Recourse

Hiro produced some water for Cassie and she drank deeply to get the horrid taste from her mouth. Sighing, she asked, "How long have you been here?"

"Time isn't the same here. It flows and swirls. I'm not sure, but it has been a long time, at least it seems like it."

"Are there police here?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I need to report an attack. That man can't go free and attack other unsuspecting women." Cassie massaged her jaw where the bruise was still livid. "I bet this bruise didn't help endear me to High Lord Thorton."

"The authorities, such as they are, know that your attacker is out there. We all are aware of the villains who reside here."

"Not all. I have no idea why I thought it was only the heroes here. Are secondary characters here as well?"

"Anyone can be here, if they choose. Once a Boss writes about them, and then tosses them aside, they are free to enter The Station."

Cassie sat quietly staring into space. "Any person written and discarded?"

"Yes. That's what this is. A way station for unused characters. Any unused or no longer used characters." Hiro wasn't sure where this was leading, but he was willing to help Cassie sort the place out. It was unlike any other place in the known or even unknown universe.

Cassie got up and paced around the tidy kitchen. She stopped and stared out the window and looked at the wave-raked sand. She stood still and stared for several minutes. Luckily Samurai are patient and enduring. Hiro sat motionless through it all.

Cassie finally turned to face him. "Everyone can be here. Does that mean that people can choose to not show up, as well?"

"I assume that is true. It's difficult to prove a negative. I know that some of the people that I associated with while working with the Boss are not found here. That may only mean that I've not found them and not that they are not here."

"Is there no list of who is here someplace? A census of sorts?"

"There is no central government body. No one to take a census. Who you find is who you know."

Cassie went back to staring out the window. "There are some people that my Boss wrote about that I would enjoy seeing again."

Hiro watched Cassie and her whole demeanor seemed to change. Her head tilted, her voice softened, her balance shifted as her hand went up to play with her hair. He started to ask a question, hesitated, then opted to remain silent.

Cassie stood there for another minute or so and then returned to the table and sat across from Hiro. "So what about containing a serial killer? Certainly he can't be permitted to attack people without repercussion. What can I do?"

"You realize that in Japan, Samurai helped to enforce the law, right?"

"No. So what do you think I should do next?"

"What do you want to happen to him?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want him to die slowly or quickly?"

"No, I want him to be locked away and kept from hurting anyone else." Cassie had to keep reminding herself that his culture was far different from hers.

"I'll see what I can do." Cassie shuddered when she heard the rock hard tone.