Wow, she actually thought I was that big of an idiot. Who would accept such an offer? What was one hundred thousand cryptos to me, compared to the million and change I already had in my wallet? A practically unnoticeable blip. But it would cause so many troubles my life would turn to hell. And really how much could I carry? Gnat’s maximum carrying capacity before movement speed penalties set in was sixty-two pounds, of which twenty-two were already occupied by armor and weapons. But even if I came naked, sixty-two pounds of platinum... I took out a calculator... was sixty thousand crypto, exactly how much the Pride leader had just taken from me for “protection.” Come on, she could not be serious!
But as always there was a kernel of rationality. Serious adjustments would have to be made to the conditions, though. For example, the valuable loot from the vault would have to be taken by one of the twin Geckho brothers Vasha or Basha, maybe even both of them. In exoskeleton armor, each of the loaders could carry six hundred sixty pounds, and that was a different story. That would be enough money to justify the risk. And then, in a day and a half, I was going to leave the station in my improved starship, so they’d be going on a wild goose-chase!
Yes, there was a certain risk. Captain Rikki Pan-Miis from the Pride of the Bushy Shadow knew where my faction was located. But I somehow doubted that the pirates would risk sneaking into the Geckho’s exclusive economic zone to demand my faction return stolen metal. Heavy ships could not get in unnoticed, and cloakers or nimble interceptors... I imagined Ivan Lozovsky or any of the Legion leaders reacting to the pirates’ demands and smiled. I’d like to see them try! In that case, my faction would get its own cloakers or interceptors.
“A million crypto advance,” I forwarded a counteroffer. “Don’t worry, I won’t just fly off with your money, because my starship currently has its thrusters and power unit removed, you can check. Beyond that, I will not go into the vault alone. It would look too suspicious to see a wanted captain wandering around this dangerous station without even a couple bodyguards. I wouldn’t believe it. So I’ll bring three soldiers and we take from the vault as much as the four of us can carry. And finally, three days of protection, but not only from the Pride of the Bushy Shadow. You will protect me against any potential enemies on Medu-Ro IV. Otherwise, what’s to stop the Pride of the Bushy Shadow from paying some mercenaries to take me out?”
Now it was her turn to think. The leader of the Pride of the Agile Paw then, tired of sitting, gave an ailing meow and laid face up on the floor. Clearly, the pregnant Miyelonian lady’s back was aching. I patiently waited in silence, trying not to break the casino owner’s train of thought. And my patience was rewarded. The lady cat braced herself with her paws, sat up heavily and suddenly removed her mask. At the same time, a name lit up above her head:
Gerd Myaur-Za Vka. Miyelonian Female. Pride of the Agile Paw. Level-178 Swindler.
“Alright, Gerd Gnat, I agree to your conditions! In fact, I am impressed by your offer. It shows that you are aware of danger, account for risks and approach business with a cool head. I am very glad I found such a qualified man for the task and I hope we can work together for a long time. I reveal my name to very few, but you have certainly earned the honor!”
Authority increased to 50!
You have reached level seventy-three!
You have received three skill points! (total points accumulated: nine)
“Now wait. My soldiers need to get ready. The operation will begin in half an ummi. And, if you’d be so kind, please take this ancient signet back to the merchant Ussh-Veesh on the third floor of the visitor stands. It’s hard for me to walk up the steep stairs with this big belly.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight. Possible Earnings
WITHOUT a professional Engineer, I could not navigate the innumerable models of thrusters and power units offered in the catalogue. So I sent Tini to go get our new crew member and bring him to the casino. And I spent over an hour in an isolated VIP box alone with Orun Va-Mart looking at screen after screen of parts.
Uline Tar first insisted she be personally present at every purchase given the extreme amounts of money. But she quickly realized it made no sense because she didn’t understand a word of Miyelonian, so she had no basis to judge other than the picture. At first I tried to translate for her, but I didn’t know enough of the outlines or phonics of the narrowly specialized technical terms in either Geckho or Miyelonian. And Uline refused to bring in our professional Translator, not wanting to reveal financial secrets to Ayni. So she just opted to leave the VIP box and join the other crew members relaxing in the casino.
“This power unit is not a bad option,” Orun Va-Mart poked a claw into one of the items. “The manufacturer is a Cleopian company that makes quality off-brand ship parts. It has Meleyephatian inputs, and it gives two thousand seven hundred units of power. It isn’t new, to be fair, and doesn’t come with a guarantee. The serial number has also been wiped. Most likely some pirates took it off a broken ship. But at just two hundred forty-five thousand crypto, it’s a real bargain. Suspiciously cheap even...”
“If it makes you suspicious, we better not risk it,” I said, not wanting to buy some pig in a poke with no guarantee. “I’m okay with a slightly more expensive power unit, if we can count on it. How much would the same one cost new and with a guarantee?”
The Engineer flipped through another few pages and pointed at the screen:
“Here’s a new one, fresh off a Meleyephatian production line. It comes with a five-tong guarantee. And it’s in stock here on Medu-Ro IV. But the price stings: eight hundred eighty-eight thousand crypto.”
I couldn’t hold back an explicit outburst. Almost nine hundred thousand crypto! That was six and a quarter million Geckho crystals! Those prices were some hot bullshit! That would nearly clean me out, especially after buying a good hyperdrive for a million crypto. To be honest, Uline had managed to finagle a seven-percent discount, but the purchase still ate up a good chunk of our overall budget.
The starship of my dreams would have cost an extreme amount, and I was not mentally prepared to spend that much. We’d nearly blown through our whole budget and the million crypto advance, and that was before we got aerodynamic stabilizer wings, maneuver thrusters or an expanded cargo hold, which was to say nothing of weaponry!
“But this is two hundred units of output higher than the models we were looking at before. And two hundred units means two more laser turrets, and a good combat tracking computer, plus the quality near-space scanners as you wanted. It’ll be expensive, yes. But just imagine how your Authority will grow among the local pirates when the Free Captains find out that Gerd Gnat’s ship is top of the line!”
A dubious argument, to put it lightly. I would have preferred the local pirates not to know such intimate details about my frigate. Ideally, no one would even notice my ship. I looked at the time. Damn! The secret operation to break into the enemy pride’s vault was near, and the Engineer and I were still just fussing around, unable to choose a power unit. Then we’d need to wait for it to be delivered, and next we’d have to install and calibrate the thing, which would take a whole bunch of time... With a heavy sigh, I made up my mind:
“Alright, let’s go with that one. Then I’ll call Uline here. Have her talk with the seller and try to work out a discount with her trading skills.”
I stood from the bench and skillfully tossed an empty disposable glass of light alcoholic cocktail into the incinerator, then I turned off the forcefield dividing this small box from the stands. I wanted to go find my business partner, but I didn’t have to go far. Uline Tar was standing a couple steps away, and she was not alone. In fact, she was talking to two Humans I’d met before and immediately recognized:
Denni Marko. Human. Gilvar Syndicate Faction. Level-90 Bodyguard.
Valeri-Urla. Human. Tailax Faction. Level-97 Beast Master.
Here she was, the mysterious alien girl with eyes too big for a normal human! I’d only ever seen such disproportionally big peep
ers before in Japanese anime. In person, her eyes looked very unusual, though I won’t hide that I found her attractive. And next to her was her burly muscular companion who I had a little brush with last time.
On my previous visit to Medu-Ro IV, I was not able to have a normal conversation with these mysterious people. But they intrigued me, because they were clearly not from my Earth, but also not members of the Dark Faction. I just bandied a couple sentences back and forth with them, then a First Pride convoy took me to the Truth Seekers for an interrogation. Back then, I was being charged with murdering the Great Priestess of the Miyelonians, and the situation was not favorable for conversation.
“Here, Gerd Gnat,” Uline pointed at the two Humans with a wide wave of her furry paw. “These people saw our vacancy advertisements and would like to join our crew! And I actually know them somewhat. They took a few voyages on the Shiamiru with Captain Uraz Tukhsh. Denni Marko is a pretty good shot with ship cannons and wants to be our Gunner. And he asks his companion be given some other role. He says he won’t go without her. They say they’ve already been to the docks, but the address in the ad led to an empty hangar... well you remember, Captain Gnat. You asked for me to do that...”
Authority reduced to 49!
“No. No want now. Not to know pirate is captain. We not be pirate,” the Bodyguard interrupted my companion with his clumsy but comprehensible Geckho, then decisively turned and prepared to leave.
“Wait, Denni!” the dark-haired big-eyed girl stopped her companion. “I don’t want to join a pirate crew any more than you. But we can’t just hang around here on the station! How much longer can we wait? With my profession of taming little animals, it’s very hard to get a contract. But at least you’ll have decent work!”
Denni Marko stopped, considered it for a second, but then shook his head with determination:
“No! Am no pirate! Period!” with these words, the muscular Bodyguard rudely pushed aside Eduard Boyko, who was carrying two glasses. When a bit of the Space Commando’s drink spilled, Denni muttered something indecipherable but gruff then headed to the stairs down from the stands. He didn’t appear even slightly concerned with whether Valeri-Urla was with him.
Valeri then turned to me and we met eyes in passing. After that, she lowered her gaze to the floor, nervously drumming her fingers on a carved green pendant around her neck. And she said with a slightly embarrassed smile, as if apologizing for her companion’s brash manner:
“Denni is just stubborn. And very jealous. I need to have a talk with him. Gerd Gnat, we’ll find you later! I hope I can convince him.”
Successful Intelligence check!
Successful Perception check!
Danger Sense skill increased to level forty-seven!
Mental Fortitude skill increased to level fifty-four!
Holy crap! A psionic attack was just made on me, and there couldn’t be the slightest doubt! Seemingly, Valeri had tried to read my thoughts or had even tried to make a psychic command, but whether she had achieved that or not, I had no idea. Some Beast Master! And by the way, speaking of beasts, where was Valeri-Urla’s invisible predator? I quickly ran a scan and found a marker near her on the mini-map:
Little Sister. Shadow Panther (animal). Valeri-Urla’s pet. Level 82.
There she was, the deadly invisible beast was always at its master’s side. Dangerous little thing! And that could apply both to the predatory panther, and Valeri-Urla. I always kept one ear cocked around people like that!
As soon as she was out of earshot, not hiding his surprise, Eduard commented:
“Woah, Gnat. Did you see that?! Different people! The rude guy and that... hot chick. Where are they from?!”
I just shrugged my shoulders indefinitely, because I didn’t really know. Tailax, the Gilvar Syndicate... Those names meant nothing to me. I asked Uline, but the Trader didn’t know anything about their factions either.
“That’s the downside of the pirate status,” the Geckho woman added grouchily. “These two people were eager to join our team, but they immediately reconsidered when the found out, even though they’ve been stranded on Medu-Ro IV for quite a while. They’re looking for work but they won’t work for a pirate.”
“They’ll be back, I don’t doubt it,” I assured Uline. “Just so you know, I’m no less interested in getting the Beast Master than the gunman. Seemingly, I’ve found a way to help my faction take down the sea monsters.”
“Take down who?” the Geckho lady didn’t understand, but Eduard instantly knew.
“Captain, the Germans and both of our Legions have been bust their teeth over the Naiad problem. If you can solve that, you’re guaranteed the respect of our whole faction! You might even be made a Leng and take Lozovsky’s job, becoming the big boss yourself!”
I didn’t answer the provocative comment. I just chuckled ambiguously and took one of the two glasses from the tall Space Commando, which he was still holding in his huge armored gloves. It was a wonder he wasn’t breaking the fragile glass. I took a sip, then sniffed the drink and raised a surprised gaze:
“But this is nonalcoholic!”
An ear-to-ear smile of satisfaction appeared on the face of the ginger hulk, who towered over me by three heads:
“Well Captain, did you think that just because I’m a Space Commando, I drink the strongest booze I can get my hands on? Just so you know, in real life I only drink on Airborne Forces Day with my old military buddies, and then only a little. Even on my own birthday I don’t have a single drop. Plus you ordered me and the Geckho brutes to be ready for action and unload all our inventory except a few backup clips.”
That was true. I had only informed Uline Tar of the true nature of the upcoming operation. The other crewmembers remained in blissful ignorance. Minn-O La-Fin had even asked to go into the real world to attend Coruler Thumor-Anhu La-Fin’s funeral ceremony. And Ayni and Tini had left to watch gladiator battles somewhere on this huge space station. I had only asked the three other people who would take part in this operation not to go anywhere and, after checking their exoskeleton armor, unload everything they didn’t need.
“Uline, there’s more work for you,” I said, pointing my partner to the trade terminal in the VIP box and the Engineer waiting there. “Orun Va-Mart has found a power unit that will work for us, but the price is exorbitant. Try to negotiate with the seller and work out a discount otherwise we might end up stuck here with a half-assembled starship that can’t take off. Every thousand we can save is important!”
“If that’s true, Gerd Gnat, I can sell all the old junk we took off the frigate. We can free up seven hundred thousand crystals that way,” my partner suggested, but I refused categorically.
“I’d rather invest seven hundred thousand of my personal funds. I have a use for the old stuff. Sure, maybe to you old Geckho technology is just cheap junk. But to my faction, it’s unique space artifacts and working alien technology. Both the hyperspace drive and quark-gravity power unit. In my homeworld, science isn’t even close to understanding the physics behind them. I’m sure that when our scientists hear they get to study that ‘junk,’ they’ll be so happy they piss boiling water! And by the way, how did transferring the crystals to my faction go?”
“The money is en route,” Uline assured me. “Your faction will receive it in small-denomination monetary crystals in a quarter ummi. The total commission from all the middlemen came to sixteen percent, seven of which went to the obscenely greedy Kosta Dykhsh.”
Wow, the Diplomat really was selfish! Although sixteen percent for an urgent transfer from deep space with delivery in cash and in person was still pretty reasonable to my eye. I was worried I might get a somewhat more “draconian” rate. Alright then, in one hour my H3 Faction would be getting eight hundred forty thousand crystals. To them, that was an unimaginably huge amount of space currency. It would allow them to do lots of things they could only dream of before. That meant purchasing interesting tech, studying new weapons for our immediate
goals, and buying raw materials. Considering the million crystals of weaponry and equipment I’d ordered here, things were turning out quite nice for my faction.
The countdown timer from earlier beeped, indicating the head of the Pride of the Agile Paw was expecting me. Alright, time to go!
I told Eduard to finish his nonalcoholic cocktail, put his helmet and weapons on his armor and prepare to leave the casino. Then I waved my hand to Vasha and Basha as well, calling them to stand from the soft armchairs and join us. I handed each of them a +1 Strength ring I’d bought today from the “magic” jewelry dealer Gerd Ussh-Veesh.
You see, I was a man of practicality. The Strength parameter governed maximum carrying capacity, which would define the number of trophies my companions could carry out of the vault. Then I opened the equipment window and looked tenderly at my newest acquisition:
Ruthenium signet ring of the Main Engineer. Intelligence +3 (ancient Precursor artifact).
As a friend and repeat customer, Gerd Ussh-Veesh had cut me a deal on the ancient ring, and let it go for fifty-seven thousand crypto. Sure it was expensive, but I had been planning to buy it for a while, so I didn’t feel too bad. And although the name of the item referred to some Main Engineer, I was of course not about to give this artifact to Orun Va-Mart. The Listener class needed Intelligence no less than an Engineer, perhaps even more. With this signet and the other new plus-two ring, my Intelligence was now up to twenty-eight, bringing my Magic Points from 823 to 887. My magic had grown by eight percent and for a “mana addict” like me, that was a very, very significant boost!
I set the Annihilator into my main weapons slot, and my Dark Faction Pulse Rifle into the alternative one, put my helmet on and was ready to go. My companions were also equipped and ready. I was about to give them the command to leave, but then I remembered something very important and turned to Uline:
Game Changer (Reality Benders Book #3) LitRPG Series Page 28
