Singularity

by Drew Cordell

  I browsed the armor modification display case, sifting through the stats of different mods. Most of them weren't compatible with my accustomed EVA suit, but that was because it was an old set of space pilot equipment jury-rigged with some armored plating, quick-access inventory slots, and a couple sleek combat tricks. When you did a lot of combat in space, and in starships, it was a great asset.

  Mac rung up the purchases for both the NPCs, collecting their payments and bagging up their purchases. He was a good salesman. Both customers left, and Mac turned his full attention to us. “Glad to see you're back and Gwen’s search worked out. Brandon and Kyle, you can just give me back the rental equipment and I'll give you back your gear for delivering the carbine to Missssss Delarine. Looks like the credit transfer already went through.”

  I nodded to the usara. “Sure. Thanks for the job, Mac. How did the repairs on our gear go?”

  He laughed, a hissing, throaty sound. “Perfect as alwayssssss. Bring me something challenging to fix next time.”

  “You know what, Mac? I'll try not to,” I said, grinning.

  We exchanged our rental gear for our own property, re-equipping everything and preparing to leave as fast as possible. Finishing the assembly herself, Gwen slapped a fresh charge pack into her carbine and slung the weapon over her back.

  We thanked Mac and hit the streets, walking as fast as we could without drawing attention toward the docking bay and hoping we weren’t too late.

  18

  The docking bays of Vrenn occupied most of the three middlemost levels of the station, enabling a robust, bountiful economy within a relatively small piece of property. Vrenn made its money the same way most private stations in Eternity Online did: casinos, tariffs, and by acting as a staging ground for transit between shipping hyperlanes for government-sponsored and privately-owned companies within the galaxy.

  Gwen’s ship, Ether Rogue, was in Bay B10, a mid-sized hangar with plenty of room for transferring cargo. We viewed it from the observation deck 50 meters above the energy shielded opening separating the bay from the vacuum of space, taking in the sight of the ship and the station workers scrambling around it.

  As a light freighter, Ether Rogue was at least double the size Exowurm had been, and it was a lot bulkier. It had massive deep space shipping containers socketed in the center of the port and starboard sides of the ship’s durable frame. Round domes of solid metal dotted with small trapezoidal viewports blistered out on the ventral and dorsal sides of the blocky ship where living spaces must have resided. The front of the freighter had a pointed cone nose with a four-person flight cabin offset above it with a full-width composite viewport. It was a pretty ship—and it was probably a lot better suited for long-haul travel through deep space than my interceptor had been. Combat-wise, not so much.

  “Doesn't look outfitted for combat in the slightest,” I said, hoping Gwen could convince me otherwise and alleviate some of my concern. There were hardpoints for equipment and weapon systems on the exterior of Ether Rogue, but aside from some basics, it looked relatively void of the extras that could keep us alive in a tough situation. I couldn’t even confirm it had any weapon systems from my current view overlooking it.

  “We’ll boost what we can, but she’ll do the trick,” Gwen assured me. “But I do need to find out why they impounded my ship. Fen, go grab supplies with Brandon and Kyle. Make sure they pay their half. Do you have the list I gave you?”

  Fen nodded.

  Gwen had apparently neglected to comply with some statute of Vrenn law, and her ship was anchored to the docking bay with several restraining latches. Station workers dotted the exterior of the light freighter, walking around holding datapads and documenting information.

  “You sure you don’t want some help dealing with these guys?” I asked. “I’m not exactly eager to split the party with that homicidal maniac somewhere on Vrenn.”

  “Go get the supplies, I’ll handle this,” she replied tersely, striding toward the elevator platform that would take her to her ship.

  “And if we need to get a hold of you?” I called after her.

  “If you need anything, Fen can communicate with me with her radio link. Try not to need anything.” A second later, the elevator lowered her to the ground level of the docking bay.

  “Right. You two are with me. Please keep up and have your credit transfer ready so we can acquire necessary supplies quickly,” Fen stated, turning and walking away from the observation deck toward the supply shop.

  Brandon and I struggled to keep up with her as she glided across the floor without looking like we were jogging. My blaster pistol holster wasn’t secured correctly, and my weapon flopped around and slapped into my leg as I walked—but it was in no danger of falling out. I would need to adjust it once we reached the station’s exchange hub. I wanted to review the list of supplies we needed for the voyage, but Fen was moving too quickly, and I doubted the quiet woman would take the time to explain the list with a detailed analysis.

  The exchange hub was a massive, circular room with anchored consoles filling the inside of the space, an interface to purchase anything from anywhere on the station. It was packed with NPCs of all races and the clamor of hundreds of conversations, somewhat dampened by the noise-suppression emitters hanging from the ceiling. We’d used this same exchange to broker the purchase of Exowurm, and it had its merits. With an extra 10% padding on top of the purchase price, we could have everything on Fen’s list delivered and ready to load in Gwen’s cargo bay within an hour’s time—a necessary expense at this point.

  Fen led us to one of the empty consoles. “One of you watch out for the bounty hunter, please. I will let you review the purchase before we make it, but this needs to be fast. If you cannot cover the cost of your half, we will have to renegotiate the agreement of treasure distribution.”

  I refreshed my player mail, not surprised to see my insurance money still hadn’t come in. “It shouldn’t be a problem.” I wasn’t eager to zero out my bank balance, but I was also getting increasingly uneasy the longer we stayed at this station. We weren’t going to win a fair fight with this bounty hunter, and I doubted station security would be able to do much to stop him. He had already proven that he had no moral issue with killing any and all who stood in his path.

  I scanned our surroundings while Brandon supervised Fen, bringing up the occasional question or objection as she added an item to our digital cart. I would be able to draw my blaster pistol in less than a second—it would take longer for Brandon to ready his massive shotgun, and the collateral damage would be devastating in such a populated area. Taking a moment, I tightened the straps on my hip holster, correctly securing my blaster.

  Station security guards stood along the walls, wired headsets snaking down into their lightly armored uniforms. Most of them held military blaster-rifles, and there were enough of them to make someone think twice about stirring up trouble in the exchange hub. So far, I hadn’t seen any sign of the bounty hunter, but I also wouldn’t have any chance of recognizing the man if he had decided to ditch his damaged power armor in favor of something subtler.

  A few minutes later, Fen urged us to review the acquisition request. I gawked at the price floating on the top of the holoscreen: 10,458 eCr. It was a small fortune, and Brandon and I would be on the line for half. Think of the payoff, I thought to myself. Thoughts of this being some elaborate scam to get cheaper supplies rushed through my head. Only it was ridiculous to think Gwen would orchestrate all of this for a mere 5,000-credit payoff. It didn’t make sense, and I couldn’t afford to let the seeds of doubt spread now.

  “I had Fen cut about 500 credits’ worth, but most of this stuff is mandatory after reviewing the cargo manifest of Ether Rogue. Fen was able to shave a couple points off the express delivery premium, but that added additional cost as well,” Brandon informed me, offering to let me read everything new and compare it with the old cargo manifest.

  “No, if you’re sure about it then we’re
good to go. I can review the updated manifest when we’re off Vrenn and aren’t in immediate danger. I trust you, Brandon. Transfer the credits.”

  The big man nodded, transacting a 25% split from each of our personal bank accounts after I confirmed the charge on my AIVO. My updated credit balance flashed and displayed 3,953.13 eCr, down from the 6,500+ I’d been sporting earlier. It wasn’t chump change by any means, and I was feeling the heat. Fen covered the other half of the buy order, and the purchase went through successfully with an order confirmation that ensured all of our new cargo would be ready to load on Ether Rogue within the hour.

  I checked the timer for my alarm in the real world: 4 hours, 23 minutes, 17 seconds. It was hard to believe the events of the day had only occupied three and a half hours so far; it felt like a lot longer. With our delivery occurring sometime in the next hour, we’d have the better part of four hours to leave Vrenn and hammer out the finer details of our agreement as well as learn more about the bounty hunter chasing us and the ancient temple we were planning on raiding.

  “The delivery window is set. We should return to Gwen now,” Fen said, logging off the exchange hub console and starting back to Bay B10. We followed behind her, once again struggling to keep up.

  Fen stopped mid-stride, lifting a hand to the side of her head. She must have been talking with Gwen through the radio link. “I understand. We are on our way.”

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “The bounty hunter found Gwen and wants to talk.”

  19

  “Good, you’re here,” the bounty hunter said, turning away from the observation deck overlooking Gwen’s freighter. He was standing directly next to Gwen but still had his weapon holstered and his arms crossed over his chest in a non-threatening manner. The skeleton that had been painted on the man’s visor was mostly melted off, presumably from my mana bomb. The skeletal painting was sagging and dripping into a disfigured appearance.

  Gwen wasn’t being held at gunpoint, but she still looked terrified, and her big red eyes were somehow even larger than normal. Maybe Brandon and I should have just walked away, but I wanted to help Gwen out of this if we could, especially if that meant her keeping the map to the Strexian temple.

  “Why isn’t she dead?” I asked bluntly.

  “She would be, but you saved her life, Kyle. Actually, you’re the only reason why I didn’t just kill her and claim the bounty, Gesh knows Dalthaxia would pay me well for it. There’s a 100% bonus if she happens to be carrying a Strexian relic as well. Since I haven’t seen it and can’t confirm it exists, I’d rather mitigate my risk and collect the bounty on you instead.”

  I resisted the urge to grip my blaster, electing to fold my arms across my chest instead. My heart was hammering away, faster and faster. What could he possibly want with me? Only, I thought I knew the answer. The pieces were starting to fall into place. “Can you explain why that is?”

  “Of course. You’re on Bounty Net for delivery of information. I’m supposed to deliver a chat lobby network key to you for immediate use, and I’ll need a digital signature that you received it from me.”

  “I don’t understand. Who wants to talk to me?”

  “The leader of Dark Eternity himself. A man named Cadan Graves.”

  I flinched at the name. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Cadan Graves was the name of Stacy’s handler on Salgon in the real world. The man who had convinced her to throw everything we had together away. “I’m not interested. I don’t care what he wants.”

  The bounty hunter’s tone changed, becoming icy and hard. “You might want to reconsider that. I’m getting paid today, and that’s either through your bounty or hers. You either talk to Graves, or I kill you all. What’s it gonna be?”

  “Kyle. I don’t care who this guy is, just talk to him. Please,” Gwen pleaded, her voice was gentle and scared. I met her eyes, studying her. Could I really condemn her and take away what could be an incredible future through my refusal?

  “What assurance do I have that you don’t just get my digital signature and kill us immediately after?” I demanded, returning my focus to the bounty hunter.

  “See for yourself. 48-hour payout after your signature is transmitted. If you’re harmed in the process, you just give him the word and I don’t get paid. It’s as simple as that.” The bounty hunter passed information to my AIVO and I approved the transfer of information, studying his contract.

  Bounty: Kyle (12er4g7m9-hj1vg-14kl)

  Contract type: (Non-Negotiable Open Bounty) Data Delivery

  Sponsor: Dark Eternity (Bounty Net Confirmed Entity)

  Credit Reward Upon Successful completion: 20,000 eCr (Bounty Net Standard Transfer)

  Bonus Opportunity: Yes.

  Bonus: 10% Total Contract Value.

  Payout Criteria: Payout will be made 48 hours after the digital signature of the contact is received. If the contact is harmed during this exchange or was under duress and reports it to Cadan Graves of Dark Eternity, this contract will be considered null and void once supporting evidence is submitted to Bounty Net for arbitration. Any applicable bonus will be paid out in accordance with Bounty Net Standard Agent Agreement.

  Contract: Deliver the attached chat lobby key and login information to Kyle (known character information attached below), receiving Kyle’s digital signature in receipt of digital data. A bonus is to be paid out to the agent who completes this contract if Kyle connects to the chat lobby within 48 hours.

  Bounty Attachments: Kyle_(12er4g7m9-hj1vg-14kl)_Information.holo , Chat_Lobby_Key.holo

  I ran the bounty through the Bounty Net verification tab through a mobile Datanet browser, confirming its authenticity and then making sure it hadn’t been altered. I downloaded the holo file named ‘Kyle_(12er4g7m9-hj1vg-14kl)_Information.holo’ for use with my AIVO, wanting to read what Cadan Graves had on me later. Since my real last name and personal contact key were excluded, that meant my real-world identity was still protected. But Cadan had a source that had seen me and had reason to suspect I was who he thought I was. At least he’d had the courtesy not to blast my real name over the entirety of Bounty Net.

  “What stops you from just coming after us after you get your payment?” I asked.

  The man laughed, a cold throaty sound. “Ha. I suppose nothing. But it also looks like you’re trying to leave town, and I have a couple more bounties I’m going to try to score on Vrenn before I move on. That should give you a nice window to get a head start on avoiding me in the future. Unless Dalthaxia bumps up the priority and payout on her contract, there’s other fish for me to fry.”

  I wasn’t completely satisfied, but the fact that I was still alive was promising enough. “Why did you try to kill me if you want to claim this bounty then?”

  “I didn’t have positive visual confirmation on you until we were up close and personal, Kyle. If I had it earlier, I wouldn’t have tried to kill you. I wasn’t expecting you to have Strexian magic. It’s an impressive trick, but don’t expect it to work on me again.”

  “Uh huh.” I didn’t want to mention the fact that even if I did talk to Cadan Graves, I could just tell him that I was under duress when I signed for the data and this bounty hunter wouldn’t see a single credit chip. Only, I was sure this man already knew that, and it seemed like a risk he was willing to take. I also had the feeling he’d bump Gwen’s bounty up on his list if his payment didn’t go through.

  “What will it be?” he asked again, his tone growing impatient.

  “I’ll talk with Graves. No one gets hurt, and we go our separate ways,” I said.

  “Good. Here’s the data key and information you need to speak with Cadan,” he said, passing me the information. I accepted it, ignoring the temptation to delete it right away. “And now,” the man continued, “I just need your digital signature right on my contract in Bounty Net to confirm delivery of digital goods and I’ll be out of your hair.”

  I signed after I got the AIVO prompt, glaring at him. “Okay.
We’re done here.”

  “Talk to Graves. Make sure I get paid…” he paused as if struggling with the word, “please.” With that, he walked away, and the encounter seemed to be over.

  “Who the hell are you?” Gwen asked, her voice accusatory. “I saw the contract. No one pays twenty-two K just to talk with someone.”

  The mention of Graves’s name and the whole encounter had set me into a dark mood. “This guy does. It’s a long story, and I’ll tell you what you need to know once we’re out of Vrenn.”

  Gwen narrowed her eyes. “Like hell, we will. I appreciate you getting me out of that and all, but you’ve got to tell me what the hell is going on and who you are.”

  “I don’t know why he wants to talk to me. He’s a former special agent handler on Salgon who worked for the Dalthaxian Supreme three years ago. I got tied up in the middle of it. A lot of really messed-up shit happened, and I don’t know more than that,” I growled. “It’s not relevant to what we’re trying to do here, and it doesn’t concern you.”

  “Doesn’t concern me? Seriously? We’re about to spend the next however many days—hell, it could be weeks—living together in close proximity while we travel to this Strexian temple. I think it does concern me.”

  “Come on, guys. We can sort this out later. Let’s get out of here before that bounty hunter has the chance to come back,” Brandon encouraged, trying to be helpful.

  “You know what? He’s right,” Gwen said. “I’m going to need you to give me more eventually though, Kyle. I know we just met and you don’t trust me yet, but we need to get there if this is going to work. There’s a lot of money at stake here with this job.”

  I took a deep breath, releasing some of the tension and anger. I wasn’t mad at Gwen, I was mad at Cadan and Stacy. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll tell you everything that happened later. Let’s just wait for the cargo and get out of here. Are you cleared for departure?”