by G J Ogden
Hudson had nothing more to say; he feared that if he opened his mouth, he’d just say something he’d regret. They’d lost their score, but still had their lives, and their freedom, if only so that Griff and his cronies could rob them again in the future. But being able to walk free was still a victory, and more than he had expected. He turned and strode away, nodding to Liberty to follow. She waited for a second and then barged past Griff, knocking him back a couple of paces, before quickly reaching Hudson’s side.
For several minutes Hudson and Liberty walked in silence, until they reached the border gate to the scavenger town. Then, once they were inside, Liberty let out a primal scream, and kicked over a stack of empty containers that had been piled up behind one of the commercial buildings.
“Liberty, it’s okay…” Hudson began, but Liberty was in no mood to be placated.
“It’s not okay, Hudson,” she yelled. “We have nothing. No relics, no credits, and no ticket back to Earth. All we have is about fourteen hundred hardbucks. That will barely last us a week. And then what? How is any of this okay?”
Hudson moved to her side and then ushered her down the backstreet behind the commercial building. “Look, Griff thinks I’m an idiot,” Hudson began. Liberty’s eyebrows raised up, but he didn’t allow her the chance to take a cheap shot at him. “Because of that, he didn’t bother to search me.” Hudson reached inside the shielded compartment in his jacket and pulled out the high-grade CPU shard he'd stashed there while inside the wreck. Suddenly Liberty’s eyes softened, and she stopped pacing up and down the street like a mad person. “We’re still in business, Liberty.”
Liberty looked at the shard and then at Hudson, and she burst out laughing. It was a pure, unfiltered sound of joy that filled Hudson with happiness.
“What do you say we go and buy ourselves a ship?” said Hudson.
Liberty charged at Hudson and flung her arms around him. “Whatever you say, skipper.”
CHAPTER 15
With a bit of creative negotiating, Hudson had managed to barter passage back to Earth for himself and Liberty on the next transport out. They didn’t have enough hardbucks for two standard tickets, but there were always people who valued the untraceable nature of physical currency, above its actual dollar value. In this case, one of the ground crew at Bach Two’s spaceport was willing to smuggle them on board through the cargo section, in return for a hefty wedge of notes.
This time, Hudson had taken no chances on the flight back. Despite their names not appearing on the official passenger manifest, he still didn’t put it past the abilities of Griff or Cutler to find out they were on board. Hudson had already noted that Cutler’s ship had departed Bach Two a few hours before they had. But that didn’t mean that both Cutler and Tory were on board. The mercenaries may have scored a victory against them outside the alien wreck, but as Cutler had highlighted in no uncertain terms, there was still a score to settle. However, after a thorough search of all the passenger quarters and even crew sections, there was no sign of either of them. Hudson had secretly wished that Tory Bellona had been waiting for him on board. He’d had to force himself to wipe such sordid thoughts from his mind. As much as she didn’t act like it, Tory was still under contract to kill him, and couldn’t be trusted.
Hudson and Liberty stepped out of the taxi flyer that had flown them from Ride Spaceport to San Francisco. Hudson leant back in through the window and clasped hands with Nadia Voss.
“Thanks again for the ride, Nadia,” he said. “This is becoming a bit of a habit.”
Nadia smiled, “So long as you’re making a habit of staying alive, I don’t mind.”
Liberty squeezed in beside Hudson at the passenger-side window, still wearing her relic hunting outfit, and dropped their remaining hardbucks onto the seat. Nadia shook her head and was about to return the money, but Liberty held up her hand. “I know you don’t want it, but I insist,” said Liberty. She had listened to the flyer pilot and Hudson chat during the ride over. During the course of their relaxed banter, it had become clear that Nadia had helped Hudson to escape from Cutler and Tory in the past. This was the maneuver they had referred to as ‘the switcheroo’. “If it wasn’t for you, Hudson would have never made it to San Francisco, and then we’d never have met.”
Nadia laughed, “Surely, I should be apologizing for that, not being thanked?”
“Ha ha ha,” said Hudson, in a forced, almost robotic-sounding tone.
“Take the hardbucks,” said Liberty again. “It’s the least we can do.”
Nadia sighed and collected up the notes, before tapping them into a neat pile and placing them into her jacket pocket.
“You’re going to split that with Dex, right?” asked Hudson, with a knowing smile.
Nadia looked shocked at the subtle implication that she was going to keep it for herself. “Of course! Not all of us are scoundrel, ex-clobber relic hunters, like you …” Hudson conceded her point, graciously, but they were both smiling. “So, where are you two headed now?” Nadia then asked.
“We’ve got a ship to buy!” replied Liberty, unable to contain her excitement.
“But first, we need to make a trade,” added Hudson, aware that Liberty was getting ahead of herself a little.
“Well, good luck out there,” said Nadia, as her screen flashed up that another fare was waiting nearby. Then she looked at Liberty and added, “Take care of him, will you? He’s prone to making some pretty dumb choices.”
“Hey!” protested Hudson, but Nadia and Liberty both ignored him.
“Though you seem to be the exception,” Nadia went on.
“I will,” said Liberty. “Besides, I can’t ditch him now – I need him to fly my ship.”
Nadia and Liberty both laughed, but Hudson shook his head. “I am still here, you know?”
“Take care Hudson Powell and Liberty Devan, relic hunters…” said Nadia, throwing up a salute.
Hudson and Liberty backed away from the taxi flyer and waved it off as it circled around them and headed off for its next job.
“Nice to see you do at least have some good taste in friends,” said Liberty, nudging Hudson in the ribs.
Hudson knew that she was referring to Tory, but didn’t take the bait.
“So, what’s this trade you talked about?” Liberty added. “I don’t know why you just didn’t auction off the CPU shard on Bach Two.”
“The exchange rate on Bach Two was pretty crappy,” answered Hudson. “If we’re going to make enough credits from this single CPU shard, our only choice is to move it via one of the bigger black-market dealers.” He pressed his hand to the outside of his jacket, feeling the bumps of the crystal and CPU shard to make sure they were still safely hidden. “I’d rather not use this particular asshole, but we need to get the maximum value out of this CPU shard, and I have a feeling he’ll be compliant.”
Liberty shot him a curious glance. “That sounds ominous. But, so long as it’s not someone else who wants to kill you, I don’t really care.” Hudson’s reassuring response was conspicuous by its absence, so Liberty pressed him. “It isn’t someone who’s trying to kill you, right?”
Hudson shrugged, “No. Well, not anymore.”
“Not anymore?!” Liberty repeated, the pitch of her voice rising to a level that only dogs could hear.
Hudson smiled at her, “Relax, it will be fine. And besides, I have you to protect me.”
Liberty shook her head, “Yeah, but who’s going to protect you from me…”
CHAPTER 16
Hudson pushed open the door to the Antiques and Curiosity Shoppe and walked in, with Liberty trailing close behind. A little bell rang out as the door closed again, and Hudson heard the voice of Cortland call out from somewhere in the back-office, shouting, “I won’t be a moment!”
Hudson waited by the counter and popped open the strap on his shoulder holster, ready to draw the pistol should Cortland not be pleased to see him again. Liberty, meanwhile, started to study the wide variety
of objects on the shelves, which ranged from alien relics to items from Earth’s antiquity. She stopped at a shelf containing a damaged communications unit from an old CET military patrol craft. Hudson could tell from the look of concentration on her face that the device had given her an idea.
Liberty then rummaged through another three shelves, all containing a variety of common alien components. She appeared to be making a mental shopping list. Liberty was about to inspect the CET communications unit more closely when, like a magpie, something shiny caught her eye on a shelf lower down. She crouched to get a better look, and then her mouth arced into a wide smile. She was looking at an old Royal Air Force cap badge, dating from the second world war.
Hudson watched as Liberty picked up the badge and rubbed it gently between her finger and thumb, enthralled by it. He remembered how her old coveralls, which had fallen out of favor since acquiring the sleeker new relic hunter clothes, had also born the RAF name. He smiled, knowing that, no matter what deal was struck in the next few minutes, the cap badge would be a part of the package.
Cortland then bustled out from the back-office room, snapping Hudson’s attention back to the matter at hand. “Sorry to keep you…”, he said cheerfully. Then he spotted Hudson and he fell silent; the color draining from his cheeks.
“Take it easy, I’m not here to cause trouble,” said Hudson. He was watching closely for any sign that Cortland might reach for his stun pistol, or anything deadlier. “I’m here on business.”
Cortland’s eyes flicked across to Liberty, who was still admiring the cap badge, and then back to Hudson. “Is she with you?”
“Yes, she’s with me,” said Hudson, “so you can press your little button under the counter to lock the door now.” Then he leant in a little closer, “But don’t try anything stupid this time.”
Cortland did as he was instructed. “Believe me, I have learnt my lesson in that respect,” said the dealer, reaching under the counter. “Though I must admit to not being particularly happy to see you again.”
The door lock clicked and the window tinted black, causing Liberty to become alert. She rushed over to the counter, grabbed Cortland’s silk shirt collar, and yanked him towards her. “If that door isn’t open in five seconds, I’m going to throw you through it,” she snarled.
“It’s okay, Liberty, it’s just to make sure we’re not interrupted,” said Hudson, as Cortland squirmed and made a sort of whimpering sound, like a needy puppy.
Liberty released the black-market dealer and took a step back, her cheeks flushing pink. “Oh, sorry,” she said, and then pointed behind her with her thumb. “I’ll, erm, just go back to browsing then.”
Cortland anxiously watched Liberty return to surveying the contents of the shelves, as if she were a hornet, buzzing around the store.
“Sorry about that,” said Hudson, rummaging inside his jacket for the CPU shard. “After the last time, I thought it was a good idea to hire a bodyguard.”
“A bodyguard?!” exclaimed Cortland, but then he lowered his voice, ducking behind Hudson so that his body shielded him from Liberty’s view. “A bodyguard?” he repeated, this time muttering the words in hushed tones.
“Oh, yeah,” said Hudson, enjoying winding up the crooked dealer. “She knows about fifty ways to kill someone, just with her bare hands.” Then he leaned in closer, and whispered, “I’ve already seen five of them…” before rocking back again.
Cortland’s pale complexion had now become almost ghostly. Meanwhile, Hudson had finally managed to grasp his finger and thumb around the high-grade CPU shard. He pulled it out of the hidden compartment In his jacket, before placing it on the counter.
“Here you go,” said Hudson, tapping the CPU shard with his index finger. “Same arrangement as before, except this time I won’t give you quite such a knock-down price.”
Some of the color returned to Cortland’s face as he picked up the shard and eyed it greedily. He reached under the counter and lifted a toaster-sized piece of equipment onto the surface. He then placed the CPU shard into a slot that seemed ready-made for the relic and switched it on. Neither of them spoke for the next couple of minutes, as Cortland assessed the shard. He made an assortment of humming sounds as he did so, all of which irritated Hudson immensely. He then shut off the device and removed the CPU shard, placing it back on the counter. Hudson noticed that he left a finger in contact with its surface, as if he were afraid that Hudson might snatch the relic back. The peculiar dealer may have known his stuff when it came to alien components, but his poker face had not improved since the last time they’d met.
“I’ll give you one hundred and fifty, as before,” said Cortland with a shifty smile.
The fact he’d offered this amount so quickly told Hudson that it was clearly worth more. “Two hundred,” he said, straight-faced.
Cortland recoiled, “Please, what do you take me for?” he replied, “One sixty, and that’s being generous.”
Just at that moment Liberty reappeared and dumped the CET communications unit on the counter. Then she fetched a bunch of other alien components that Hudson didn’t recognize and placed them alongside it. “One sixty-five, plus this lot, and you have a deal,” she said, fixing Cortland with a penetrating stare.
The dealer shot back, as if the hornet had just landed in front of him, and the smile was wiped from his lips.
“Oh, well, that is rather a lot of equipment…” Cortland began, but Liberty just maintained her menacing stare. “But, very well, you strike a hard bargain, young lady.” Then he blurted out a high-pitched laugh that was as fake and forced as his smile had been.
“Great, it’s a deal then,” said Hudson, pulling a credit scanner out of his jacket pocket, before resting it on the table. “I was starting to worry that I might have needed Liberty here to conduct some more aggressive negotiations, if you know what I mean…” Cortland’s face drained of blood again; Hudson let him stew for a couple of seconds longer, before clasping a hand on his shoulder and shaking the dealer vigorously. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” he said, and then they all started laughing, creating a cacophony of fake mirth.
“Yes, well, I believe this concludes our business,” said Cortland, hurriedly completing the credit transfer and handing the scanner back to Hudson. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind, I am very busy.”
Hudson placed the credit scanner back into his pocket, while Liberty packed the other alien components into her rucksack. She then looked at the bulky communications unit, met Hudson’s eyes, and smiled innocently. Hudson shook his head and tutted, before picking up the bulky unit. It was far heavier than it looked.
“What is all this crap for, anyway?” complained Hudson, as he struggled to manipulate the bulky communications unit into a comfortable hold.
“It’s not crap,” said Liberty, huffily, but then added, “and you’ll see soon enough…”
Cortland pressed the button under the counter to unlock the door, and Hudson staggered towards it, lugging the bulky piece of equipment under his arm.
“A pleasure doing business with you… again,” said Hudson, shooting a smile back to Cortland, though he didn’t appear to share the sentiment. Hudson was half-way out of the door, when he noticed Liberty wasn’t with him. He turned around and saw that she had rushed back to one of the shelves, and picked up the brass-colored RAF badge. I knew it… Hudson told himself, feeling smug.
“Would you mind throwing this in too?” said Liberty, holding it up for Cortland to see.
The dealer squinted at the object, but then shrugged, “Yes, if you wish,” he said. Though Hudson knew what he was actually saying was, ‘Yes, if it will make you go away.’
Liberty beamed back at him and then shoved the badge into her jacket pocket, before joining Hudson at the door.
“See you next time, Mr. shady black-market dealer,” chirped Liberty, before heading outside.
Cortland waved sarcastically and returned yet another artificial smile. Then he said, barely loud enoug
h for Liberty to hear, “I most sincerely hope not.”
CHAPTER 17
Swinsler folded his arms and lifted his chin defiantly, as he stood in front of the VCX-110 Light Courier Runner. It was like he was guarding it, the same way a doorman might block the entrance to a nightclub.
“Three-fifty is my final offer, take it or leave it,” Swinsler said, repeating the proposition he’d made several times previously. “And even at that price, it is daylight robbery!”
Liberty had already stormed away, and was pacing up and down the forecourt, like a football coach whose team was being humiliated. Hudson was similarly furious, but was managing to keep a lid on his emotions, at least for the moment.
“Three hundred is what we agreed when I put the damn deposit down!” Hudson snarled back. “A deal’s a deal, Swinsler.”
“That was before you took my engineer off on your little adventures!” Swinsler hit back. “My costs have rocketed because of that, and these are costs I have to pass on to my customers.” Then he jabbed an accusatory finger at Hudson. “This is your own fault, Mr. Powell.”
Hudson looked around to see where Liberty had got to, fearful that she might do something rash, like set fire to the entire shipyard. Then he spotted her inspecting a row of ships near the entrance, all of which were pre-sold.
“Mr. Powell, are you listening?” said Swinsler. “Do we have a deal or not?”
Hudson sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He was getting a little weary of the rollercoaster ride of fortunes he was experiencing. From having nothing, he’d hit the high of his first relic hunt with Liberty, to the low of nearly being killed by Cutler. Then back to a high of finding a great score, and rock bottom again when Griff had stolen it from him. It seemed that every step forward was met with two steps back. It was like being on a moving walkway that was always travelling in the opposite direction.
