DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING

Samuels sat behind his desk, reading a day-old newspaper. His office door creaked open, and an elegantly dressed woman stepped inside.

"Are you available for a case?" the woman asked, approaching the desk.

Samuels eyed her warily. "Maybe…”

The woman settled into the chair opposite him. "I’m Echo. I need you to find something for me."

"Go on," Samuels prompted, folding up his newspaper.

“My brother, Dr. Calavicci, died recently,” Echo explained. “His last invention’s gone missing, and I want you to track it down for me.”

“What interest is it to you?” Samuels questioned.

“Let’s just say it has sentimental value,” Echo eluded.

Samuels thought for a moment, turning over the request in his mind. “Alright, I'll take the job. But I want half my fee upfront.”

* * *

Samuels retraced Dr. Calavicci's most recent activities. He questioned Calavicci's former colleagues and delved into the scientific community's gossip.

It wasn't long before a cryptic clue emerged; a clandestine auction in the seedier part of town.

The details weren’t completely clear, but it was rumoured to involve rare scientific artifacts.

Under the cover of night, Samuels broke into the auction house and explored its dank corridors.

Amongst the eclectic mix of contraband and curiosities, a padlocked cabinet caught his eye. Samuels decided the best way in was to smash the lock off with the butt of his gun.

There, nestled within layers of protective padding, was Dr. Calavicci's enigmatic creation.

Finished in gleaming chrome, it took the form of an intricately designed headset.

"What the hell is this?" Samuels wondered aloud.

* * *

Back in his dark office, Samuels sat at his desk, not even bothering to take off his jacket or holster.

He donned the device and it flickered to life. Gradually, a surreal array of scenes simultaneously entered Samuels’ mind.

His meeting with Echo earlier played out in infinite permutations, each time slightly different from the last.

In one, Echo spoke of her sister's death; in another, her father's passing.

Some permutations showed them swapping roles, where Echo became Samuels and he was the mysterious figure seeking the device.

He then saw another set of visions where he found the headset in different locations.

In one, he discovered it hidden in the dusty loft space of an abandoned tyre factory.

In another, it lay near a filthy waste duct in the city’s sewer system.

* * *

Morning arrived uninvited, prompting Samuels to finally take off the device.

He looked at it in awe, hardly believing such a thing existed.

“This is incredible,” he muttered to himself.

However, he was startled out of his admiration by a knock at the door. He got up and unlocked it, revealing Echo standing on the other side.

"Did you find it?" she asked.

Samuels stepped aside, revealing the headset sitting on his desk. Echo gleefully rushed over to it.

“Great work,” she congratulated. “I’ll wire the rest of your payment tonight!”

With a satisfied smile, Echo walked towards the door, clutching the device.

However, before she could leave, Samuels drew his gun.

“I can’t let you take it,” he warned. “No-one else can have it but me.”

“Fine,” she uttered. “But there’s no need for guns.”

Samuels stepped forward to grab the device, but Echo fumbled it.

“Sorry…” she gestured.

As Samuels bent down to pick it up, Echo delved into her handbag and produced a pistol.

“The headset’s mine and mine only,” she countered.

She pointed her gun at Samuels’ chest, the two now locked in a lethal standoff.

In the heartbeat that followed, Samuels and Echo simultaneously pulled their triggers.

Samuels's bullet found its mark, hitting Echo in the right lung. Unfortunately for her, Echo’s gun jammed and didn’t fire.

She fell to the floor, her lifeless body leaking crimson.

Samuels holstered his gun and, not even moving from the spot, he put on the headset again.

Visions consumed him once more. The torrent of once-potential realities intertwined, leaving Samuels breathless.

He experienced his and Echo’s standoff in an endless multitude of possibilities.

In one version, his gun jammed, and Echo’s fired. In the next, both of their guns jammed, leaving them dumfounded.

Each proceeding permutation was so vivid that Samuels’ knees grew weak, forcing him to sit down.

As the device continued, the visions began to merge relentlessly. Each scenario became indistinguishable from the next and Samuels became overwhelmed.

His vision blurred and blood oozed out of his nose.

Just as Samuels felt like his brain was about to explode, he reached up and tore the device off.

However, he was stunned to find that Echo wasn’t lying dead on the floor in front him. There was no blood and no ejected shell casing.

"She hasn’t even been here," Samuels whispered, disbelief mingling with terror. “She hasn’t come to collect it yet.”

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Samuels froze momentarily, before approaching the door and unlocking it.

Echo stood waiting on the other side.

"Did you find it?" she asked.

Instead of stepping aside, Samuels walked back to his desk.

"This thing’s too dangerous," he began, picking up the headset. "I'm handing it over to the police."

“Sorry,” Echo responded. "But I can't let that happen."

She quickly pulled her gun from her handbag, as Samuels drew his pistol from its holster.

They stood, eyes locked, weapons aimed at each other.

"I've seen something just like this," Samuels divulged. "One, or both of our guns is gonna jam.”

"I don't care,” Echo replied stoically.

They pulled their triggers, their guns firing at exactly the same time.

Both bullets propelled from their respective barrels and buried themselves into their opponents’ chests.

Samuels and Echo both collapsed to the floor.

Samuels, now soaked in his own blood, looked at the device lying next to him.

“Shit,” he managed, with his final rasping breaths. “Guess I didn’t see that coming.”