The New Humans

Chapter 9

He got on his bike and went home to look for a solution. In the garage was a box cutter sitting on a shelf. He tried to cut the glue from the gun, but it was like cutting through cement. He ran up to his room and switched on the computer.

"Net, you must tell me immediately how to remove the glue from a gun once it solidifies."

"You can use certain acids that cause a chemical reaction with the glue and make it more breakable," answered Net, "but these acids are not toxic or irritating, so even if someone is hit by these weapons they won't be injured at the time."

"Where can I find these acids?" Ash asked.

"They're not available for sale. Only the police and hospitals have supplies of them."

Ash swallowed hard. "And what other methods are there to remove glue, apart from the acids?"

"None. These glues were invented by the savants; there are no other physical or chemical methods to make the compound more brittle."

Now what do I do? His father would use his face as a punching bag if he discovered he had taken the gun. "There must be other places where you can get these acids apart from the police or hospitals."

"Some shops sell them even though it's illegal," said Net.

"Tell me the closest place where they sell them," he said.

"I cannot tell you with any certainty. Some comments on social networks suggest that an electronics store seven miles from here offers a service of this kind."

Ash called a taxi. Five minutes later it was outside his door. He got into the front seat of the driverless car.

"Good morning sir, where shall I take you?" said the car's computer.

Ash put the coordinates into the G.P.S., and after processing it for a few seconds, the on-board computer said: "The rate is seven credits for the destination indicated."

"Proceed with the order," said Ash.

The car departed and arrived at the store about ten minutes later.

From the outside, the place certainly did not look like a high fashion store. There were cracks and graffiti on the walls and colored curtains hanging in the window that prevented anyone from seeing inside. A sign that said All Electronics blinked over the window.

Inside, the items for sale were not arranged in order on the shelves but were lying any which way on various tables, not even inside boxes. More than an electronics store, it seemed like a flea market. There was nobody there, neither customers nor salespersons, and Ash wondered if he was the first patron of the day.

"Need help?"

A tall man smiled at him as if he had just met an old friend. He was middle-aged with a showy gray moustache; he wore a tweed jacket, yellow trousers, and a bow tie, all of which looked like they had come from a secondhand shop. The man approached Ash at a brisk pace and took him by the arm. "Come on, I'll accompany you. You will certainly find what you need here."

He dragged Ash from one display to the next, holding him tightly. Although Ash tried to free himself from that grip with small movements of his arm, the man didn't seem inclined to let go of him.

"We only sell exclusive stuff here, customer-oriented things, not the packages that the multinationals sell," said the man, not seeming to care whether Ash was listening to him or not. "Don't trust what you find inside a cellophane box, they charge more for advertising than the product itself. Here instead we sell simple stuff, hand-crafted."