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Starfall: Chapter 24: The Roswell Trial: Part Two

Grumbling, Laura places the briefcase on a small conference table then closes the door, locking it with her thumb. Walking around the table she goes about closing the blinds. Even if the window looks out into an alley and the brick wall of a neighboring building, She’s not taking any chances when it comes to her secret.

Only relaxing upon seeing little light from the window does she remove the pointed and tufted tips of her ears from her hairdo while loosening her business power suit.

‘God-damn fur and god-damn warm Texas winter.’

Opening her briefcase the hybrid pulls her phone and the files pertaining to this case out, setting them on the table. Figuring she can get some paperwork done while she’s waiting. ‘That is until they get the Texas National Guard to clear out the inbred hicks who’re surrounding the building.’

Sitting down, she sighs. ‘First things first though.’ Unlocking the phone with a tooth filled smiling face. The only time she likes her parentage. Her longer canines makes her smile a hard bio-metric lock to crack to gain access to her phone. With a thumb, she dials her boss’s number and puts it somewhat close to her ear.

[Laura!]

She winces from the volume of his voice even on the second lowest volume setting on her phone. ‘God-damn ears. At least with the bonuses I get this year from everyone who either fell behind on their leases or broke the terms like the Mercers. Mainly because of that little Antarctic standoff, I can pay my ‘doctor’ to make them look like actual human ears.’

“No need to yell, I can hear you just fine sir.” Ms. Faith moves the paperwork and a pen closer to herself, then gets to work signing things as she holds the phone with her other hand.

[No need to yell? The courthouse you’re in is on every major national news channel! The Roswell trail standoff they’re calling it! It’s a good thing you normally call me directly otherwise you wouldn’t get through from the sheer volume our phone system is getting. Every outside line’s lit up like a christmas tree here.]

Putting her pen down, Laura pinches her nose. Just what she doesn’t need, to be in the spotlight like this.

“Alright, maybe you do have the right to yell, a little. Still, I’ll be fine. Soon as that judge gets his geriatric ass in gear to have the governor summon the Texas National Guard. Which is why I’m calling. I’m not going to make it to my other cases scheduled for today at this rate.”

She shuts her mouth as her boss politely cuts her off.

[Stop! You’ve got no need to worry about that. I’ve already freed up your schedule so you can focus on this case alone. You’ll need it.]

Opening her mouth to protest as in her mind’s eye she sees her bonus shrink considerably. Only for her boss speak up again like he’s reading her mind. A scary thought to her, if it was remotely true.

[You also don’t need to worry about your case bonus. We’ll still pay you your normal amount. I mean it would be wrong not to considering the circumstances.] Her heightened sense of hearing picks up the subtle sounds of him waving his other arm about before the soft clacking of membrane based keys replace it.

[To tell the truth… Win this case, and we may even double your normal amount. Due to the shit-show in Antarctica over the loss of that resource runner, and stricter tariffs are in place between the States and China. So we’ve been forced to become a bit more independent of our parent company Yakeru-tech. This means shipments are going to be smaller from them, and thus our profits. IF we can get a hold of say a Bio-Morph like creature.] Her boss puts a bit of subtle emphasis on that last sentence, something she can’t miss.

[We can make up for the loss by selling an ‘American Made’ Bio-Morph alternative, rather than one using a genome owned by the Chinese. We’d be both more independent AND capitalize on the patriotism surge that’s going on.]

Laura sits up straighter with the feeling of a phantom tail puffing out. A tail she had removed to make it easier to pass as a human once she was on her own. Compared to her teenage days living in a border town on the border with Canada. Back then she would exclusively wear long pants, so she could shove it down a pants leg, when she wasn’t wearing long dresses to hide it.

Doubling her bonus could give her enough money to get her ears fixed AND remove more of the damn pelt her ‘biological’ father blessed her with. All because her mother couldn’t keep her legs shut in front of an animal, while her actual father chased the stars for half a decade. All to pay for their home and any future education for their children.

It still confuses her why the latter still accepts and welcomes the former despite this.

“Guess, I’ll just have to win the case then.” Grinning with a bit more teeth than she would normally do, while seeing dollar signs in her eyes. Laura picks the pen back up and quickly signs what needs to be signed, so the menial work is out of the way for her to focus on more important things. If she’s going to win this she figures she’ll need as much time as she can get to work out the ‘how’.

After all, from what she’s seen of the photo’s of the evidence. Her work’s cut out for her to weave a tale on how this can all be manufactured and fake rather than being real. It looks pretty convincing in her own eyes, legally speaking of course. Even with a not to insignificant portion of her wanting it to be fake so those animals can be put in their place.

[Oh with your record on winning for us, I have no doubt you will. Still, do try to be careful. Don’t leave the building until they say it’s safe and stay away from windows and such.] Laura eyes the only window in the room. Then shakes her head, she’ll hear someone well before they’ll get at her if that’s the case.

[Last thing I need right now; is to have to call your next of kin, explain to the media how I didn’t get you killed, and replace such a good worker. Your one of our best reps after all.]

With that Laura’s boss hang’s up and the Hybrid gently sets her phone down on the table.

Carefully tapping her fingernails as to not have them fall off, revealing claws that came in when she was in her mid to late teens. A rather painful few months as her ‘human’ nails fell out, and animal claws grew in.

Laura uses her other hand to leaf through the photos of all the evidence the police collected. Among them, pictures taken of the Mercer’s two barns. Every room inside them, and everything in those rooms too.

‘I can claim Steven fabricated the frame of the cockpit, he certainly has the tools and the machinery to do so in one of the barns. A point in my favor is how him, his recently deceased father and younger brother fabricated a truck. Solely use on their private property to haul things around. A fake cockpit of an unknown air-frame isn’t beyond Steven's metalworking skill in my honest opinion.’

Picking up photo’s of the avionics, including the company logo’s and serial numbers and wiring harnesses, the hybrid in disguise frowns at the complex and precise construction.

‘The avionics though, is a more complex problem. His tools are not small enough from what I can tell to be able to do such fine work. I could spin a tale that he had some other shop stamp and etch new covers for the avionics, making up new animal pun filled names of companies.’ She sighs.

‘Only they’ll turn right around as ask me for proof. No way I could get it even if they did so, this is more of a civil suit and not a federal. I have no power to demand any company or private citizen to give me records. Putting aside the fact of why wire all this up in the first place if it’s fake.’

Putting these photos down and sliding them to the side, she mentally puts the idea with it into the ‘maybe’ pile before moving onto the rest of photos. More numerous, they include the smaller items like the cut up, burnt, stained and punctured ‘space suit’. Usako’s service pistol and what remains of what she calls her survival and medical kits too. Tossing the ones showing smaller fragments of the ‘cockpit’ back into her briefcase, she focuses on the handful of photos over the medical items among other things.

Spreading them out in front of her, Laura hmms to herself. ‘This may be a better angle to try to sway the judge that this ‘Usako’ is a Bio-Morph.’

Holding up the photo of a pill bottle in one hand, she searches through the pile of paperwork. Pulling out a list of fabrication equipment the Mercer’s own, which she requested.

Her fake fingernail comes to a stop at a specific line item.

‘There it is. They listed a semi modern 3d-Printer. Old, but recent enough to be able to make bottles like this. Then they just have to use their computer and any image manipulation program to make the label. It’s also a point in my favor that the pill’s look identical to ours, only smaller in physical size and dose. Multiple ways for the Mercers to get a hold of black market medication, if they’re even real.’ Her sigh doesn’t diminish her smile.‘If this was a federal case, we wouldn’t need to pay for them to be tested. Still, shouldn’t be a problem.’

Putting the photo’s with the pills and pill bottle in the ‘we’ll use’ pile. Laura looks at the next photo, of Usako’s service pistol. The Hybrid dismisses it outright.

‘Though laws here are laxer than a century ago here over firearms. Trying to claim the Mercer’s manufactured this and ‘faked’ serial numbers, rather than not put any on it, would instantly boot this trial up to the federal level. Nope, I’d get in serious trouble for that from work, let alone how my case will fall apart.’ A flick of her wrist sends that picture back into her briefcase with a sneer of disgust, leaving only the photo’s of what’s left of the flight and data recorders next to the ‘space suit’.

Her right ear twitches, causing Laura to reach up and grab it while muttering, ‘Stop it’ to herself before eyeing the photograph more closely. ‘That being showed up in a weird service uniform, meaning it was tailored by the Mercers. I can use that to claim that this space suit was as well, after all. From the looks of it, it’s nothing like the modern ones. Reminds me of the ones from photo’s of space exploration from a century ago. Details on how to make those are all over the internet.’

Putting those photos into the ‘will use’ pile along with the pill bottle, the hybrid in duiguise pauses at the remaining pictures. Taken of the shiny chrome covered flight data and voice recorders.

“This wasn’t going to be easy, was it?” Whispering to herself while lowering her head, Laura sighs.

“I can sow doubt and give a reasonable explanation for the bottle and the suit to convince the judge that Usako is just a Bio-Morph. If only crudely altered to speak, so the Mercers can earn fame and fortune. Though, as soon as the Mercers show him what’s on these, it’ll sink my case in an instant. Their shells are non-standard, being shiny chrome rather than bright orange, they’re obviously voice and data recorders and that color scheme’s not codified for ‘star’ ships. The second either the U.S. or China tries, the other objects.”

Gathering all the paperwork and photos, Laura organizes them in her briefcase similarly to what she’s done on the table using her folder dividers. Only leaving out a photo of both of the data recorders with the now ancient USB-C ports exposed on the table, so she can stare at them like they’d give her the answers she needs.

One of her ears twitch, then the other, as the various sound’s of excitement from other rooms and the dull hum of a vertical take-off and landing aircraft reaches her enhanced hearing.

“About fucking time. Did the judge have to take his mid-day nap before calling the governor?” Closing and locking her briefcase, Laura folds the photo and pockets them before picking up her phone.

Only to nearly drop it as it starts to ring the instant her fingers touch it, startling her and making her feel that phantom tail again.

‘Don’t recognize the number, but, this is my work phone so…’ Curious, she touches the answer button on the screen with one hand as she hides the tips of her ears in her hairdo with the other.

“Hello, Laura Faith speaking.”

Muscle memory nearly has her thumb disconnect the call due to the clicks of an automated system filling her ear, only to stop. Wincing at the altered voice using lossy compression speaking right after the clicks stop. Another thing on the long list of stuff she hates her biological father for giving her.

[Ms. Faith, I represent a large, wealthy, and ‘interested’ party. One, which will make it well worth your while if you would listen to this proposal.]

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes at the cloak and dagger round about way of asking about a bribe, Laura sighs. “Who are you? How did you get this number? This number’s monitored by my company and possibly even the state itself.”

The hybrid freezes in place as the voice chuckles, like she said a joke.

[Ms. Faith. Without us, the state your in wouldn’t be on the world stage anymore. Still, I’ll give you an olive branch to show my good intent for your well-being. You can listen to my offer, then you may decide if you want to accept it or not, with no consequences if you don’t. This call won’t even show up in your company’s records.]

Sighing as the uptick of noise from outside the building after the V.T.O.L. aircraft lands means she has little else to do but listen. “Fine, I’ll listen to your offer. Got nothing else to do while they clear out the crowd outside the courthouse.”

The voice chuckles again when she stops speaking.

[Fine mess that turned out to be, I can see it on the news right here. I do actually feel sorry for you being stuck in that mess with those low I.Q. hicks.] He pauses for a moment.

[Lets just say we’re both is the business of ‘loss prevention’ for our respective employers. Right now our jobs surprisingly align, even though the amount of money we’re talking here for my company is a drop in the bucket. Compared to what they earn quarterly that is. Come to think of it, it’s an order of magnitude or two bigger compared to what Aquis earns yearly.]

Switching the phone to her other ear, Laura sighs at how this person likes to talk. It does make her suspect who this person is working for though. A resource runner company. “Sorry to interrupt, what’s this deal of yours?”

He chuckles. [Sorry, I’m a people person. Makes it easy to disarm those I deal with, not you obviously. Anyway, lets just say, that since you’ll have access to a set of flight and data recorders. If you could, I don’t know. Maybe, get rid of what’s on them? Or otherwise tarnish their validity in the eyes of the judge and thus the media. Either way would work. My employer would be willing to give you a percentage of the pay-out out to the families of the crew of a certain resource runner that you may know about through the news if you do.]

Spacing out and staring at nothing, Laura just stands there.

Towing the legal line has worked out for her so far in keeping attention off of her. After all if she does her job clean and legal, there’s no reason to look further into her life and find out she’s a hybrid, Right? On top of that, if this whole thing isn’t a prank call, they just proved her opposition’s case.

It also chills her to the bone that actual aliens are more like those animals than humans.

Hearing her silence, the person on the other end takes it as a sign for him to continue. [Yea, this of course means that this ‘Usako’ is actually an alien and not a Bio-Morph. Yet, what’s one alien’s freedom compared to a few million dollars in your pocket, right? Of course, my employer will have to make it look completely legal. Maybe some ghost-written trash book over the whole ‘trail of the century’ with you listed as its author? It would be easy since the company I work for owns a book publisher as a subsidiary. What do you say? I can set you up for life, and net you a bit of fame to, all you have to do is agree to the deal.]

If she still had that tail, the fur on it would stand on end. Doesn’t stop the Hybrid from feeling the phantom limb though.

‘Millions? I could pay to have all traces of what my biological father gave me, at least on the outside removed. I’ll look like a normal human. I’ll also have enough money that I could retire afterwards. A normal life instead of cursing what I am every morning when I look in the bathroom mirror.’

Taking a breath, Laura calms herself down and smirks at her luck today. Makes up for being trapped in this building because of dumb hicks. “Alright. You have a deal.”

[Good.] She can hear the smugness in his voice. [Word of advice on completing your end of the bargain though, look for one of those USB-C to Modern standard’s convertors vintage tech hobbyists seem to always need. It should come in handy in removing the data on them. That’s if the photo’s leaked online weren’t doctored or altered by the leaker.]

With another serious of clicks that annoys her more sensitive hearing, the call ends. Leaving Laura standing there holding her phone. Looking at it for a moment, she silently pockets it. ‘What did he mean…’ Only to almost jump out of her heels when the door handle jingles, followed by a polite knock as the person on the other side finds it locked.

“Excuse me, Ms. Faith. Are you in there? The Texas National Guard’s cleared out the armed posse from in front of the courthouse. You’re free to go. I would recommend you do so before more people show up.”

Saying a quick thank you to the person, she waits for them to walk away before gathering her things. Unlocking the door only when she can’t hear him walking down the hallway anymore, making haste out of the courthouse as fast as she can move when wearing heels.

She has an exotic piece of electronics to track down, and less than forty-eight hours to use it to earn millions after all.

--

Mercer family farm house a few hours later.

--

First through the front door, Usako hastily sheds everything but her underwear from her fluff covered body. ‘Karma damn warm winter weather! Warmer than the staging base back home.’ Steven enters not far behind her, loosening his tie and un-tucking his undershirt while Angela takes up the rear of the three. Waving to Mark as he pulls out of the driveway having driven them back home while their truck’s in the shop.

Only for the Arctic Fox to stop in her tracks as she notices Charlie and Anna staring at her state of undress. Sighing, Usako puts at least the faux uniform dress shirt back on, Draping the jacket over her shoulder. “Sorry, didn’t see you two there.”

Turning, she looks up at the Mercer siblings “Be right back, going to change into something more comfortable.” Dashing for the basement door the Arctic Fox unintentionally mutters low enough so only the two Bio-Morphs in the room can hear her. Cursing the sixty degree fahrenheit weather before closing the door.

Shaking his head and chuckling at the Arctic Fox’s antics, Steven turns his attention to Charlie. “Hey Charlie. How’re things going? Good? Bad?”

“I’ll be right back too.” Speaking up, Angela pauses in front of the main staircase. “I think I’ll follow Usako’s lead and change into something more comfortable. Now that we don’t need to be anywhere else today, I want to relax.” Without waiting for a reply, she heads up the stairs to the second floor and then her room. Both the eldest Mercer and young pack Alpha male watch her before looking back at each other.

Charlie smiles at Steven, giving him a thumbs up as Anna waves hello to him from the couch.

Walking over to the couch, Steven kneels and gives the older Bio-Morph a hug. Returning it, Anna pats the couch cushion next to her with a handpaw. [You had us worried. Every channel?] Then looks to her son Charlie if she got the word right. Still being unfamiliar with stuff like television and other modern technology.

He nods, so she continues while Charlie heads off to the kitchen. [Showed what happened at the courthouse.] She points to the TV.

Taking up the offer of the elderly Bio-Morph. Someone who’s become something of an aunt to him and his sister, if he’s honest about it. Steven pulls his tie off and slips out of his suit jacket, laying them draping them against the back of the couch. “If I had to guess what you said. It would be what happened at the courthouse today, wouldn’t it?”

Anna nods. Lowering her ears a bit.

The elder Mercer sibling, wondering what’s taking Usako so long, glances at the basement door. Being their sole translator for the Bio-Morphs has become a pain. ‘This damn fight to keep the farm’s been taking up all my time, otherwise I’d ask her to teach me what they’re saying.’ Looking back at Anna, he gives her a reassuring smile.

“I’m sure the media sensationalized the whole thing, but, lets just say the large distance between us and our nearest neighbors feels smaller than it actually is. I recognized a few people in that crowd and it disappoints me they’d fall for stuff like this. Thought they were smarter than that.”

Hearing a noise, Steven glances over in its direction, hoping it’s Usako. Only to see his sister descending the stairs. Now casually wearing a long sleeve blouse and blue jeans. Angela enters the living room and walks behind the couch. Intent on hugging Anna from behind, all the while the older Bio-Morph is looking elsewhere.

Suddenly grinning, Anna reaches up, gently patting one of the youngest Mercer sibling’s arms just before she was about to make contact, causing Angela to stop and take a step back.

Sighing dejectedly, Angela goes over and flops down onto the recliner. “Not yet on hugging terms I guess. Despite you feeling like you’re our long-lost aunt.” Nodding once in agreement with the youngest Mercer sibling’s statement, though Angela notes the elderly Bio-Morph keeps her ears up. A sign to her of progress in a thawing of relations, no matter how little it is.

“Well, considering what you did to her and her pack. I don’t blame Anna.”

Steven and Angela nearly jump out of their seats while looking to the grinning vulpine. Her outfit’s out of place for the season. More in line of summer wear, if they ignore the trimmed yet thick white winter fur covering every other inch of her body not covered by clothing. A chuckle from Anna gets them both laughing as they settle down in their seats.

Shaking his head a bit, Steven makes room on the couch so Usako and join him and Anna on it. Which the Arctic Fox does so without a second thought. “I didn’t hear the basement door opening, how long were you standing there Usako?”

Grinning like a vulpine she is, Usako looks up at Steven. “Long enough. Because from the look on Anna’s muzzle, she was keeping quiet just to see how long it took you two to notice me there.”

Smiling at Steven and Angela, Anna twitches an ear. [If you’re going to be working alongside us instead of overseeing us. You’re going to have to be more observant. From what my mate Balto says, human senses are a lot duller than ours. You’ll need to watch out in case someone pulls the same stuff that put me in these casts.] The elderly Bio-Morph taps her casts as their resident Zootopian translates her words for the Mercers.

While trying to subtly scratch under one, only to be gently stopped by Steven.

[Well hopefully he won’t try anything stupid again after the beat-down you gave him and our pack mates will keep the others with him in line.] Balancing a tray of drinks, by the smell of which, two contain alcohol. Charlie exits the kitchen and places the tray on the coffee table.

[Other than what was on the television Steven. How did the first day of the trail go?] He steps to the side, preferring to stand for the moment despite his mother indicating he can sit next to her.

Taking one of the alcoholic drinks, Steven sips it. Then places it on the coffee table next to the tray. “The opening statements went about as well as one would expect. For a trial already going into semantics from the word go.”

Taking the other alcoholic drink, Angela quickly gulps a good portion of it down, while Usako grabs two of the iced-teas, handing one over to Anna. Who laps at it slowly. Something that the zootopian finds weird. Because it’s how all canine mammal’s back home, including vulpine’s, drink politely as well.

“Call it intuition, but I don’t think this Laura Faith’s finished trying such things in front of the judge.” Angela looks at the rest of the drink in the glass, wishing it was a harder liquor, and that she had more of it.

“We all know she was going to try to get Usako defined as a Bio-Morph from the start. Putting us on the back-foot. Yet what else does she have up that tacky business suit?” The youngest Mercer sibling downs the rest of her drink, then hands Charlie the glass. Expecting him to get her more.

The Young Alpha Male eyes the empty glass, having decided from the start Angela and her brother would be limited to one drink apiece.

“There’s a lot she can do, she has the same rights as we do. Using the evidence submitted to the court over the case that is.” Steven also notes how quickly his sister downed the drink. Sharing a similar look with Charlie saying more or less what the young Bio-Morph has already decided about his sister.

With a worried look on her muzzle, ears hanging a bit lower on the sides of her head. Anna looks at the two Mercer siblings. [Do we have a chance at winning this then? Before today, you made it sound simple.]

Sipping her tea, the Arctic Fox enjoys how the cold drink keeps her cool in the warm, but tolerable room. “Well if this was a military tribunal, the data on the flight voice and data recorders would be the last word on the matter over testimony and fighting over definitions of words. Much simpler really, we’d be done now too, as they would want to see that first.”

Gesturing politely to Arctic Fox, Steven nods. “Could be as simple here, since all we have to do is convince the judge. Not some jury of our peers, and considering the reception today. It’s a good thing we didn’t have a jury trial over this.”

Rolling her eyes, Usako chuckles. “Yea, that’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one. Not that the one shooting at us is in any condition to serve on a jury anymore.”

Angela chuckles. “No, but the driver could’ve before he decided to do that. Still going on about the same things even though the changes after the troubled times gave term limits to every position in the government including interns.” Then looks to Charlie. Holding the glass out to him ‘again’, the young Bio-Morph shakes his head firmly this time.

[No. you’ve had enough. I thought you and Steven would need some of this ‘whiskey’ to relax. Not get flat out drunk.] He does take the glass from her though so it can be cleaned and put away.

Pouting, Angela crosses her arms under her bust. “Damn, I could use more considering what we’ll be facing the day after tomorrow.” Glancing to the television, a realization hits her.

“After all, she might pull what that news show host did this morning. Claim we used a grade school gene editing kit on some hapless Bio-Morph cub. Then teach her how to speak like you would a parrot, and fabricate everything else with the tools we have on the farm. After all, you Mark and Dad” Angela gestures to Steven.

“Built that truck we use for hauling things around on our property by hand. Minus the engine. Twist whatever the police got from searching Frank’s medical equipment, and she may be able to put enough doubt in that old judge’s mind to discount the flight voice and data recorders validity enough to ignore them.”

Tilting her head a little, Usako stares at Angela like she’s dumb. “Don’t you.” The arctic fox gestures at the two Mercer siblings. “Humans also have Parrots as pets? I mean back home they’re popular. Not as popular as iguana’s, which are mammals best friend as some put it. Still, It’s obvious I talk nothing like a parrot and it could easily be tested on our turn to present our case.”

Angela leans back in the chair. “Well, yea, and we do, but they’re not popular pets. Yet all Ms. Faith has to do is plant a seed of doubt. After that, any concise responses from you can be framed as being a taught response. Then we’d be forced to prove they’re not rather than her proving they are. A much harder task.”

Rubbing his chin, Steven ponders this as Usako fumes. Folding her ears back and looking at the two humans in the room. Leaving untranslated the conversation between Charlie and Anna over what a parrot is and why it’s important in all this.

The Arctic Fox then stands, glares, and points at Steven and Anglea. “This wouldn’t be a problem if you humans didn’t enslave Bio-Mrophs!” Only for her to shut her muzzle and a second later, sigh. Raising her ears, she sits back down with her tail in her lap twitching.

“Sorry. That was uncalled-for.”

Patting the Zootopian on the shoulder reassuringly, Steven smiles. “No need to apologize, we’re all under a lot of stress right now. I’m to keep the farm and you’re trying to keep your freedom.”

Pausing to sigh. “Still sis has a point. All Ms. Faith has to do is plant a seed of doubt, and we’ll be on the back foot having to prove a negative rather than a positive is much, much harder. We can’t let that happen. We have to stay ahead of her if we want to win.”

Returning the smile, Usako looks up at the elder Mercer sibling. “What can we do other than state the facts to the Judge?” Glancing at Charlie and Anna who had to go back to wearing collars after their short stint without. “Well other than ‘that’ fact of course.”

[What about one of those test thingies that TV show this morning mentioned?] Anna moves a bit so Charlie can sit with them on the couch while smiling to Usako with her ears forward.

After translating it for the Mercer’s, Usako tilts her head a bit. “What kind of test would provide such solid proof?” Feeling movement next to her, she watches Steven lean back against the backrest the couch, pulling out his phone and tapping the screen with some focused intent as he does so.

Sitting up a bit straighter in the recliner, Angela holds her hand out, palm up, gesturing at the Arctic Fox politely. “What about an I.Q. test? Wouldn’t that put to rest any doubts the bitch would create over if you’re parroting words like a pet or actually are intelligent in the Judge’s eyes?”

Shaking his head, Steven holds his phone out so the others can see the screen. “The general I.Q. test wouldn’t be useful, due to the history comprehension section mandated in the U.S. version. It focuses a lot on the troubled times and the lessons learned before touching any math or science. The Chinese version focuses similarly on their ‘communist friendly’ history rather than hard sciences first and foremost.”

Glaring at the phone screen, Angela looks at her brother. “A international I.Q. test then bro. That should be admissible to a court here in the States, right?”

Shrugging, Steven goes back to searching for one, or at least what’s allowed on it on the U.S. version of the internet on his phone.

[I.Q.?] Anna looks to her son, tilting her head to the side a bit. Usako to answers before Charlie’s able to open his muzzle. “Intelligence, or how smart someone is.” Shaking her head, Anna lowers her ears in frustration from being unable to convey what she saw on the television.

[No, it was some kind of other test the TV judge had them do, I think it starts with D, or something.]

“Yea, Faith wouldn’t want that.” Angela chuckles, realizing what kind of test Anna means from the translation before Usako could say the same thing once she’s done translating.

Tilting an ear at this, Usako looks over to Charlie for clarification as to what Anna saw on the television during the day. [She watched some kind of court-room drama show when we got tired of the news.]

Rolling her eyes, the Arctic Fox sighs, knowing the exact kind of show he’s talking about. A show more about the judge’s personality and making fun of the people in the court than any actual legal proceedings.

“I recall the expert on the second news show this morning calling the Bio-Morph genome black box patented. We won’t have access to it then to test my genome against it. I don’t even know if even she’ll have access to it either, considering she works for a subsidiary and not the actual company that owns it.”

Tilting the other ear as she pauses for a moment to think. “That’s of course if your patent system still works like what the one back home from what I can recall. Since you’re in the ‘future’ more or less compared to my world it could mean something completely different.”

Laying his phone down on the coffee table, Steven nods. “More or less works the same from back then, though, we could use what that one geneticist in Canada has made. From what I could tell, before the news article got nuked shortly after it got posted. They’re full black box reverse engineering the Bio-Morph genome for healthcare reasons for the Canada's free population of Bio-Morphs. Though that was a few years ago and due to the censorship here in the states, I don’t know if they’re still at it or not. If they are, we could use what they’ve found as a base for a basic D.N.A. test kit. I just need to find a way to get it.”

Picking up Steven’s phone, Angela skims the basics of an international recognized I.Q. test listed on the screen before laying it back down on the coffee table. “Why just a basic D.N.A. kit? Why not a full kit instead? Takes a few hours either way and the full kit has a lower error rate, right?”

“We can only get, and have a full kit administered in a hospital, for legal reasons. A basic kit we can purchase online and have it rush shipped to us, or our lawyer for the trial. I would think we wouldn’t want the attention it would cause if we were to be seen going to our local medical center with Usako. Or going back in town with her.” Picking his phone up, he taps a few places on the screen.

“Well on top of shipping what’s needed for the I.Q. test too.”

Glancing at Anna and Charlie, Usako raises her ears up as they look at her and the Mercer’s with their ears up and forward. “So I just have a D.N.A. test done and do this I.Q. test in front of the judge? On top of giving our side of what happened and explain what the police took as evidence is of course right?”

Shrugging, Angela looks back at them and her brother as he continues to tap the screen of his phone. Satisfied with his choices, Steven pulls his wallet out. Then removes a small chip from the leather billfold, sticking it into the phone gently with a finger.

The younger Mercer sibling looks over to Usako. “Do you have any better ideas? It’s not like we can wave our hands and open a portal back to your home and pull in character witnesses now can we?”

She waves her hands about in the air mimicking a stereotypical wizard casting a spell.

Chuckling, Anna makes a circle in the air with a claw tip a second later. [That wizard on the TV in that old movie made a circle not wavy hands though.] The arctic Fox deadpans while translating her words for the Mercers, matching the look on Angela’s face.

‘Karma she has to mean that annoying movie. Superhero films are so over done… Well, at least at home. To be honest I haven’t checked to see if they’re in fashion again here.’

Laughing at Anna’s mimicking of the film’s protagonist, Angela points to Usako. “I have to agree with her, the look on her muzzle tells me she hated that old film as much as I did when I saw it.”

“Old?” Tilting her head the arctic fox stares back at the youngest Mercer sibling. “That film recently came out and more than one of the techs for the FTL program were play-acting like him. Especially the larger mammal ones, they seem to forget smaller mammals like me exist sometimes. So they don’t check to see if they’re alone before doing it like no one is looking.”

Rolling her eyes a bit, Angela shakes her head. “Well okay, old for us. I keep forgetting you’re from about one hundred years in the past compared to us.”

Looking between the two, Anna huffs with her ears tilted slightly. [Well I thought it was a good movie. Lots of action is fun to watch.] Charlie though tries to make it look like he has no idea on the topic the conversation has shifted to, and isn’t interested in it one bit.

Maybe with a bit of embarrassment if Usako’s nose is working properly, the Arctic Fox notes to herself.

“There we go.” Speaking up deliberately, Steven interrupts the conversation as Angela and Usako were looking at Anna. “That’s everything we need and it will be shipped next day air-drone to here.” Both turn and look at Steven as he removes the chip from the phone, places it back in his wallet, and pockets both.

“The D.N.A. kit?” Angela asks, her voice loosing it’s excited tone now they’re back to the serious discussion.

The elder Mercer sibling nods. “And all the supplies needed for a standard international Intelligence test for our guest. I have to apologize up front Usako.” He looks at the Arctic Fox as she stares back at him. Ears up and forward, with eyes making contact with his.

Steven tries to keep a neutral expression. “You’re not going to like some physical tests from the kit.”

“I think at this point I’m pretty much willing to do what’s needed to prove I’m sentient to that judge Steven.” Her ears fold back just a little, showing her determination in the matter. Both Anna and Charlie mimic the look, as they both know being able to stay at the farm they consider their home rests on this as well.

“Well, the international I.Q. test’s for all ages so…” Struggling a bit, Steven tries to find the words to dance around telling Usako this. He doesn’t want to hurt her feelings or accidentally insult her. Not only is she a guest in his house, but he’s also starting to enjoy her company.

Glaring at her older brother, Angela rolls her eyes at his struggle. “What my brother is trying to say, is you’ll have to do tests that would be administered to babies and toddlers. Fitting shapes into holes, matching colors to words, sound to word association, etc. before you even get close to anything math related. The larger and longer the test after all, the less likely the rep bitch can dismiss it as a ‘trained behavior’.”

She looks to Steven. “Or at least that’s what I assume you were thinking when you ordered it, am I right?”

The elder Mercer sibling nods once.

For a moment, the Arctic Fox’s ears fall to the side a bit. She can’t help picturing the toys she and her sister used to have, and play with when they were little kits. Only in front of that half-breed bitch and the judge, with both of them staring at her measuring her worth. Still, she did say, and mean she would do anything to win this and in turn have the Mercer’s keep their farm. This does count as ‘anything’, and she would be less of a mammal if she went back on her word.

She also had made it a point to not act like other foxes, especially ‘him’ in being duplicitous and the like. So while taking a deep breath, Usako forces her ears back up and faces the to two Mercer siblings.

“If it needs to be done, I’ll do it. Like the grunts on the ground routinely say, ‘Embrace The Suck’.” Having been here long enough, the Arctic Fox can tell Steven has a sympathetic look on his face, She also ‘knows’ that look on Angela’s all to well too.

The Younger Mercer Sibling is going to enjoy the humiliation she’ll have to endure in the court room. ‘I’ll just have to get her back some other time for it.’

Both Anna and Charlie put their hand-paws on one of Usako’s shoulder’s. [Thank you ahead of time for this.] Charlie says. [Thank you, for everything you have done and are going to do.] Turning in place to look at the two Bio-Morphs, Usako returns Anna’s and Charlie’s smile with her own rather than translating it for the two humans.

Not that she needs to from the look on their faces. She guesses they pretty much know what they just said.

“Wish I could do more. Like actually free you, but…” If she wasn’t sitting, her tail would lower along with her ears. Sincerely wishing she could do more than just having them being free while only on the Mercer property.

Steven puts his hand on Usako’s other shoulder, gently turning her a bit, so he can look at her in the eyes. “Wish we could fully free them as well, still, being free as long as they are on our property is the best I can do. You, putting up with this humiliation will help them stay here and help us keep all of this. So I thank you for it too.”

Ignoring the thumping of her own tail against the backrest of the couch, Usako smiles at everyone else in the room. Including Angela, who at least is nodding at her brother in agreement. “Thank you.”

--

That evening.

--

Gripping and turning the steering wheel, Laura pulls her new Porche off the main thoroughfare and into the parking lot of the town’s police evidence storage warehouse. Coming to a stop at the makeshift and hastily constructed security checkpoint the local police have set up.

Looking like they just dragged a small tool shed off the lot of a big box home improvement store and dropped it there on the concrete. The hybrid in disguise drums her fingers on the wheel and looks around while waiting for the guard inside to notice her.

Chain-link fencing encompasses the front of the building, originating from the guard post and held down by sand bags when it isn’t on grass or dirt, where it’s staked into the ground. Looking just as hastily set up as the post. If she had to guess, it was erected not to long after the mess at the courthouse.

Hearing movement from outside her vehicle, she looks up at the rough cut out for a window and in front of lift gate, pressing the button to lower the driver’s side window. A bored looking police officer parts the clear plastic sheet that serves as protection from the elements and sticks his upper body out, Looking into the car and at Laura.

“Name, Id, and reason for your visit?” He sticks out his hand for the requested items, Laura supplies her; company id, manual driving permit, and a print out of her authorization to be here. After all it’s her right to examine the evidence in the case, right?

“Laura Faith.” She smiles, adding her name verbally just in case he can’t read her id. Careful to keep it a closed mouth smile.

Taking the items, the officer pulls himself back into the shed. He runs her name through a hastily installed computer, just thrown onto a fold out table. Checks the holograms and chip of the manual permit, then skims the paperwork for any obvious signs of forgery. Already overworked from being in the latter third of a fourteen-hour shift. It all looks authentic in his fatigued eyes, while the computer say’s she’s on the list.

So he decides to trust it rather than spending anymore mental energy than he already has. The officer hands everything back to Laura, too tired to even put on a fake service smile while idly hoping she doesn’t stay too long, and he can clock out early due to inactivity.

“Park ‘only’ in the clearly identified spaces, otherwise your vehicle will be towed at your expense.”

“Thank you officer.” Smiling back at him with a closed mouth smile she takes back her items.

Pressing the button to close her window, Laura places the documents on the passenger seat while the officer raises the barrier. Once up, she heads for one of the now ample parking spaces considering the hour and parks. Hitting the tint control button and then the cabin light once the vehicle stops moving. The windows darken to a point to prevent anyone looking in, just the way she needs it for what she needs to do next.

Tapping the cabin light, Laura reaches over and pops open the glove compartment. Pulling out the ‘adapter’ that person on the phone told her would help. A small half-inch squared box with two cables wrapped around it. One for the positively ancient USB-C standard the flight data recorders use, the other for the modern though similarly looking connector that she can’t bother to remember the name of.

‘One hundred dollars to some gray web store with same day shipping, and it’ll net me millions. Easy’ Closing the glove box, she sets the device in her lap before opening the front of her business suit. Followed by the blouse underneath it. Frowning at the mahogany fur, starting in small patches on her breasts, becoming thicker and bigger to just about an inch above her belly button where any trace of human skin ends on her torso. Well, at least till just bellow her knees where the fur thins out to a normal human woman’s standards.

All of it shaved as short as she can get, without it being so short it becomes irritating underneath her clothes. Learning that mistake the hard way was the longest few days of her life as a teenager, having to ignore how everything itched where she couldn’t scratch without it being seen by others.

‘Speaking of not being seen.’ Laura picks up the device and unwraps the wires with one hand, then using the other, pulls open the front of her bra. ‘Thank god for wire bras never going out of style for those of us with big breasts.’

Nestling the box portion of it between her breasts, and just behind the clasp keeping the two cups together. She routes each wire into each cup, wincing a bit at how cold it is and how the connectors dig into her sensitive flesh. ‘A few million will be worth walking with this thing digging into my skin. Just gotta grin and bare it’

Pulling out a compact mirror, the hybrid checks herself over, before putting it down and reaching behind herself. Tightening the bra one clasp tighter than she normally wears it. ‘Tight, but the box shows otherwise…’ Satisfied that the device’s hidden behind metal that will be ignored by the detectors she knows will be present. Laura puts her blouse and dress suit top back on.

Only to grin a bit as she checks herself out in the mirror, first from the front, then twists to see how she looks from each side.

‘Hmm, maybe I will wear them this tight again next time I go out for an evening of fun, after I get all the fur removed of course. It hefts my bust up a bit making them look even bigger. Bound to get some guys to stare.’

Shutting off the porche and the light, Laura gathers her things, putting her id’s back into her wallet. Then the wallet into her real leather purse. Her phone goes into a pocket, but after a moment's hesitation, she doesn’t grab her briefcase. ‘It’ll be searched more thoroughly than my purse.’

Opening the driver’s side door and stepping out into the winter, yet warm, evening. She puts her game face on even as she winces on the inside from the sharp and pointy parts of the connectors digging into her flesh as her bust jiggles a bit from this.

Locking her vehicle, the hybrid makes her way to the main entrance via the short path from the parking lot.

‘Okay, just walk up to the entrance. Act natural, and don’t give any sign of discomfort as you walk. They should let me in as it is my right to examine the evidence. The only issue is getting time alone with the two data recorders, so I can remove the data on them.’

LED path lights turn on midway to her destination despite their being more than enough light out right now. At least to her more sensitive eyesight.

Fixing her hair as an unconscious nervous tic, she approaches the automatic sliding door. ‘If this was just a plain civil trail it would be easy, but with all the media attention. They’re treating it like a federal trail even if it isn’t one.’

As the door opens, she pauses for a moment while recalling the bored and tired look of the gate guard. ‘Then again if they’re handling this like that, maybe it will be just as easy. I could’ve handed blank pieces of paper, and he would’ve just let me in with how bored and tired he looked. He looked like he just wanted me gone so his shift can end.’

Stepping into the building, the hidden hybrid’s greeted by equally exhausted and stressed officers. The male officer at the door quickly hands her off to the female officer stationed at an equally slapped together checkpoint for screening like the earlier one.

“Do ya know tha routine?” She drawls out in an accent as tired as it is thick of southern twang, if the slightly darker skin tone didn’t also give the officer’s heritage away.

Without a word, Laura places her belongings on a belt connected to an x-ray machine so hastily set up, they didn’t even have time to clean all the dust from storage off. Not wasting any more time with words, the female officer waves a wand over Laura while yawning.

Standing there with her arms out stretched in a T-pose, The hybrid waits for the wand to be waved over her arms and legs. Only to mentally give a sigh of relief as the officer passes over her bust with the wand without a raised brow at the shrill beeping, only a jealous glare at her cup size compared to the officer’s more petite pair.

“Ya clean. Ya can enter.” Not wasting time waiting for Laura’s reply, the female officer goes back to where she was sitting, to bide her time till the end of the long, boring shift with an e-paper device from that fruit logo computer company Laura sees way to many ads for, thus ignores.

Replying with a polite ‘thank you’ regardless, Laura retrieves her things. ‘Easier than I thought.’ Keeping her pace steady and to not let her excitement at how easy this is shows, she walks further into the building. Following the signs to her intended destination. Only to come to a sudden stop as another officer waits there, seemingly for her. Approaching the closeted hybrid upon coming into his field of view.

“Hello Ms. Faith You’re here for the Roswell trail evidence right? I recognize you from the media coverage earlier today.” He politely blocks her way to the metal double doors that separate the office section of the building with the warehouse section.

Laura for her part keeps her professional appearances up, not letting the irritation of being so close and yet so far from her goal show in her body language. Looking up at his face, giving a polite toothless smile she stops walking. “Yes. It is my right as the party representing the plaintive to review the evidence in the case.”

Returning the smile, the younger, and going against the trend so far, not as tired looking officer holds his hands up a little defensively. “No. we’re not denying your rights in that manner. I was just told to direct you to a side room is all. This warehouse stores evidence from many other cases besides the Roswell trial, can’t have you accidentally jeopardize another case after all. Not to mention the higher ups have gotten a little paranoid about how to handle everything with the ‘possibility’ of it being alien.”

Relaxing, he points back down the hallway she just came from. “Just turn around, head back the way you came, take a left instead of a right and go to the third room on the left. Put on the ‘bunny’ suit laid out on the small table just outside the door, including the gloves…” Pausing upon seeing her long painted fingernails. He realizes there’s no way they’d not tear through the neoprene gloves.

“Uh, forget the gloves then. Keep your handling of the objects to a minimum instead, after all it is ‘possibly’ from an alien origin. Don’t want you getting sick. Despite it being in the ground or in the Mercer’s home for several months. Anyway, you’ll have forty-five minutes till either I, or someone comes in to get you and you’ll be recorded the entire time.”

Laura carefully smiles again. “Thank you officer.” Turning, she heads back the way she came. ‘He’s cute, but not my type. A bit too young, and looks more like a mommy’s boy.’ Idly thinking to herself as she Follows his directions. Finding the table and the afore mentioned ‘bunny’ suit, looking as hideous as she expected from remembering shows about clean rooms and what not.

Only to pause midway in putting it on as she realizes how this will help her.

Smirking inwardly, she dons the mask and then slips out of her heels for the booties. Having to resist that damned urge to stand on her toes rather than the flat of her feet that high heels alleviate. ‘With how loose this is, I won’t need to be creative in retrieving the adapter from my bra. Could it be any easier for me to do this?’ Ignoring the faux latex glove box, she grabs the door handle and pushes open the door.

Her paper booty covered feet crinkle the plastic tarp on the floor as she looks around at the tarp covered walls and ceiling. ‘A bit late to keep the evidence from being contaminated or it contaminating everything else, isn’t it?’ She shakes her head.

Letting the door close behind her, Laura eyes the table and the ‘A’ frame metal saw horses holding up the cockpit next to the table. Her eyes though land on her goal, the two shiny rectangles of the flight data and the flight voice recorder. Sitting on the table, in plain view, just a few feet away.

‘Alright, here we go. Can’t head right for them, it would give me away and I’m being recorded. So let’s do this how I was planning on doing it before that offer.’ Pulling her eyes away from the flight voice and data recorders, she approaches the cockpit. Ignoring the feeling of the carpet and flooring under her dipping a bit from its weight.

A few feet away she grabs a step stool obviously left there so people can look inside the raised wreckage and uses it. The charred and crumpled space greeting her inside the cockpit, to her eyes shows few signs it could’ve been made in someone’s barn. Still, she combs through it visually just for that tiny piece she can exaggerate in front of the judge.

‘Now I wish I could put on those gloves.’ Eyeing some piece of avionics, now resting half burred in the dirt, debris, and other icky stuff she doesn’t want to touch bare handed inside the craft’s remains.

Taking out her phone, Laura snaps pictures of everything. Paying particular focus on exposed pieces of the frame and casings of avionics. Like a box with a gauge to measure altitude, hanging by its wires from the front of the cockpit. Seemingly forced out in someway like the one in the dirt, but not as violently.

‘That should be enough from inside the cockpit.’ Stepping down off the step stool, Laura eyes the time on her phone as she circles the outside of the cockpit taking pictures as she goes. Only once she completes a single circuit around it, does the hybrid approach the table with the rest of the ‘evidence’.

‘Huh, what’s left of that old style space suit actually looks better made than what they had her dressed in at the courthouse. Then again I can spin it as Angela Mercer had more time to make it compared to the other bit of clothing.’ She takes a picture of the whole suit. Loosely arranged in a T-pose on the table, minus missing bits and pieces and taking up most of the space on the table.

Using the digital zoom on the phone, Laura then snaps pictures of the stitching. Mainly the loose and disturbed areas of the garment and only those.

‘That should allow me to claim Angela Mercer also made this. The rest of the stitching looks machine made to my eye. Meaning the judge would think so too.’ Ignoring the medication bottle, mainly because the 3D printer at the Mercer’s residence is enough to claim they made it, so no photos needed. Laura also avoids the small firearm to avoid this case ‘actually’ going into federal territory. Along with the rest of the seemingly random smaller bits and pieces, Laura makes her way to the actual reason of her being here.

The Flight Data and the Flight Voice recorders.

Her head and upper torso reflecting back at her, distorted from the dents on the shiny outer shells. Laura grumbles at how stupid the bunny suit makes her look even in the fun house mirror like distortion of her reflection.

‘Alright, bend over a bit making it look like I’m getting a closer look at them.’ Wincing as she does so, the weight of her bust presses into the smuggled device thus the connector's metal parts dig into her flesh. ‘Then stand and shrug your shoulders. Left side then right, gotta make it look like my bra straps moved and I need to adjust them back into place.’

Standing back up straight, she does so, not noticing that her motions are more than a bit exaggerated rather than natural looking. Before withdrawing an arm into suit, acting as if she’s adjusting her bra, her hand actually removes the smuggled device from it.

Sighing from the relief of the irritation, Laura palms it and puts her arm back through the bunny suit’s sleeve. ‘Simpler than the movies make it look.’ Acting quickly, she connects one end to her phone while folding the cable and box against the backside of it. With her other hand she reaches under the flight data recorder, avoiding the shiny parts and putting her fingers on the adonized aluminum.

‘No fingerprints, no evidence.’ She mutters to herself while making it look like she’s lifting it to take a photo of the underside of it. With her thumb supporting the weight, she uses a fingernail to pop off the rubber plug protection covering the USB-C port. Plugging that end of the adapter in the now exposed port as the plug tumbles to the floor.

{Mass storage connected}

{Encryption detected}

{Error: No volume decryption app installed.}

{Install recommended app; Easy Volume? Yes/No}

‘And leave a data trail?’ Laura taps ‘No’ rather harshly on her phone.

{Mass storage device cannot be used unless volume’s decrypted or reformatted. Go to Settings ? Attached Storage ? Format for Phone, or Format for external storage to Format the device. Warning! Formatting will remove all data on the device.}

‘Stupid phone. Well, at least formatting will remove the data.’ Navigating her phone’s settings menu, Laura quickly taps the first option for formatting upon loading the settings page without checking it first.

Eyeing the time in the upper right corner of her phone she fights the urge to fidget or tap her feet as she waits for it to do its job. ‘Come on, move faster… Don’t have all day, I have about fifteen minutes before someone shows up and kicks me out of here.’ Staring at the progress indicator, willing it to go faster doesn’t move it any faster. It doesn’t stop the hybrid from doing so though.

‘Finally!’ Yanking the connector out of the flight data recorder, she repeats the same song and dance with the flight voice recorder. Swearing to herself that her phone is moving slower on this one as she watches the minutes tick by and the progress indicator moves.

With a two minutes to spare, Laura yanks out the adapter when it hits one hundred percent, then disconnects her phone from the other end. Stepping back a few feet, she snaps a few general photos of the entire table before heading back to the door. ‘Much easier than what the movies make it seem.’

Exiting the room a moment later she wraps up the adapter in the bunny suit that she tears off her body in distaste. Dumping both into the waste bin as each served their purpose in earning her millions of dollars in her mind.

As she slips her heels back on, sighing in how it helps keep that damned urge at bay. The sound of footsteps echoes through the hall before she can see the officer tells her that he was telling the truth in they would drag her out if she did stay in there too long.

“Oh good, you’re done. I don’t have to drag you out of the room. Get all the photos you need Ms. Faith?” Stopping a couple of yards in front of Laura, he smiles politely.

“Yea I did.” Smoothing out her hair, the hybrid in disguise reaches up and from what the officer sees, she’s fixing her hair. Except she’s triple checking her pointed ears aren’t visible to him.

“Did you have to leave all that dirt stuff in the cock-pit? Would’ve helped my case if you removed it.”

Politely gesturing back to the entrance of the building, the officer nods then follows her. “Yea. They even have the flatbed that brought it in under quarantine till it can be completely disinfected. Though, if you ask me it’s a little late to be paranoid about alien germs.”

Shrugging, Laura follows the officer back through the building to the entrance. “Well if you ask me it’s a waste of tax-payer money since I’m pretty convinced it’s all fake, thus no need for all of it.”

“Eh.” The officer shrugs a bit. “I’ll wait till the trial is over. No offense, but you and the company you work for have a financial motive for it to be fake, while the Mercers have one for it to be real. So you’re both going to bend the truth.” Smiling back at him politely and other reasons, Laura exits the building. Only to turn to look back at the officer before the automatic door closes.

“We’ll see.” Turning back around, she heads for her Porche with visions of all the millions she just earned in her mind.