by Clay Moore
Jasmine rolled out of the water just before one of the pincer legs got her. Then She heard the sweetest sound in the universe. She listened to the Athro open fire from Brian’s hands, and the Giesling Ghost Crab was distracted. It turned toward Brian. Then a second Artho opened fire then a third. Jasmine asked Brian for a weapon, but he did not have one for her. He handed her his knife instead. She saw that it was a carbon fiber knife.
Jasmine rushed out toward the Giesling Ghost Crab. She dodged his pincers and managed to clamber on. It looked like she was riding a bucking bull. No one wanted to fire with her on top. He saw her measuring the carapace near the two eyestalks. Then she put the point of his knife at that point she measured. Then she rammed the blade at that spot.
As if she had thrown a switch on an Electric Robot, the Giesling Ghost Crab stopped moving its legs. The body hit the ground. She did a flip off of the carapace. She crawled up the lip and handed Brian his knife.
“Pretty handy,” she said.
“Snap,” Brian challenged.
“Dragon,” she said in reply.
“I’m Penda.” Her challenge response was old. That could be explained by her captivity.
“I’m Zoroaster.”
“You’re not a Special Agent?”
“Good God, no, all I do is collect information or run locals who give me that Information. We are not supposed to do anything. They want to see data from me.”
“I’m going to have to out you to the others, including Ofana.”
“She was the royal family’s party, girl?”
“The one and only,” said Brian.
“How is she the mission?”
“What is your SAQ number.”
“Shit, it’s that, compartmentalized?”
“I’ll see about getting you to read into the mission. You have a way off, Giesling?”
“Hold on, everyone is nearly here.”
Ofana walked to the blue grav-car. “You both have a good chat?”
“Yes,“ said Brian as non-committal as possible.
Ofana had her ears up. She wondered if Jasmine was a collection agent and now she was an agent out of her cover.
“Okay, in the hope everyone knows who everyone is I’m going to out Jasmine. Jasmine is an agent of the Eridani Secret Service. She collects data and kills huge Giesling Ghost Crabs with only a fighting knife. I’m still a Special Agent. Everyone else is what they seem.”
“What are they going to do to her,” Joe Little said?
“Nothing,” said Brian. “Kinda hard to keep cover when there is someone also living undercover.”
They dove into the grav-car. The group passed out ammo to those that fired darts at the Giesling Ghost Crab.
“Hey Jasmine, how did you know what to do that to that crab,” asked Brian?
“A friend of mine asked me to verify brain position on the Giesling Ghost Crab. He thinks that evolution works the same with DNA using the same four chemicals. I think I might have given him proof of his hypotheses.”
Ofana said: “Are we still on for Deadspring?”
“Yes, what is the problem?”
“I wondered if discovering Jasmine might change your mission.”
“Nope, She has her own way off-planet. When she needs to, she will depart. She does not have to ask me unless she takes resources. Your mission is very much on target.”
“Okay,” said Ofana,” DeadSpring is a mining town. Tomorrow is their open. There is a mining guild presence in the city. So far the mining Guild has played by the rules agreed upon for this election. This town is far enough away that minor transgressions will be ignored on all sides.”
“Okay team, that means we stay frosty. We have two team members on Ofana at all times. Don’t worry about the police. The Convention that is ruling this election takes a dim view of policing agencies who are cleaning things up by removing bodyguards. If he wants to detain you, inform him that he will also have to detain your principal. If they draw on you, end them. If they pick you up with overwhelming force, don’t worry, I’ll be down there to get you. I don’t expect these type of things. I want you to know that you don’t have to take shit from the police as long as you were with Ofana.”
“When do you have to give your speech,” asked Jasmine?
Tomorrow morning, about ten adjusted.”
“Can we stay at a hotel,” asked Luana?
Amarantha, what hotels are here.”
“There are two rated five stars, Pathways Inn, and Comarket Hotel.”
“Pathways Inn,” Jasmine said, “I stayed at Pathways for my pass through. It’s spotless, The price is lower than most, and has an excellent reputation for its room service.
“I think room service is something we all like.”
“I heard you Special Agent’s live the life of Riley.”
“Don’t worry, my account is backed by the Emir.”
“Yes, he’d do anything for Daddy’s little girl, me.” Ofana smiled. Jasmine smiled, shyly at the celebrity royal.
“Okay Amarantha, book us in Pathways Inn. For Ofana and I, reserve something special for us. Also, set up everyone with a room service budget of a one hundred scrip.”
“Everything is set up,” said Amarantha.
Brian drove his grav-car into Dead Springs. The Pathways Inn was associated with the University district. When he got out of the car, Brian saw the students carrying their slates to classes on campus. They had been spending their time on the Student Union, and their grav-car was parked in the Private Parking lot. Everyone brought their bags, even Jasmine had her bag.
Brian stopped at the Kiosk. He gathered the key bracelets. He stepped away from the Kiosk and handed out the keys to everyone. Once more Amarantha had it arranged that the team was on the same floor at Ofana.
Brian and Ofana went to their room. Brian stayed out to watch with whom Jasmine decided to bunk with. Joe Little had done a lot of chatting up of Jasmine. Brian walked into his room. Ofana waited until Brian entered the room. Then she pounced on him.
“Who did Jasmine go with,” asked Ofana?
“I don’t know. I couldn’t see.”
“Ofana threw Brian’s underwear at Brian. “You know better than that.”
“Joe Little has won her heart if that is what happened. I personally believe that she went with him, and he was the most agreeable of the two remaining studs.”
“I think you have it,” said Ofana. “I like our people like they were our own children.”
“C’ mon, we are not much older than they are.”
“I know. I’ve never been in charge of other people before.”
“Surely, you bossed around your brother and sisters.”
“I’m starting to see that the royal family creche was different than others. Each child was assigned their own nurse. Even wet nurses were unique to each child. When we played together, the nurses prevented hazardous play. I remember wanting to throw a toy car at Heather. One of the nurses saw what I intended to do and intercepted the toy car.”
“I did whack my brother because he stole my pencil,” admitted Brian. “My mom was there and was able to use that stare of hers to punish me.”
“I think they teach the stare in mother school.”
“Your mother had it as well?”
“Yes, my mother mothered even though the creche could run itself. I’m nervous about the speech to deliver here. There is going to be Miner’s guild people here.”
“If you arrive on the pulpit, and they are noisy, simply pause until they come to order.”
“That will take courage.”
Brian walked to a window. He was able to see rostrum and the pulpit arrangement. He could actually stand beneath her looking as mean as he could.
“I will be beneath your feet,” said Brian.
“You know the right things to say.”
“I’m not being poetic. Come and look at this arrangement.”
Ofana padded over to where he stood. She stood on tiptoes t
o see over his shoulder. She saw the rostrum with the pulpit on it. If she managed to speak early enough, She might get the early morning light. She said so to Brian, who guffawed. Brian went to a plate of fruit and got an apple. He shut off all but one light.
Brian crooked a finger at Ofana. Brian held the apple as the characteristic axial tilt of the worlds considered to be the best for humans, which was 23 degrees. Then he held the apple at the Axial tilt of Giesling of 11 degrees. For the latitude they are at, the sun would last a bit longer for the summer sun.
“I don’t think you could arrange the rising sun to rise behind you on time.”
“How about if I pause at the beginning, waiting for quiet if there is quiet. Then begin with almost a whisper ‘Time for a Change.’ Then I tell them what kind of change is what we want.”
“And that is?”
“The end of one-party rule.”
“Wasn’t it really a dictatorship, no matter how high their motives were?”
“Yes, then I will call it that.”
“With the number of the Miner’s Guild members there?”
“If we get a little rattled, that will make great Newsflashes. You can even say things like, they can’t even be trusted to run a fair election.”
“It would be like challenging them in their own homes.”
“No Challenging in their own homes is speaking at Giesling City.”
“Turn on channel four hundred twenty,” said Amarantha.
Brian grabbed the remote on the desk, and he typed out the channel number. He saw a newsreader with an overly bosomy body. She was reading a sports piece, and then a headline over her head. He put the sound up.
“This is Chase Darrow. In a surprise turn of events, the coalition backed by the Eridani Princess Amelia Stegitz has upped her probable vote total to twenty-one million. Part of the success was due to the Princess’s remarkable speaking power.” A Princess still came one over the newsreaders. “We are all aquiver waiting for her next appearance.” They went to the next news story.
The door to the suite opened to a tumbling mass of humanity. The team had come to hear from the person that they were following.
Ofana thought for a few moments. “I knew that our message resounded in the ears of the people. It is ‘time for a change.’” The small group clapped for her. They rushed back to their rooms.
Ofana collapsed on the bed. She took a hair clip out of her head. She let her hair tumble from her head and down her back.
“I didn’t know that you wore your hair up.”
“I learned to do that. It’s an ace up my sleeve in case I need it. Every time I was on the media, I wore my hair up. I call it the Ofana hair. When I wear it down, everyone except my family knows it is a different person.”
Ofana picked up the white fabric turban. She looked at the spider jewel attached to the turban.
“I really like this turban and the white caftan. You made it possible for people to see me and know that it is me. It’s my signature style as Ofana.”
“You are still locked away by your gender.”
“Not, really, primogeniture is merely a suggestion.”
“I’ll have to look into that. It will be interesting to see.
“I can see your brother negotiating with you. You will settle for one of the family memberships in the Parliament. I’ll retire and settle down. You will keep going on.”
Ofana looked at him with concern in her eyes. “You will not retire. They will find a need for you. It will look like you are settling down. I prophesy that you will be the Director of the Eridani Secret Service. And you will die in harness.”
The Women of the Royal family were supposed to be prophets. Brian did not believe in such things. He gave her a wan smile.
“I thought as much,” said Ofana. “To help you believe, You will meet a woman who will have black hair like you. She will be a warrior like youAt the hotel. She will supplant Felicity. Let Felicity down gently, Brian.”
“Yeah, right.” Brian chuckled deeply. Prophecies were all stuff and nonsense, but He would be reminded of it later.
As usual, Brian was the first to get up. He ordered Breakfast. For the first Time this trip she was not in the mood. That’s okay. When you are not in the mood, you are not in the mood. Brian guessed that the Emir would not recognize his daughter. Gone was the party girl. Oh, she still liked sex, but the frantic search for mister right-now in the clubs had lost their luster. He wondered what would happen if she went out to lay in the sun. Would she use the Nude pool, or put on a bathing suit and lay out on the deck?
Breakfast came. Brian paid attention to thing with half a mind. He nearly had his own life ended. The server had lifted the silver cover, and he reached into the cover. Brian thought that was odd. Then Brian saw the gun in the server’s hand. The man extended his hand with the gun.
Brian thanked god for idiots who take on these assassin jobs. Brian shot out his left hand and grabbed the left wrist. Brian pushed the arm and the gun down. Then he dug in a fingernail to the wrist of the Assassin’s right hand. Then Brian reached with his right hand and pulled back on the little finger. The gun was dropped. Then Brian hit the Assassin with a left and right tiger’s paw. The combination shot the Assassin. Brian searched the man and found some directions and the remaining scrip. The invoice was made out to a new name, but the main address was Skellig enterprises. Brian asked Ofana to get his gray bag, she got it and tossed it to Brian. He unzipped the bag and found the black tagged needles. Brian found Scarsin, and Brian opened the needle bag. He pulled the needle out. He jabbed it into the thigh of the Assassin. John had the men of the team put the Assassin out on the front of the Hotel.
Then Brian had to clean up his hotel room. Nobody wanted to eat Breakfast. Brian squatted down and held the pistol. The gun had a six-inch barrel, and the barrel was forty caliber. Whoever armed the idiot had given him the correct tools but left out the silencer. They, whoever ‘they’ were, wanted the man to get caught.
Brian went through the Assassin’s pocket. He had a miners guild card, A small amount in a credit card, A sheet of paper with the room number and the Hotel written out. There was a second magazine. That was in case there was a firefight. Brian scanned the card into his Slate. He told Amarantha to present the ID and see if something comes back.
“Nothing came back except trouble form the miner’s union. His card has expired, and the reason for that is that he is a safety hazard.”
Then he took out a folded piece of paper from among the myriads of papers. This one was more than a letter. It was a paycheck stub for five thousand scrips from the Skellig Enterprises. The line on the had the following “For services rendered.”
He had Amarantha research Skellig Enterprises.
“Skellig Enterprises is a fictional business for Alway Skellig. Ostensibly the business employed Alway as president. The enterprise received an income from a large chunk of stock for some heavy hitters, one of who is Hypercom. On some of these corporations, he sits on the board of directors.”
“Planetary Interests?”
“Strangely he has stayed away from Planetary Interests especially with some of the dividend payout they paid to stockholders.”
“What is the corporate rat doing with us?”
“He knows that the profits are not going to stay this high if taxes start being collected.”
“Simple greed, But why kill me?”
“You are Ofana’s protector. Kill you, and she is easier to get too.”
“I don’t have Time to deal with him. Report him to the director. I’m sure she has someone who has the Time.”
“I will do,” said Amarantha.
Brian put all the things for the assassins pockets into a plastic baggie. He put the baggie into one of his bags. This is more information that Intentions can use.
Brian put on his gray ship’s uniform. Ofana had laid out after the attempt. Through weary eyes she looked at him.
“Did you enjoy the sex-free n
ight.”
“My night may have been sex free, but my dreams were full of you.”
Brian felt that remark in his heart. He had fantasies about a life together with her. That could never be, because he came from a regular middle class. There was not an ounce of any nobility in the Butler family. If the Emir told him to kneel for an accolade, he would probably tell the Emir to sod off. He hoped that cooler heads would prevail if the Emir wanted to give him something.
“I had a dreamless sleep,” lied Brian.
Ofana knew that he was lying. All last night he twisted in his bed. He had an erection that subsided and came back. Once or Twice, she had heard him speak Ofana, which was the only name he knew for her.
“You know, my name is Amelia Grace Stegitz.”
“Why do you give me this?”
“I have only seven days with you left, and then we will both be enfolded into our worlds. I don’t want another night on Giesling without you making love to me. When we go home, it will be terrible without you.”
“After today, we only have seven days. I WILL make love to you for those days.”
“Good. I need to get out there and speak my sense.”
Brian watched as she washed and put on the white Caftan. Then the white turban went back on after she arranged her hair. She brought a bag of her leaflets with her. Brian walked ahead of her. He could look at people, and they instinctively moved away. The rest of his team ringed her. Brian did not think that anyone would try anything during this free speech events.
The average Giesling person had been bereft of expressing their political opinions. To find out that they can watch or go to live event and hear other people speak their patch was something to savor. This planet had lost democracy for thirty years. They were more than making up for it.
They were getting close to the podium. The master of ceremonies recognized her and invited her up to the pulpit. Brian had to move some people aside, and no one objected to the pushing from Brian. It allowed Ofana to get on the podium.
Ofana had to adjust her turban. Then she walked to the podium. The Gieslings on the pulpit bowed to her. “Don’t be silly. There is no bowing. On Eridani, you would be expected to bow, but what is this nation?”
