ALBIA, 2019 AD

Coolcut was absolutely shocked. George, here? But how? George could 
see that Coolcut didn’t understand what was happening, and said:
“Ah, but I am an android, like the rest of the Renegades, which you knew? 
They rebuilt me. And now I am stronger, cleverer and quicker than ever 
before!”
“But…. Renegades… grendels?” stammered Coolcut, mystified as to why 
George was now working for the enemy.
“Ah yes, I am now an official grendel worker. And you may be interested 
to know that we know of all your plans tonight; we allowed you to get this 
far, purely so that we could trap YOU, Coolcut, the ever-evasive 
NornRunner! I am sorry to say that all your friends, your poor, poor 
friends, are doomed.”

Just as Fysh and the Renegades were hurling everything they had at the 
grendels descending from ropes from the rooftops, suddenly parts of the 
floor folded back and hundreds of android Norns, looking vicious, poured 
out. Fysh knew that the Renegades were almost certainly doomed. He just 
hoped that Coolcut had done his job. He had total faith in the NornRunner, 
but there were some things that even he couldn’t do…

Ace, Howink, Deckard and Wizkidd were also just as shocked as Coolcut 
about George. Wizkidd, however, was still, extremely quietly, tapping 
away at the computer, but via the remote terminal he carried around with 
him. They just needed a bit more time, he thought…

“You may be interested to know, Coolcut, that your special friend is indeed 
alive. And we brought her with us, just so you could watch her die!” said 
George. Coolcut looked on in horror as, for the first time in three years, he 
saw Yurell. She was handcuffed and was being held by two android Norns. 
They were about to put her into the GeneSplicer machine, similar to the 
one that Coolcut used at the Renegades’ HQ.
“No!” he screamed, “live Norn no GeneSplice!!!” It was extremely 
dangerous for live Norns to enter the GeneSplicer; they almost certainly 
died. He wondered why George hadn’t yet threatened to turn him into an 
android Norn; surely that was the worst thing that anyone could do to 
Coolcut? George seemed to be reading his mind.
“Perhaps you wonder why we are not turning YOU into an android,” he 
said calmly. “The answer, my dear friend, is that there is absolutely no need 
to. Because…”

… you already are one.”

Coolcut, at the sound of this suggestion, threw himslef at George in a fit of 
anger and seething rage. They tussled on the floor. Coolcut, although very 
strong for a Norn, was overpowered by the newly-rebuilt George, and was 
held at the throat by George on the floor.
“I do believe, my friend, that THAT was a mistake,” said George. And 
with that, he swung down hard with the butt of his gun, towards Coolcut’s 
head, with such force that it would surely kill him…

Coolcut rolled out of the way, displaying new levels of strength. It was
all the rest of the Renegade Norns who were present could do to watch this 
epic tussle between two old friends. But it seemed that George had had 
enough. He pulled out his blaster, aimed it towards Coolcut’s head, and 
prepared to fire.

The shot took all of the Renegades by surprise. Coolcut was still alive… 
George had fired at the grendels instead! Coolcut couldn’t believe it, as all 
the other android Norns, one by one, turned on the nearest grendel and 
attacked… he turned around and looked for an explanation. He saw 
Wizkidd smiling broadly.
“Norn transmit! Norn transmit!” he shouted triumphantly. He had done it! 
He had transmitted the freedom wave!

Fysh knew he was doomed. He was surrounded by grendels, who had 
already captured most of his friends, and the circle of grendels was closing 
in on him. All of a sudden, half of the circle fell away to the sound of 
ringing gunshots. Fysh was amazed, for standing behind the felled grendels 
were android Norns who had, seconds ago, been battling the Renegades. 
He had done it! Thought Fysh. Coolcut had done it!

For the rest of the night and the next two, indeed, the android Norns set 
about liberation. They burned grendel buildings, killed their evil grendel 
leaders, and danced in the streets to the tune of freedom. The future was 
looking bright.
* * *
Coolcut watched the Albian sunset. How much prettier it looked now, he 
thought, that it was under Nornian rule and not the iron, cruel fists of the 
grendels. He pondered what George had said.
“…you already are one.”
Coolcut didn’t know if it was true or not, and frankly, he couldn’t care 
less. It was perfectly conceivable. He could have been an early model that 
went wrong... but he dismissed it. He really didn't care. He looked over 
towards Yurell, who was sitting next to him. And thought about how they 
could start to rebuild a peaceful Albia once more.

The future ends here.