by J. N. Chaney
“And now you’re trying to work me over with that cute smile of yours.”
“I can neither confirm nor deny.”
“Damn you, woman. You’re good.”
She half closed her eyelids and raised one shoulder toward me. “Why, Mr. Reed, I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.”
“Come here,” I said, leaning over the side of the bed. I felt a small twinge of pain as I rolled to one side, but the pleasure of giving her a kiss would far outweigh the soreness in my leg.
I returned to the bridge on my own power the next morning to find Rachel and Tiny on the floor playing tug-o-war with small a scrap of fabric. Probably my old pants. Today, I was dressed in some crew shorts and a blue Union t-shirt.
“Mr. Reed,” Lars said over the bridge’s audio system. “How good it is to see you. And walking well, I see.”
“Well enough,” I replied.
“Hey, Flint,” Rachel said. She lost her battle with Tiny as the dog ripped the fabric from her hands and came bounding toward me.
“Hey, Rachel.” Tiny leaped toward my chest and placed his paws on my shoulders. “And hey to you too, pal.” I scratched behind his ears and gave him a kiss atop his head. “Gods, you need a bath, boy.”
“That can be arranged, sir,” Lars said.
“You’re going to need a few bots to hold him down, I’m afraid,” I said.
“Or I could sedate him,” Lars added.
“Sedate him? Lars, you can’t just go around knocking people out whenever you want.”
“And yet it remains an effective way to deal with the frailties of biological existence.”
I rolled my eyes and shuffled toward the captain’s chair in my deck slippers. “Whatever. Just get him cleaned up.”
“As you wish, sir.”
“Crazy AI,” I muttered as I sat down.
“What’s on the agenda for today?” Rachel asked.
“Well, I thought we’d head to the mining facility on Meldorn.”
“You… you sure you’re good for that?” Rachel asked. I could tell the question had more than one layer based on our conversation from the night before. Part of it was my physical stamina, but the other part was the question of whether or not I wanted to keep pursuing these damned artifacts without totally knowing what they were.
“How long did Falco say we’d need to get there?” I asked. “Two days, right?”
“Yeah,” said Rachel, nodding.
“The Taciton system is approximately two days away in slip space, sir,” Lars confirmed.
“And how long before I’m fully healed, Lars?”
“Your healing has already been accelerated due to the success of last night’s surgery,” the AI replied. “You should be feeling quite strong within the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. And within three days, you’ll have nothing more than a small scar to remind you of the injury.”
“One hundred percent then?”
“Affirmative, sir. One hundred percent.”
“But, Flint…” Rachel eyed me. She wanted to know how I felt about the artifacts, I knew it.
“I’m gonna call Oragga now,” I said.
“Right now?” Rachel replied.
“Is there an echo in here? Yeah, right now. Might as well get clarity on what this is all about before I risk anyone else’s life, most especially mine.” I winked at her. “Lars?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Get Mr. Oragga on the line, would you?”
“Right away, sir. Please stand by.”
I ran a hand over my hair and relaxed in my captain’s chair. Tiny lay down beneath me, and Rachel walked over to stand beside me, arms folded. After only ten seconds, a large image of Mr. Oragga’s head appeared on the main holo screen, replacing the black sea of stars. His hair was combed backward, and he adjusted his monocle as he looked at his holo screen.
“Good morning, Flint. Rachel. Tiny,” Oragga said, nodding toward each of us. Tiny tilted his head and twitched his ears.
“Good morning,” I said.
“Hello, Min,” Rachel added.
“Looks like you’re”—I studied the scene behind the old man—“on an ocean-faring yacht of some kind?”
“Ah, yes,” said Oragga. He spread his arms from his spot in a white leather seat, shaded by an awning overhead. The boat’s teak decking extended out behind him and dropped away to a sparkling ocean-scape. “We’re on the planet of Nimbus Proximus today, scouting some new sub-oceanic reserves. Quite a lovely place, I might add.”
“Looks like it,” I said, noting the islands in the background that were speckled with palm trees.
“And you are…” He leaned forward as if reading something. “Finishing some intel gathering on Altan Four, from what Lars has told me.”
I looked at Rachel, unaware that Lars had been forwarding our activity on to Oragga. But I shouldn’t have been surprised. Billionaires didn’t become wealthy by ignoring their investments.
“That’s right,” I said. “Ran into a little trouble, but we got what we came for.”
“I see that,” Oragga said, returning to look at us. “And how that’s leg feeling?”
Again, I tried to hide my surprise at how much he knew. “Feeling fine, Min. Lars said I should be back to normal within seventy-two hours.”
“Marvelous,” said the billionaire. “Now, how may I help you? I’m afraid I’m rather pressed for time.”
“What are these artifacts really for?”
“Flint,” Rachel said under her breath. She bumped her hip against the side of my chair. “Not so direct.”
Not so direct? I didn’t know any other way.
“A man who cuts straight to the point,” Oragga said. “I knew I liked you.” He pulled the circular pane of glass from his eye and began to wipe it with a white handkerchief. “Before I answer, may I ask what sparked this line of inquiry?”
“Frankly, I don’t like being shot at,” I said. “And I don’t like killing people, unless I have a damn good reason to.” I moved my ass in my chair a little, feeling it grow numb. “And, for another, I didn’t think we’d see this much action in our first mission for you. In fact, I didn’t think we’d ever see this much, period. But it seems you’re not the only one interested in these artifacts, and everyone else is willing to kill for them. That said, if Rachel, Tiny, and I are going to put ourselves and others in harm’s way, I want to know what we’re doing it for.”
“Because…?” Oragga asked.
“Because if there’s not a good reason, I’m out.”
“You did sign a binding agreement, might I remind you.”
“So sue me,” I said, a little more flagrantly than I meant. I guessed the pain meds were still running strong in my blood. “And if that doesn’t suit your liking, shoot me.”
“Easy, Flint,” Rachel said again, clenching her teeth.
Oragga stared at me in silence for several seconds. Gods, is he actually considering shooting me? Truthfully, I had no idea how he was going to respond to my line of questioning. But I felt I had a right to know. I had a responsibility to every civilian we had endangered. I might not be on the police force anymore, but the desire to serve and protect innocent lives was still there, and I doubted it would be going away any time soon.
“So be it,” Oragga finally said. He replaced the monocle over his eye and raised his chin. “What I’m about to tell you is highly privileged information. The mere fact that I’m telling you greatly increases the likelihood of your death. I had hoped to keep you from bearing such a burden. However, I understand the need for full disclosure, so I do not fault you for it. The fact of the matter is that I, too, would wish the same were I in your position, especially given the gravity of what you experienced in the last day. Furthermore, I quite anticipated this, though that makes me sound far more ostentatious than I actually am.
“The artifacts I have employed you to pursue represent a rare collection of puzzle pieces, for lack of a better term.
The ancient civilization that created them, while old, was far more technologically advanced than we are. It is believed that this map, once assembled, leads to a specific destination where a powerful possession is hidden.”
“Sounds like one of your fairytales,” I mumbled to Rachel. Then, back to Oragga, I asked, “Which is what?”
“In a word? A weapon.”
I looked at Rachel, then back to Oragga. “What kind of weapon?”
“That, we don’t know.”
I held my hand up at him. “No disrespect here, Min, but you mean to tell me these artifacts form some sort of ancient treasure map that leads to some sort of ancient weapon? And with all your power and money, you have no idea what it does?”
Oragga raised an eyebrow, then said, “That about sums it up, dear boy. Yes.”
I chortled, which made Tiny whine. “Ha, I’m suddenly having serious doubts about all this.”
“Flint,” Rachel chided me. “You can’t back out now.”
“No, no. He’s quite right to be concerned,” Oragga said.
“He is?” Rachel asked.
“Miss Fontaine, if I may be so bold, this sort of excursion rather suits you, does it not?”
She looked from Oragga to me, and then back to him, giving a wry little smile that said she enjoyed this sort of thing.
“As I thought,” said the billionaire. “This is, as it were, your cup of tea. You require fewer details to appease your curiosity so long as you get half down, half upon completion. Am I right?”
“Well, when you put it like that, yeah,” she said.
“Which is exactly why I arranged for you to be present at my complex on the night of the heist.”
Rachel’s eyes went wide. “Excuse me?”
“Ha!” I said, letting out a laugh. “Seems I’m not the only one who got duped.”
Oragga raised his palms. “My proposal was genuine, Miss Fontaine. Make no mistake about that. Our intelligence narrowed the threat of a burglary down to the Founder’s Day weekend—beyond that, we had little idea as to when or by whom, though I had my suspicions. Likewise, I had a feeling you would see to my vault’s safety, which you endeavored to do marvelously. However, it was Mr. Reed here who surprised us all.”
“Surprised you?” I asked, trying to keep up with this man’s crafty old brain.
“Of course, Mr. Reed. For one, you risked your life for the sake of the hostages. I believe we’ve covered that, as well as my quick acceptance of your second shift request for the night in question. You needed to make more credits, and I needed a man who I perceived I could count on. But you also separated yourself from every other mercenary I have ever employed.”
“Gods, there is so much wrong with that last sentence,” I said. “With all of the sentences.”
“While someone like Rachel could be relied upon to act without cause so long as the price was right—no offense intended,” Oragga said.
“None taken,” she replied.
“You, Mr. Reed, proved that violence is only extended in a measure comparable to the crime.”
“So, you’re basically saying Rachel’s a cutthroat and I’m…” I couldn’t think of the word.
“You’re a white knight,” Oragga said.
Rachel punched me in the shoulder. “Told you.”
“Hey!” I said, rubbing my bicep. “You guys read the same romance novels or something?”
“Excuse me?” Oragga asked.
“Nothing,” I said. I swore Lars must’ve sent the old man a video feed of our conversation last night.
“In any case, it is precisely your need to know the truth that qualifies you for a pursuit of this magnitude,” Oragga said. “It’s not enough simply to do the job. I need someone who needs to know why they’re doing the job.”
“So… you’re saying you’re glad I asked you then.”
“Glad?” The old man smiled. “Had you not… had you been satisfied in killing bad guys simply because some old coot gave you a starship and an unlimited supply of ammo, I would have been sorely disappointed.”
“Weird,” Rachel said out of the side of her mouth. “That’s enough for me.”
“I’m trying to feel honored, Min, but that’s gonna take a while.”
“I understand.”
“About this weapon, though. If we’re speaking openly, I’m not entirely sure I feel comfortable with what we might need to do next.”
“How so?” asked Oragga. Since he seemed genuinely interested, and I figured it was now or never to get everything clear, I charged ahead.
“This is no longer only about some billionaire’s love for collectibles. It’s about an arms race. At least that’s how the other team made it feel back there on Veradia. Shouldn’t the Union be handling this sort of thing?”
“The Union…” Oragga spoke the term like he had some sort of long jaded history with it. “I would no sooner trust the Union with this find than I would those who are trying to beat me to it.”
“Those goons in Veradia.”
He nodded. “Indeed. If this all turns out to be nothing, then I’m out some credits and you’re out some time. However, if this turns out to be equal in scope to the other assets we’ve discovered—”
“Other assets?” I asked. “So, there’s more? More than these keys and this weapon?”
“That is for another day, Mr. Reed.”
“But I really think that if we’re—”
“Another day, Mr. Reed.”
I felt Rachel put a hand on my shoulder. Okay, so maybe I’m being a little pushy. Could anyone blame me?
“As I was saying,” Oragga continued, “if this turns out to be an important find, then the Union are the last people I want getting their hands on it—save maybe for my rivals.”
“And what makes you the qualified party?” I asked.
“Flint!” Rachel said out loud this time.
“It’s quite alright, Miss Fontaine. Though I appreciate your sense of etiquette.”
“How ironic for an assassin,” I whispered over my shoulder.
“I’m not an assassin,” she said and crossed her arms .
“Assassin.”
“I believe I am the qualified party, Mr. Reed, because I’m terrified of the outcome.”
Well, this is new. “The outcome, sir?”
Oragga leaned in closer to his holo display. “I know we don’t know one another well,” he said. “But we have both seen what men and women do with unbridled power. For you, it was evidenced on the streets of Sellion City. It was people who dealt drugs that killed children. It was pimps who whored out little girls to the highest bidder. It was people who beat their wives, stole their neighbors’ prized possessions while they were away on vacation, and poisoned their boss’s cats when they didn’t get a promotion.
“For me, it was evidenced in the mines beneath the floating city. It was the hands of my masters who beat me for not meeting quotas. Who cut off my father’s fingers one month at a time when his productivity slowed. Who raped my mother in front of us both when they went too long without a good whoring. I don’t trust anyone to do with power what I have proven I can do with it.”
“Which is what?” I asked, moved by the old man’s account but no less deterred from the hard questions that needed asking.
“Hide it from the galaxy,” he said. “And if I can’t, destroy it.”
“But you’re the one who’s trying to expose it,” I replied. “Seems a little self-serving if you ask me.”
“Not expose it, Mr. Reed. Get to it first to keep it hidden. Trust me when I say that I would have longed for all of this to remain a secret. In fact, I was content to let what little I knew of these devices remain in shadow. It was that way for many years, such that I thought I may be the one to die with the knowledge. But employees can be fickle, and friends even more so.”
“Someone stole what you knew?” Rachel asked.
Oragga nodded solemnly. “My best friend.”
“Is h
e the one behind the rival organization then?” I asked.
“No.”
“How can you be so certain?” Rachel asked.
“Because I killed him.”
Well, this is getting interesting. “You… you killed your best friend,” I restated, just to be clear.
Oragga nodded again, then raised his lower lip like he was defying the universe. “I don’t wish to discuss it. But it was what had to be done, and I regret that things ever came to that. Suffice to say, no, the rival enterprise is of a far more nefarious origin, one which must never be allowed to obtain what I am sending you to seek out.”
“So,” I said, not sure what to do yet with all the information, “you want us to go as far as we can in obtaining these artifacts and securing the weapon—whatever it is, and if it even exists. And then you’re going to destroy it or lock it away forever, throwing away the keys?”
Oragga didn’t smile. “That is correct, Mr. Reed.”
“Then why not just throw away the artifacts?” I asked. “Seems like a few already fell to Ty Bier’s surface in the wreckage of your tower anyway.”
“A salient point. The answer is twofold. One, the keys are indestructible. The three artifacts in my vault have already been recovered by one of my teams and they are in pristine condition.”
“You’re telling me they survived the fall… and the resulting explosions?” I was shocked. “I mean, we felt the blast from—”
“From your precarious perch on the end of the elevator cables. I am aware. Yes, they survived.
“Secondly, however, is the simple fact that I feel an obligation to ensure that the weapon is decommissioned. Since so little is known about what these ancient people built, even the thought that something exists that could wipe out planets requires that we investigate.”
“Hold on a second,” I said, standing up for the first time since walking onto the bridge. “Did you just say wipe out an entire planet?”
“I did, Mr. Reed.”
“Gods,” I whispered.
“And if it is true, then—with or without the artifacts—we must find this weapon and destroy it, once and for all.”
A long silence filled the connection. I felt Tiny come up beside me and press his head under my hand. I patted him softly, beginning to wrap my head around all of this… this… whatever it was.
