Authors: Joseph Lallo
“
Your client?”
“
Yeah,” he said, filling the glass again, this time skipping the coke completely, “Okay, here’s how it went. I’m going to leave out names and such to protect the innocent and all that. I need money, so I take a job. The usual sort of thing, get this from point A to point B, don’t look inside the briefcase. Done it a thousand times. I was having kind of a hard time in my life at the time, though it was frickin’ sunshine and daffodils compared to the past few weeks. I had a lot on my mind, slipped up, wound up with a VC enforcer on my tail. He takes some shots at me. I try to shake him. I fail. He SHOOTS ME DOWN! At this point I’m nervous, but I figure, hey, get my ass to point B, get my money, and try to forget any of this ever happened. So I get down there and the goddamn cops are waiting for me. Normally I’d just give up, but the lady who gave me the job is dead, and I’m pretty sure VC did it, and VC are the ones that want me, so giving up would probably be the last decision I’d ever make. Since I don’t really have any options, I pop the case, find your address, and here I am, stinking of skin balm, BO, and some of the best rum I’ve ever had.”
“
Quite a story,” Patel said with sincerity.
“
Damn straight.”
Copious amounts of alcohol poured onto an empty stomach had begun to remove some of the mental checkpoints on the way from Lex’s brain to his mouth, it should at this point be clear.
“
I’m inclined to believe that your involvement in this is an unfortunate coincidence.”
“
Oh, so you believe my story, then.”
“
Veracity of your story notwithstanding, I sincerely doubt that anyone who would select rum as the drink of choice to steady his nerves would attempt something like this voluntarily.”
“
What’s that supposed to mean?”
“
You drink like a teenager. Rum and coke? You are one step away from putting an umbrella in your drink.”
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Well, I’m sorry my panic drinking doesn’t meet with your strict specifications.”
“
Now, unfortunately, your probable innocence doesn’t change the fact that VC wants you, I have you, and I desire their good favor.”
“
I don’t like where this is going...”
“
This is what is going to happen, Mr. Alexander. You will remain here as our guest. You will give us all of the materials your late client had asked for you to deliver. Tomorrow, some security personnel will be arriving to audit our security. At that time I will turn over the materials, but I will recommend that you be remanded to my custody.”
“
If they don’t go for it?”
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Then I hand you over.”
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And if they do?”
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Then you will repay me by offering your freelancing services exclusively to me until such time as I consider your debt repaid.”
“…
Uh. No offense, but that doesn’t sound like I’ve got much of a chance. And even if I did, I’ve been under the thumb of the mob before and it ruined my life. I don’t want to go through that again.”
“
No offense taken, Mr. Alexander. Your reluctance is entirely understandable. Fortunately for me, you have no choice in the matter. Miss Misra will show you to the showers. I suggest you take advantage of them. In the mean time my men will remove any sensitive material from your vessel.”
“
Oh, man, you’re going to tear the ship apart? Can’t I just go get the stuff for you?”
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Trustworthy though I’m sure you are, I think I would prefer a more thorough search.”
“
Come on, man. It’s a loaner!”
Mr. Patel smiled.
“
Your priorities are amusingly out of order, Mr. Alexander,” Patel said, leaning forward to tap the pad on his desk again, “Miss Misra, fetch Mr. Hendricks and show Mr. Alexander to a private section of the employee dormitory. Provide him with any reasonable requests, and keep him under surveillance.”
He stood and extended a hand to Lex, who stood as well.
“
A pleasure meeting you again, Mr. Alexander. I do hope I can come to an arrangement with VectorCorp. I feel that, with a bit of instruction, you could be a valuable part of my organization.”
“…
I have no idea what to say to you,” he said, shaking hands.
A moment later, the door opened and Hendricks and Miss Misra entered.
“
This way, Mr. Alexander,” she said primly.
The trio proceeded down the hall, Miss Misra leading the way and Hendricks following like an incredibly hostile shadow. It turned out that the confusing network of hallways had evidently been thanks entirely to the trip to the “waiting” room, as the office was right down the hall from the receptionist’s desk.
“
I trust your meeting went well,” she remarked.
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Oh, yeah. It went great. Evidently I have the choice of indentured servitude or death,” Lex replied.
“
Well, at least you get a choice.”
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Too bad I’m not the one who gets to make it. Your Uncle isn’t exactly a teddy bear.”
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One does not achieve his status through sentimentality and leniency.”
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You seem to think very highly of him.”
“
As well I should. Operlo is the dross of the galaxy, Mr. Alexander. We are under no delusions to the contrary. Mr. Patel was born and bred here, and he has through his own skill and determination managed to attain no small level of success and influence, on the planet as well as off. He did so not through being a brute, as so many in his line of work have, but through cleverness and perspicacity. His methods may not be the most scrupulous, but he managed to wrestle power from men far worse, and his business dealings, legitimate and otherwise, are the only reason this planet hasn’t collapsed into total chaos and financial ruin. Since he ascended to power, this planet has become more than what it was, and though I cannot speak in specifics, the impending completion of Gemini will bring us to new heights.”
“
Okay then...” he replied when the unexpected testimonial came to an end, “I’ll tell you this. There must be a killer school around here, because you two have got one hell of a vocabulary. Or two hells of vocabularies. Whatever the appropriate plural is.”
The smirk returned to her face and she released a breath that was almost a laugh.
“
Nicholas was educated off world, as were my five sisters and I. Thank you, though.”
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Five sisters. Wow. Did the whole clan go to the same school?”
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Indeed. Weston University, Tessera V.”
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Hey, I was just on Tessera! I jumped off of the roof of the train station into traffic,” he said.
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That was you?!” she asked, surprise the first genuine emotion to show even briefly on her face. She squinted at him for a moment. “Good heavens, it WAS you, wasn’t it?!”
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Why do you know about that?” he asked warily.
“
It was all over the news feed. ‘The Jumper at Lon Djinn.’ They’ve been referring to you as an unknown perpetrator. None of the video got a clear shot of your face.”
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I was on the news? Kinda cool...” he said, before his common sense cut through the thickening haze of drunkenness, “And very bad. I had a brush with notoriety before. It didn’t treat me well.”
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Notoriety seldom does.”
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Wait... how could they have missed my face? There are cameras everywhere! I jumped into traffic, there are probably shots of me on the stoplight feeds from three intersections.”
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Likely VectorCorp is suppressing media coverage,” she suggested.
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Why would they do that?”
“
The State of the Company press conference is next week. Any perceived weakness shown so near to the event would be disastrous for the stock prices. You could probably kill the CEO’s son and the news wouldn’t find out until after the closing remarks.”
They finally approached a doorway leading to a tiled hall.
“
Here are the showers. What size are you?”
“
... What?”
“
Clothes. We’ve got uniforms. I can provide you with one.”
“
Oh, 1X. For both.”
“
You’ll have a fresh outfit waiting on the opposite side of the showers, and the next door on your right will be a sleeping hall. It should be empty. The workers are double shifting.”
“
Right. Okay. Thanks.”
He began to shuffle into the shower.
“
And Mr. Alexander?” she called from behind him.
“
Yeah?”
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I hope that it is indentured servitude, not death.”
“
You and me both.”
The uniform provided was a khaki ensemble, loaded down with pockets and bearing a patch with “TRAINEE” written in bold capital letters. Combined with the wide brimmed hat that accompanied it, wearing it made him feel like the tour guide on a safari ride. He’d had more dignified outfits, but at this point a tutu would have been an improvement over the flight suit, which he was fairly sure was beginning to ferment. The shower and change of clothes, though recuperative, didn’t do much to do away with the alcoholic stupor he’d managed to achieve. Either that rum had more of a kick than he was used to or he really
was
a lightweight. He sat on the edge of a bunk, scratched at his unshaven face, and sorted through the facts.
“
Let’s see. I’m on an out-of-the-way planet, being essentially held prisoner by a well educated sociopath, sitting in borrowed clothes on a bunk in an empty dormitory... again. This is a weird little rut my life seems to have gotten into,” he muttered, “But on the plus side, a pretty lady said she’d rather me be a slave than a corpse. I’ve got that going for me.”
“
Alexander,” growled Hendricks.
The sudden comment startled Lex’s sluggish mind, causing him to slip off the edge of the bed.
“
God! Were you there the whole time? You didn’t watch me shower, did you?”
“
Mr. Patel wants you,” he stated, ignoring the question.
“
I’ll bet he does. This is something I’m going to have to get used to, isn’t it? On call, 24-7.
“
On Operlo it is 35-9. Get moving.”
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You use a different number of days in the week?” Lex said, bundling up his belongings and tucking them under his arm, “Now you’re just being contrary.”
“
Move!”
“
Okay, okay!”
Hendricks quickly ushered him out of the complex and into the harsh sun, where the silly looking hat suddenly became well appreciated. It may not have been fashionable, but it certainly kept the burning rays off of his face. He was brought to a slightly better cared for hover cart and driven to his borrowed ship, which was surrounded by a small work crew bearing hefty looking tools and irritated expressions. Nicholas Patel was among them. He wore a similar hat and a pair of sunglasses, as well as a glossy black gadget that wrapped around the back of his neck like a collar. Miss Misra was standing beside him and was similarly equipped. They, notably, were the only ones who weren’t sweating in the baking heat.
“
Mr. Alexander!” Patel said brightly.
“
You called? And what’s with the fancy neck gear?”
“
A blood conditioner. Chills the blood passing through the carotid artery, as I understand it. Quite effective at combating the heat.”
“
Man. Rich people get all of the best toys.”
“
Rich people get all of the best everything, Mr. Alexander. It is the primary motivator for becoming rich. And speaking of toys, I tip my hat to you, sir. You’ve got an excellent security system in place,” he remarked.
“
Do I?”
“
Indeed. My men here tried all of the usual methods to pop the cockpit, and received repeated warnings about... What was the wording, Preethy?”
“
Utilization by individuals with level 2 access or lower is not permitted,” she supplied, after a glimpse at her datapad.
“
When they shifted to more direct methods of access, the ship powered up, electrified the hull, and warned of self destruction.”
“
It is also attempting to establish a secure communications link,” his assistant added.
“
Wow. High class stuff.”
“
Very much so. Would you kindly deactivate it?”
“
No.”
The generally pleased and jovial expression that seemed to be a staple of Patel’s face hardened slightly.
“
Mr. Hendricks, please motivate him.”
Behind him, he heard the chunky mechanical sound of a good old fashion slug thrower chambering a round. Say what you will about the flashy new microwave, laser, and plasma based firearms, you just can’t beat a hand-cannon for intimidation potential. He glanced aside to see a weapon pointed at his ear that, if fired at this range, would probably leave him with more hole than head.
“
Look, it isn’t a motivation issue. I just can’t! I told you, this thing is a loaner. I didn’t even know I HAD a security system, so I sure as hell don’t know how to turn it off!” Lex quickly assured.
“
Well, now would be an excellent time to learn.”
After a second glance at the gun, Lex reluctantly stepped toward the ship. The other workers had given it a fairly wide berth, and were watching him with interest as he approached. Aside from the engines humming and all of the system lights lit in the cockpit, there didn’t seem to be anything specific wrong. When he was close enough to touch it, he turned again. The workers were watching with morbid interest, no doubt waiting for him to take a heart-topping jolt.