Kingdom of the Blind

by David Bishop

  The sound of running feet approaching the comms room became audible. Oh grud, they must have been watching him! Ryan staggered back from the terminal, looking around for a weapon, any weapon. But there was nothing. He was on his own, about to die in a room full of wires and machines, nobody else aware his life was being snuffed out.

  The door swung inwards to reveal Skyhook. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you! Are you coming or not?"

  "Coming where?"

  "Mr Bludd is putting on a feast for us. It's a strike team tradition. We call it the last meal of the condemned."

  "Oh, right." Ryan let out a sigh of relief. "Sounds great. Lead the way." Skyhook turned away and the juve snuck a final glance at the terminal. By now his message should have reached the PSU officer assigned to the case. It was out of Ryan's hands. He left the comms room and hurried after Skyhook, spurred on by the delicious smell of cooking food. Ryan was suddenly ravenous. Nothing like flirting with death to give you a hearty appetite.

  Jago Warner was naked and ashamed. His face was flushed red with embarrassment, a bold contrast to the artificial blue colouring of his hair. The delegate from Brit-Cit was half standing and half sitting on the double bed in his private quarters. Beneath him a mechanical man was squirming about on the mattress, apparently trying to prise itself free. Only a cloth draped over Warner's crotch maintained any shred of dignity.

  Giant suppressed a smile. "Now I see why you weren't eager for us to come in," he said.

  "This also explains the suitcase."

  "Suitcase?" Dredd asked.

  "Jenkins and Eaglestone reported its delivery when I arrived." Giant carefully walked around the unusual living sculpture atop the bed and picked up a discarded silver suitcase. It was empty but for a thin booklet. The Judge began reading aloud from the printed instructions. "Thank you for buying the Big Meg Self-Assembling Pleasure Mech. We trust it will offer you a lifetime of trouble-free enjoyment and stimulation. Whatever your preference, the Big Meg is the man for the job. We guarantee you'll always come back for more with the Big Meg!"

  Dredd stroked his chin thoughtfully before speaking. "Did you want to ask for a refund personally? Or would you rather it went through official channels?"

  "Don't be ridiculous!" Warner snapped. "Just get me off of this thing!"

  "Wait, there's more!" Giant announced, still reading the booklet. "Most of this is in Japanese, but as far as I can tell, using this device in the way he's doing is against the terms of its warranty."

  Dredd shrugged. "Guess that rules out your refund."

  "Please, I'm begging you! Give me a hand to get free," Warner pleaded.

  Dredd turned to his colleague. "Looks like a job for Med-Division if you ask me. What do you think, Giant?"

  "Med-Division, definitely. Maybe some Tek-Judges too. They'll probably have to cut that thing off. Who knows how long it'll take?"

  "Hours, maybe three or four."

  "At least!"

  "For the love of grud, just do something!" Warner screamed before breaking down in tears. "I can't keep myself up like this much longer."

  Dredd and Giant exchanged a look. Finally Giant burst out laughing, no longer able to contain his mirth. "I'll call in Med-Division," he said between guffaws on his way out of the room.

  Dredd waited until Giant was out of earshot before leaning closer to the delegate from Brit-Cit. "Word about what's happened here is going to spread pretty quick unless I stamp on it. You know my reputation. I can have all mention of this quashed. Your superiors in Brit-Cit need never know about your little... mishap. But you've got to do something for me."

  "I'm a little stuck right now-"

  "Stay where you are, pervert! I meant when you get into the negotiating room tomorrow. This treaty means a lot to my Chief Judge and you're going to help her secure an agreement. Is that clear?"

  "I don't know, I..." Warner maintained his defiance briefly, until Dredd ripped away the cloth covering the visitor's crotch. "Alright, alright! I'll do it! Just leave me with some dignity. Damn you Dredd!"

  "My pleasure," he replied, handing the cloth back to Warner. "I'll be waiting outside. Remember what we agreed, because I won't forget what I've seen here, unfortunately."

  Med-Judges arrived as Dredd was leaving. He jerked a thumb back at the unfortunate delegate from Brit-Cit. "He's all yours. Don't feel obliged to go gently on my account."

  Shortly afterwards, residents in neighbouring city blocks reported hearing a scream of agony and relief from the building surrounded by judicial vehicles.

  Hershey reread the text of Ryan's message before passing it to the next member of the Council of Five. For nearly fifty years this handful of Judges had passed the Laws by which Mega-City One was controlled. Each member represented a sub-division of the Justice Department, each offered a fresh perspective on the challenges facing the Big Meg. Together with the Chief Judge they formed a collective entity, a gestalt mind focussed on preserving law and order.

  Once all the councillors had seen the message, Hershey called the emergency meeting to order. "Unfortunately, that is all the intelligence we have. Noon tomorrow is when the first session of the global extradition treaty negotiations is due to start, here in the Grand Hall of Justice. It cannot be mere coincidence these two events are planned to occur simultaneously. I believe it is safe to assume the Bludd Group and its leader plan to disrupt the session, if possible, to destroy all hopes of a treaty being agreed."

  The Chief Judge glanced around the rest of the council. Nobody dissented from what she had suggested, the conclusion was both logical and inescapable. "Jesus Bludd is not alone in wanting to see the treaty halted in its tracks," Hershey continued. "Most of the crime bosses in Mega-City One are against it for obvious reasons, as are underworld elements in other citi-states. But it required someone of Bludd's daring and guile to attack the negotiations directly. We must take this threat seriously."

  The head of Tek-Division, Judge McTighe, cleared his throat. He had risen through the ranks thanks to a combination of genius-level intelligence and predator-like ambition. But outside his specialised area McTighe lacked the street smarts and experience most senior law enforcers felt were required to become Chief Judge. Not for the first time, McTighe revealed an ignorance of matters outside his own field. "Who is this Jesus Bludd? I've heard of him in passing, but never knew he was such a threat."

  Hershey gestured to the head of PSU. "I've asked Judge Niles to give us a background briefing on the leader of the Bludd Group..."

  Niles nodded to the Chief Judge before activating a Tri-D screen on one wall of the council chamber. All those present swivelled round in their seats to get a better view. A blurry image of Bludd appeared first, grim-faced and determined. "This picture was snatched a few hours ago, our most recent sighting. The crime boss was taking the morning air on the balcony of his penthouse atop Emil Jannings Block. Next picture please."

  The voice-activated computer replaced the image of Bludd as a grown man with a picture of him as a child. The boy's face was smudged by dirt and dried blood, clean lines cut through the mess by the tracks of his tears. "And this is Jesus Bludd twenty-five years ago, aged seven. That was when he first came to our attention, not long after Cal was deposed." In 2101, Mega-City One was thrown into anarchy when an insane Judge called Caligula usurped control of the Justice Department. In the aftermath of his reign street gangs had claimed sovereignty in some parts of the Big Meg.

  "What happened?" McTighe asked.

  "Bludd was an only child in a single parent family. His father disappeared soon after the boy was born in 2094. Bludd's mother was on welfare, scraping by in Southside Sector 41. After Cal was deposed, a gang called the Cosmic Punks set themselves up as Judges in that sector and declared the surrounding streets a no-go area. Bludd's mother was raped and murdered in front of the boy as a lesson for other citizens. The perp responsible escaped justice after the boy withdrew his eye witness testimony."

  Hershe
y leaned forward, intrigued. "He was intimidated into recanting?"

  "That was how it seemed at the time. A week later, after Dredd had single-handedly restored order to Sector 41, the perp's corpse was found jammed in a public grinder. Nobody was ever convicted of the murder."

  The Chief Judge formed her fingers into a steeple in front of her face. "That suggests the boy got revenge on his mother's killer. But what are the chances of a seven year-old child forcing a grown man into a grinder?"

  Niles nodded. "Bludd was brought in for questioning and evaluation. The results were most remarkable. The boy displayed close to genius-level IQ, was able to beat any lie-detector available at the time and even exhibited some latent psi talents."

  "Why wasn't he drafted into the Academy?" Hershey asked. "He was an orphan by then, a ward of the city. Results like that would have marked him out as a prime candidate for training as a Judge, even starting his training two years after the other cadets."

  "Psychological testing results raised some... issues about Bludd's attitude. A rebellious streak a mile wide-"

  "Such problems can be overcome with Psi-Division intervention, even surgery," McTighe interrupted.

  "-and strong sociopathic tendencies. An amorality in the boy's attitude to right and wrong that would make any hardened perp proud," Niles replied. "Nevertheless, Jesus Bludd was offered a place at the Academy. He refused it and absconded from judicial custody, disappearing for the next eight years."

  The PSU head called for the next picture. Again, the resolution was poor and the image blurred, but the juve at the centre of the picture was still recognisable as Bludd. He was running and looking back over his shoulder. A second juve was following him.

  "By the age of fifteen Bludd was leading his own street gang, clawing his way up the criminal underworld of City Bottom. The day this image was captured by PSU cameras was also the day Bludd came closest to being caught. The gang was disturbed raiding a shoppera and fled, running right into a Judge patrol. We had been tipped off by one of the juves. Every member of the gang was killed or wounded except Bludd, who escaped unscathed. It was only after the incident that someone thought to cross-check the recorded voice of our anonymous caller with voice prints already held on file. We found a perfect match from eight years earlier. Bludd had turned in his own gang."

  "Do we know why?" The question came from Judge Buell, head of the Special Judicial Squad.

  Niles shook his head. "Perhaps Bludd suspected one of his gang was about to betray him. Perhaps he just decided it was time for a change. Whatever the reason, Bludd used the Judges to rid himself of the gang and start over."

  "Remarkably ruthless," Hershey commented.

  "As I said before, sociopathic tendencies. Bludd defines his own moral universe, divorced from whatever ideals we or his fellow perps might have about what's right and wrong. Honour amongst thieves means nothing to this man. He makes his own rules." Niles called for the next picture. It showed Bludd entering the Dustbuster, accompanied by Kara.

  "This was taken four months ago, when our operative was inserted into the Bludd Group. Jesus has put on a lot of weight since his juvie days but don't be mistaken into thinking he has gone soft - that bulk is all muscle. He could crush your skull with those hands, but prefers to have others do his dirty work. Despite our best efforts to prove otherwise, Bludd appears to be a legitimate businessman. He is a leading crime boss but keeps everything twice removed from himself, always maintaining deniable culpability. He's untouchable."

  McTighe rose from his chair and walked towards the Tri-D screen. He pointed at the woman climbing the Dustbuster steps beside Bludd. "Who's she? I'm sure I've seen her face before."

  "That's Bludd's confidante and enforcer, a woman known only as Kara. We believe they may also be lovers, although there is no explicit data on Bludd's sexuality to back that up. She joined the Bludd Group within the last two years. According to what little our previous undercover operatives have gleaned, Bludd collected her as part of a gambling debt from a rival. We know she's a psyker, as deadly as she is beautiful. Kara is probably the person who uncovered the last three Wally Squad Judges who tried to infiltrate the Bludd Group. It seems likely she is also the person who killed them." Niles deactivated the Tri-D screen. "Much of what I have told you is speculation and educated guess work. Penetrating the Bludd Group is well nigh impossible. Frankly, I'm surprised the cadet Ryan has survived this long on the inside."

  Buell caught the hint. His department concerned itself with monitoring the actions of other Judges, so Buell was always looking for angles involving corruption or dereliction of duty. "You think he may have been turned?"

  Niles shrugged. "As I said, speculation and guess work. Up until this morning Ryan was kept on the fringes of the organisation. At dawn he entered Bludd's penthouse and hasn't come out since. Either he's been accepted into the inner circle or else he's being set up for a mighty fall."

  Hershey called a halt to the discussion. "I've heard enough. Niles, do you have any recommendations to make?"

  "We have to take any threat from Bludd seriously. Most crime bosses are vain, egotistical perps who undo themselves. This one is something special, always five steps ahead. Until we know differently, we have to take this warning at face value."

  The Chief Judge looked round at the others. "Anybody think otherwise?" The only reply was silence. "Very well. We proceed as planned with the treaty summit tomorrow here at the Grand Hall, but step up security by a factor of five. From dawn there will be a twenty block exclusion zone around this building, nothing to get in or out without my express permission. The same applies to the sky overhead, nothing flies through the surrounding airspace. Anyone who tries to do so will be shot down. We can ask questions later."

  "That will cause chaos in nearby sectors," Buell noted.

  "We've had worse," Hershey replied. "This emergency council meeting is at an end. Gentlemen, thank you for your time."

  Ryan sat back in his chair, bloated and unable to contemplate moving. Never had he feasted on such a succulent selection of delicacies. To eat real meat from real animals instead of synthetic munce was a treat in itself, but the range of exquisite flesh on offer had beggared belief. After helping himself to thirds the juve waved away his plate, letting the house droids clear the table at last.

  Bludd entered the dining room with Kara as the last of the food was removed, applauding the efforts of his strike team. "You have eaten well and that is as it should be. Never let it be said Jesus Bludd permitted anyone in his employ to face death on an empty stomach!"

  The others laughed heartily at this, so Ryan did his best to join in. But the smile faded from his lips as Kara locked the double doors, the only exit from the dining room. Bludd smirked at the four men and two women sat round the table. "Unfortunately, for one of you, that death is going to come a little sooner than expected." The strike team members exchanged perplexed glances but said nothing.

  Ryan felt his lower intestine clench in fear, suddenly all too aware of how much he had eaten and how badly it was sitting within him. But he kept the quiet terror from climbing into his conscious thoughts, lest they betray him.

  Bludd began walking around the circular table, passing behind each of the six operatives. "One of you is disloyal. I won't say how you were discovered. It's enough to know that you were. Time and again the Justice Department has tried to insert one of its precious Wally Squad into the ranks of the Bludd Group. Time and again my beloved Kara has found out these undercover cretins and punished them for their temerity. But, for once, it was not Kara who revealed the disloyalty. It was one of you." Bludd stopped behind the tall figure sat opposite Ryan. Skyhook smiled and nodded at the others, accepting their thanks and congratulations.

  Bludd held up a hand for silence, before resting it lightly on Skyhook's right shoulder. "As soon as he was able, Skyhook alerted me to the presence of an intruder amongst us. For that, Skyhook will be given a very special reward. But first I want to give the
guilty party a chance to make themselves known. Do the decent thing, stand up for what you believe in and tell us why you turned traitor. You have ten seconds to do so, beginning now."

  Ryan could feel fear shifting inside him, stretching and expanding, uncoiling itself like a serpent. He clenched both his fists and drove the fingernails into the flesh of his palms, forcing them to break the skin so the pain would distract his mind. This could all be a bluff, the juve told himself over and over, this could all be a bluff. But the serpent of fear was gathering itself inside him, as if snaking upwards along his spinal column towards his brain.

  Bludd beckoned Kara closer to the table. "It seems nobody wishes to confess or absolve themselves in our presence. My dear, you will have to do the honours." Bludd took her place by the exit, resting his back against the double doors. "I want you all to pay attention. Disloyalty will not be tolerated. Let what happens next be a lesson to you."

  Kara regarded each of the strike team members in turn as she spoke into their minds, her psychic voice low and penetrating, the words suffused with menace. I am reaching into your minds, one by one. Do not resist me, do not defend your thoughts. You cannot escape, cannot flee what is coming. This is the end for you, traitor. This is your death.

  Ryan tried to relax. I have nothing to fear but fear itself, he thought to himself, making the sentence into a mantra. I have nothing to fear but fear itself. He looked around the table at the others. Each seemed to be wrestling with their own inner demons, bracing themselves for what was to come. The juve felt something warm and wet dribble down over his lips and chin. He wiped a hand across his face and it came away red, smeared with crimson.