by RJ Johnson
The Bartender sneered and laughed. "With pleasure." He raised the bat covered in spikes Meade had seen earlier that night and began to bring it down on Meade's head.
Meade barely ducked the blow and swung a fierce uppercut into the man's jaw sounding a loud crack that echoed in Sinjakama's small office. The Bartender was knocked back into the chair, breaking it apart as he fell on top of it. Meade dodged another blow as one of Rincon's men fired a high beam of energy from his Rattler.
The Bartender rose, his eyes flashing anger like Meade had never seen before. Meade dodged the club ducking under the swing and grabbing the man by his neck. The Bartender growled and flipped Meade, and threw him up against the wall.
Meade felt the wind knocked out of him and he saw stars, and then he saw a size 12 boot descending on his head. Meade moved out of the way just in the nick of time and got back up. Two of Rincon's men rushed him and Meade was grabbed on either side.
The Bartender wiped the blood off his lip, smiled and threw a punch that nearly cracked Meade's jaw wide open. Meade grunted as the Bartender landed blow after blow on his ribcage. Meade cried out in pain.
He jumped using Rincon's men for leverage and then pushed himself off the wall tackling the Bartender, knocking him to the ground. Meade heard the Bartender grunt and he looked down at the Bartender in horror as he saw a portion of the broken chair coming out of the man's chest, blood dribbling down the sides of the massive chest wound.
One of Rincon's men fired his Rattler at Meade who whirled around and allowed his jacket to take the full force of the energy. The jacket worked as it had been designed and scattered the energy from the Rattler before grounding it into the floor. The Faraday cage woven within his jacket wouldn't take a full laser shot, but it was perfect for low energy weapons like the Rattler and stunners installed on most ArmBars. Meade spun back around and kicked the knife across the room out of Lazarus's hand.
Lazarus snarled and seized Meade in a bear hug squeezing his rib cage as tight as he could. Meade choked and felt the air go out of his lungs. Meade chopped at the man's neck. Lazarus cried out in pain and dropped Meade from his iron grip to the ground. Meade collapsed struggling to catch his breath. Glancing up, he watched almost helpless as another one of Lazarus's men kicked him hard as another shot him again with his Rattler. Unfortunately for the man kicking him, the electricity grounded through his leg and he was tossed back against the wall.
Meade rose from the ground, turned and grabbed Suresh who was cowering in the corner. Meade felt inside his jacket pocket and found the thin gray container of Osmium. Unscrewing the lid he threw the dust into the faces of the four men advancing on him. In its purest form, Osmium was pyrophoric, which meant when it made contact with the air, there were bound to be fireworks. Meade was not disappointed.
Instantly a whirlwind of fire exploded from the dust and Lazarus and his men were blown back by the erupting fire. Meade fled from Sinjakama's quarters and as he did typed quickly on his ArmBar. The door to Sinjakama's office shut and locked from the outside.
"Go!" Meade gasped. "Get to Emeline and Amla and keep 'em safe! I'll take care of these clowns."
Suresh nodded and ran down the hallway towards their guest quarters as Meade's mind raced. How could he neutralize these men? If he didn't, they'd just attack Emeline and Meade wasn't fond of leaving loose ends behind that could sneak up and get him when he was least expecting it.
The door bent as Lazarus's men tried to break the door down from the inside. The construction of the station was done very well in some places and in others not so well. The door was bending on the hinges as their combined weight was slowly opening the door.
Smoke poured out of Sinjakama's room as the door slightly opened on its hinges. Meade looked around the hallway desperate for a way to keep the door closed and Lazarus and his men contained. All he had was his ArmBar. He glanced around the hallway and saw a large wrench, he grabbed it, but he knew that wouldn't be enough. He needed something more.
He opened the ArmBar and looked through the installed applications that Shane used to intimidate the Coalition folk he intimidated on Mars.
"Come on, come on." Meade muttered to himself. "There's gotta be something good."
Holographic projections, a stinger taser, blackjack fixer, casino readers, blocking cameras, and every auto hack application the black market had to offer, but none of it would do any real good against five armed and very pissed off men. He wished very badly for his grandfather's pistol, but that was locked up far from here.
He glanced above him and saw a large water pipe running above him. The filtered water was drawn from a reservoir located deep within the asteroid. He swung the wrench and it clanged loudly, echoing down the hallway.
THUMP went the door to Sinjakama's quarters and he heard Lazarus scream in frustration from behind the door.
"Get us out of here now!" Meade heard him shout.
Meade knew it wouldn't be long and he swung the wrench again knocking the pipe off its supports. The door bent on its hinges with another thud and Meade knew he was running out of time. One last desperate swing and he broke the pipe. Water began rushing out of the jagged end and flooded the hallway.
The door to Sinjakama's quarters opened and Lazarus's two remaining men tumbled over each other in the hallway getting soaked by the flooding water. Meade grinned and waved at the four men who got up and aimed their Rattlers at him. They fired and Meade turned his back letting his jacket absorb the energy once again and flow into the water.
The electricity flew down his jacket and grounded into the water. It shot towards the two men firing at him and 100,000 volts zapped them, knocking them unconscious.
Lazarus poked his head out of the room and glowered at Meade who aimed his ArmBar at him and fired his Stinger Taser. Lazarus ducked back into the room dodging the shot. He poked his arm out of the room and began firing blindly at Meade. Meade shot back, sparks flying off the metal door frame.
"Gotta give you credit!" Lazarus snarled, "Coalition folk don't usually have your kind of ingenuity."
"Oh, I'm full of surprises." Meade shouted back as his ArmBar recharged for another set of shots. The water was beginning to slow its deluge and Meade debated if he could pull off a second surprise on Lazarus. He wasn't hopeful. The man was a bit more clever than his companions.
"Why are you working for a man like Sinjakama?" Lazarus called from the room. "Don't you know he's working towards the downfall of humanity?"
"He's also paying a pretty decent wage too." Meade said, "Plus, near as I can figure it, I don't have much choice in the matter."
"What if I told you, you did?" Lazarus replied.
Meade paused, considering the offer. "Go on." Meade called back.
Lazarus exited Sinjakama's room his hands up. "I've been tracking Koschei and Sinjakama's plans for quite some time and I know exactly what they're doing with Rosetta. Crash the Coalition economy, enslave the remainder of the human race. Come on," he stepped towards Meade, "I get the feeling you're a better man than allowing something like that happen."
"I never put much stock in politics. Rule #22."
"Rule #22?" Lazarus asked.
"Set of rules I got, never steered me wrong. Rule #22 is never get involved in politics. As a corollary, Rule #21 Let the money talk." Meade stood, lowering his ArmBar, but keeping it ready in case Lazarus pulled a fast one on him. "Why? You got a better offer?"
Lazarus smirked and lowered his hands mimicking Meade. "Maybe. I get the feeling you and I have more in common than you do with Sinjakama and his ilk.
"Plus," Lazarus drawled. "I don't see as you have much choice in the matter." He pointed behind Meade and he turned. There he saw Emeline being escorted at gunpoint by Suresh and Amla who was pushing Emeline down the hallway. Meade's eyes widen. He wasn't sure if he was more surprised by Suresh's betrayal, or the quick turnaround of his fortune. Considering his options, he lowered his ArmBar and put the Stinger taser away and nodded.
Chapter Nineteen
Suresh didn't look into Meade's eyes as he disarmed him of his ArmBar. Meade stared in shock at the betrayal by someone he considered a friend. He shook his head.
"Must have gotten you for a nice chunk of change." Meade said sarcastically as he handed his ArmBar to Suresh. Suresh didn't reply and only pocketed his ArmBar without a word and indicated they should follow Lazarus.
The ride to Downtown and The Bitters pub didn't take as long. No one was on the commuter train and Lazarus paid off the driver to push the Rampet faster than normal. They arrived at Lazarus's bar in the middle of the night, Downtown completely empty of people. There was a strange stillness to the area, a stark contrast to the organized chaos Meade had observed earlier.
Meade and Emeline weren't left alone the entire time and all he could do was nod and let her know they were going to be OK. She knew better of course. There was no guarantee that they weren't headed for the nearest airlock, but Meade didn't figure Lazarus had that in mind for them - at least, not yet. This was a man with a plan. Meade might be messing with elements of it, but Lazarus was smart enough to know how valuable a guy like him could be.
Their group finally arrived at the Bitters. Meade was pushed into the door and roughly shoved down into a seat at a table.
"Easy kid," Meade said as they sat down in the empty pub. He looked around, the place was unsettling when it was filled with the dregs of Rosetta, but now completely empty, the pub didn't look so bad. Meade smacked his lips and waved towards the Bartender.
"I'd like another go at that whiskey of yours if we're all gonna play pretend that we're one big happy family."
Lazarus smiled. "Get the man a drink, Suresh." Suresh went behind the bar and poured a generous shot for Meade, Emeline and Lazarus. Suresh returned with a tray of glasses, Lazarus took one and saluted his prisoners.
"To your health." Lazarus drank his whiskey and sat down at their table placing Meade's deactivated ArmBar down next to him.
"This is a fancy piece of machinery." Lazarus commented. "Top of the line. Didn't think a Runabout like you could afford something so nice."
"Finally, someone who understands I'm a Runabout. I've been called a Coalition man ever since I got here."
"I see no reason to insult you." Lazarus replied. "You mentioned that you were only working for Sinjakama because of the money and damned if I don't believe you. Suresh had nothing but kind things to say."
"That so?" Meade eyed his former aide and Suresh looked away quickly. "Didn't figure on him being a Judas."
"Don't blame the kid." Lazarus said gently. "He was only doing what he felt was right, which really, is the only thing anyone can do these days."
"What exactly do you consider right?" Meade asked.
Lazarus shrugged. "I do what is necessary for my people."
"That include murdering Sanjay Sinjakama?" Meade asked quickly. He was just getting to know Lazarus, but through his people reading skills sharpened by years at the poker table, he could tell that the man was a braggart. He wouldn't pass up a chance to prove how smart he was by getting away with murder.
Lazarus smiled and bowed his head. "As I said, I do what is necessary for my people."
"Your people?" Emeline hadn't said a word since they had been captured. But the whiskey and the fact they were far away from any airlock helped her gain some confidence after she realized they weren't about to be killed dead just yet. "Who exactly are you talking about?"
"The population of Downtown is just over 40,000. That's 40,000 men, women and children who have become the primary drivers of the Consortium, and hell the Coalition economy." Lazarus proudly said. "They've done everything for their nation who promised them an easy life in space, a place where they could make a better future for themselves and their children. Tell me something, do you see anyone making a better life on this hellhole?"
Meade shook his head. "Far as I can tell, it's just as bad as it is anywhere else."
"That's where you're wrong Mr. Meade." Lazarus growled. "It's so much worse. You've been to Koschei's magical forest, tell me, do you think that's how one man should live? Building his dream on the backs of so many innocent people?"
Meade shook his head. "Man might have a few nice toys, and a nicer place than I to call home, but being jealous ain't gonna get me something like that any sooner."
"I'm not talking about jealousy." Lazarus slammed his fist down on the table and Emeline jumped. "I'm talking about basic human rights. The ability to make a decent wage in an economy that works for everyone, not just the so-called upper class. I'm talking about bringing balance to a world that has been upended for too long and given the rich all the advantages while they built their fantasies by cutting out the opportunity for those who do the actual work. I'm talking about the men who hoard the wealth of nations. I'm talking about hitting the biggest reset button in the history of mankind and restore the glory of hope to everyday average citizens."
"What's the difference?" Meade challenged. "Stealing it back don't make it right."
"So they say." Lazarus agreed. "Why do you think they implant those damnable compliance chips in every child's skull. Can you imagine the arrogance that takes? Assuming that because you have something I want means I'd stoop to the level of a common thief? There's honor in good work! Something those men haven't done in generations. It was men like Sinjakama and Koschei that began the Last War. Greed, jealousy, all the worst Humanity had to offer combined to create the greatest tragedy our species has ever seen. But it was cockroaches like them that managed to escape the nuclear fire while our people died painfully of radiation sickness in the streets. It was people like you and I and the thousands of men, women and children who died. Now our so-called elites have evolved into parasites collecting the fruits of the labors from the most productive members of society."
"The people who mine the ORI you mean." Meade finished the thought for him. "I'll grant you it feels like they're taking more than their fair share of the money, but like I say, who's to say their work is any less valuable than the man who tags the ORI out of a mine?"
"You're telling me a man who sits behind a desk pushing buttons, reading spreadsheets and pretending to work should make ten thousand times in an hour than what a man who breaks his back makes in a year?"
"It's the system we live with." Meade retorted.
"Precisely Mr. Meade. And it is that system I have decided to change." Lazarus sat back down in his chair and placed his arms flat on the table.
"How are you gonna manage that?" Emeline challenged. "You're gonna need more than a decent speech."
Lazarus smiled. "I am going to take Rosetta and end the Consortium's grasp on mankind."
"A hostile takeover." Meade commented.
"You could say that." Lazarus replied slowly. "I believe that the best resources of the world have been long ignored by the Consortium and I believe it is time they began paying attention to its people. The ORI can only bring our civilization forward so far. It is my intention to change the course of our species and I intend to use Rosetta to achieve those ends. The situation on the Homeworld has become untenable. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, all citizens of the Consortium have fallen on hard times because of the Consortium's rule and I will punish those who make it their business to take away our people's hope."
"How?" Emeline pressed. "Just taking over the Asteroid won't be enough. You know they'll send their massive capitol ships after you. Have you seen what the Consortium is capable of? Because I have. They'll squash this little rebellion of yours in less than a day."
"Are you a student of history Ms. Hunan?" Lazarus asked Emeline.
"I'm not an idiot if that's what you're asking. I know enough." She shot back. Meade smiled. He loved it when she got fiery.
"History is littered with stories of ragtag rebellions who fought against vast armies who were better equipped, more prepared and had everything on paper going for them.
But, the battles won by the lesser side are the ones fought by people who are fighting for an idea, or personal stake in their success. And an idea is the most powerful weapon in the galaxy. The Consortium Army may have everything going for it on paper, but they have no idea what it's like to die for a cause. The Army has been bought and paid for by businessmen like Koschei and Sinjakama for so long, I don't think they have any idea what they're up against. All it takes is the right strike at the perfect point and it all comes tumbling down. I believe we have the resources and ability to make that strike here on Rosetta. That above all else is what makes me believe that I will succeed."
"You're going to declare war on the Consortium?" Meade asked. "You're insane. Even the Coalition with all their vast resources was barely able to fight them to a standstill."
Lazarus smiled maliciously. "Let's just say, I'm a man with vision."
