Chronicles of Han: Preserving Creata: Part 1: Learning Curve
Chapter Twenty-One

Ater Tucker returned with our stuff in a box, I shared my experience with him.

This was a learning curve for all of us and he commented that “There are no set rules here. I really hope you do not have visions in cartoon format. I would be unable to explain that to the Chief.”

After my experience, I did not think him funny.

Racewater retuned immediately after the re-telling of my experience.

“Great news!” he blurted. “It turned out the Senator’s daughter had a secret lover. We brought him in for questioning as soon as we connected a surname to the name and description you gave us.

He confessed almost immediately to Cheryl’s brutal murder. There was a twist to the tale though. Apparently, the lover was paid by another politician to rough her up a bit, but it went totally out of hand and a lot of drugs were involved. So now there is a huge investigation, all triggered by Han.”

“What do we do now regarding the case?” Tucker wanted to know.

“Nothing. Han’s talents are much too valuable to be wasted on run of the mill stuff. He only needs to develop the leads. We’ll do the rest of the arrests and so on. You guys figure out the clues”.

See, as I suspected. A glorified sniffer dog.

With that, Tucker relayed the essential facts of our first case file, as he saw fit to tell Racewater. We had not even had time to make notes yet, so all information was scribbled down in a hurry by Racewater.

Racewater took the file and looked over at me. “I really think this is going to work. I’ll get the detective onto the new lead right away. See what you can replace on the other files.”

Tucker insisted on me freshening up before starting on the next file.

“It is totally unacceptable if you should crash on us like yesterday. I’ll start sorting the files in order of importance. Now go take a walk and I’ll have the next file ready when you return.”

So I took a walk around Homicide as ordered.

The detectives had separate offices for each priority case. Each office was similar to ours, except for a huge situation board filled with information on that particular case. I did not enter the offices. I had my own work to do and did not want to interfere in their current cases.

I discovered that Homicide had a separate entrance that led to the side of the precinct. Poking my head out of the door, I confirmed the separate parking area for the detective’s vehicles.

Two detectives entered the doors and gave my uniform a hard stare. I made a note to dress appropriately in future and hurried back to our office before someone complained that I was not working.

With excitement, or was it nervousness, I took the next file.

It was the tragic drowning of a little girl in a bath.

The mother claimed she had left the child for a minute to fetch some soap and found the child drowned in the tub seconds later. The mother tried resuscitation, but to no avail.

The emergency technicians responding to the call, as well as the coroner’s report could replace no evidence of foul play. The file had not been closed as no formal inquest had been held yet.

I quickly paged to the photograph of the victim. I looked up to check that the door was closed. Tucker was going through files, sorting them into piles.

I braced myself and took the plunge back into ‘time’.

Tucker was once again correct.

Children were always personal.

This was personal, and Sensaii did not interfere, allowing me to see and experienced through the little girl . . .

I was fascinated by the bubbles in the water and wanted to reach for them.

I stretched over the bath to trap the biggest bubble.

No, still too short. Let’s use the potty.

There, now I can reach.

Suddenly I tip over.

A crash against my head.

Can’t breathe.

I left my tiny body as my need for air increased.

I looked at it once and then shot up at startling speed . . .

The vision was over almost as soon as it started.

I was shocked.

Tucker’s voice, gently calling my name, brought me back to his attention.

“What happened?” I asked him.

Tucker looked uncomfortable for a while, not being a man of many words and now suddenly placed in a position as liaison between me and the common man.

He plunged in bravely as he usually does with everything else – feet first.

“You touched the photograph and your face went blank. A few seconds later a light shudder passed through your body and anyone would have been able to tell that you were shocked with whatever you saw, or experienced, or what the heck else you do when you go away like that. It’s downright scary!”

I shrugged, not wanting to enter into any details on this one. I took a bite from another dough cake before I answered him.

“The mother was not to blame. A silly, tragic accident caused by a pretty bubble and gravity.”

Tucker was as stunned as me regarding the vision, but dutifully made a note that the mother was not criminally negligent and will have to live with herself for the rest of her life.

We continued in this way the rest of the day.

I had a crash course in controlling my own emotions, to be professional and not to get personally involved.

Tucker took notes, made recommendations and gave suggestions as to new avenues to investigate.

By evening, Racewater came to the office again.

“Well, your leads are panning out already. Great job guys.

Tucker, take Han home, he looks bushed.”

“Yes. He is unconscious on his feet already,” Tucker remarked.

Tucker had to help me to his car and I fell into a deep sleep as soon as I hit the back seat.

Tucker’s voice was comforting when he woke me.

“Time to wake up. I’m strong, but I’m not carrying you three flights of stairs.”

I managed to reach my apartment on my own steam and tumbled into bed, not even bothering to undress or eat.