don't know where I am but clearly I'm vulnerable and, until I know more, there's a real danger in giving away too much. For all I know, this woman could be a relative or a friend. Or one of Iron's 'special' friends that he prided himself on collecting.

"Did you kill him?" she asks, a smile teasing at the corner of her scarlet lips.

Not a relative then.

"Yes. I put a bullet through his eye."

A lie.

I've no idea what happened to Chief Irons, or at least I think I don't. My mind is still not working at its peak. But there was no way a bloated pig like him could survived the city. If he hadn't been turned, he would have been eaten. Either way, he'd be radioactive dust by now. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

I lie anyway. There's no harm in reminding her I can, and will, kill when I wish to. A person's life belongs to me by right. It is a gift from me and it is mine to take away at will. If ever I meet Irons again, I would have no hesitation in ripping his spine out with my bare hands so it's not that big a lie anyway.

She lets out a short laugh and again I wonder who she is. I should know, her face is familiar, her voice is familiar, even her crudely-exposed body rings a bell somewhere in my brain. But when I search my memory, there's just nothing there. My mind is a blank.

At some point she must have refilled my glass. There's no hesitation this time. I drink and the glass becomes empty again. The alcohol has no effect on me, it never does. Not anymore.

"So that was the first time you met Chris?"

I nod.

"Ironic really," she says, "you hired him to get back at your boss.."

"He wasn't my boss." I interrupt.

"But if you hadn't hired him, you wouldn't have had so much trouble later on."

I stay silent.

"After all, if it wasn't for Chris, those worms of yours would be everywhere by now."

I continue to stay silent.

"I'll be honest though," she continues, "I never quite understood just why you hated him so much. Even before that."

Again, I say nothing.

She has no idea.


***