Code of Ethics: Part 08.

The security guard at Tacarrin's was the surly type, which didn't earn him any points with Jacobsen, but was intelligent enough to not smart mouth a cop much less a Blade Runner. Susan looked strangely awake and alert despite the hour but her smile was as warm as always.

" Detective. I wasn't expecting you. What can I do for you?"

" Sorry. I keep odd hours. Could I see Katja's sleeping area?"

She shrugged. " But of course."

It reminded Jacobsen of the troop hold on a military transport. Bunks stacked 3 high with small cases under the bottom bunk to hold personal effects. Most of the occupants slept despite the intrusion but here and there, Jacobsen caught sight of a face. He followed Susan's flashlight beam through the room and to the right. Katja's bunk was back in a dim area but she had attached a small lamp to the bed frame near her head. He sat on the bed, stripped of its threadbare linens with the case on the bunk, precisely in the middle. Almost like the military when someone dies, mused Jacobsen.

Susan stood by patiently as Jacobsen went through the case. Some books, poems, nothing of any real value. Jacobsen catalogued them into his KIA anyway. Maybe the mainframes would tell him something he wasn't seeing. The whole process took about thirty minutes but before he left, Jacobsen studied Katja's bunk area from several different angles. The floor seemed clean, the wall next to the bunk had been scrubbed, the lamp in place for a little before bed reading? Obviously, Katja had tried to lend some dignity to the area she slept in and may have called home.

" So where is everyone?" he asked as they found their way through the maze of bunks to the door.

" Excuse me?" asked Susan.

Jacobsen gestured at the bunks. " Well it's the middle of the night and some of these bunks are empty. Where is everyone?" Surely not at the movies, he thought.

" Oh, well a few of our workers have maintenance duties on third shift. The machines have to be oiled some time."

A question formed in Jacobsen's mind but got squelched as he nearly tripped over a large object in the dark. " Damn." he said rubbing a shin. " What the hell was that?" In this place, he wasn't sure he wanted the answer.

One of the personal effects cases showed up in Susan's flashlight beam. " Sorry about that. I thought this had been picked up already."

" Who does this belong to?"

Susan bent down and touched the plastic case for a moment. " Jennifer. Another Series 5 like me. She was killed the day before yesterday in an accident on the shop floor."

Jacobsen's eyes widened. " What? How come no one mentioned this to me before?"

Susan shrugged. " It was just an accident Detective. Health and Safety came and investigated and determined her death to be caused by mechanical malfunction. She was performing maintenance on a machine at the time when a gear slipped off the blocking jack and crushed her chest. I can provide you with the reports but Jennifer didn't even work with Katja and as you can see, there really isn't time for socializing. It happens from time to time. Factories can be dangerous places to work."

Chris took the flashlight in his hand and recorded Jennifer's numbers off the case. It was sealed with tape that had the Tyrell Corporation logo on it. No surprise there. The Tyrell computers would have a record of the accident and in due course, someone on the company payroll would be along to sort through the Replicant's things. He decided to take Susan at her word for now but made a