by Isaac Hooke
“That’s fine.”
Rade pursed his lips. That was easy.
Should have said four thousand.
“Do you have a destination planet in mind yet?” Rade asked.
“I do,” she replied. “The Sino-Korean planet Lang, in the Hóuzi Hǎi system.”
Rade checked it on his map. “That’s on the outskirts of Sino-Korean space.” He hated operating on the outskirts of known space. Bad things always happened there, usually having to do with aliens. Or human-trafficking warlords.
“It is,” she said.
“All right, well, the estimate I sent you earlier just went up,” Rade said. “I wasn’t expecting you to travel to such a far away system.”
“Because of the distance involved, I’m prepared to offer you seventy-five thousand, standard currency.” That was enough to cover the loan installments and monthly salaries of his men for the next year, or six months if he invested in the much-needed maintenance costs of the ship, with a few dollars left over to restock their depleted weapons inventory. “I may or may not need your services at the destination, but if I do require your boots on the ground, I will add another twenty thousand. The actual escorting task itself shouldn’t take longer than a month and a half, there and back. So. Do we have a deal?”
Rade hesitated. “I don’t usually agree to perform escort missions unless I know what the cargo is.”
She raised both her hands defensively. “The decision is yours. I would prefer you and your team, as you come highly rated—excepting your last mission, of course. But if you don’t want it, I’ll simply find someone else. Etalon Station is teeming with mercenaries this time of year.”
“Make it ninety thousand,” Rade said. “Plus another thirty if we have to go boots on the ground.”
“Eighty-five,” she countered. “Plus twenty-five for the boots.”
Rade wanted to haggle again but decided not to risk pissing her off. “I’ll need twenty thousand in advance.”
“It’s yours.”
A voice at the back of his mind reminded him again that he didn’t know what the cargo was. Another voice told him how badly he needed the money. The latter won out, and against his better judgment he extended his hand and said: “Unlimited Universe looks forward to doing business with you.”
She grasped his palm, smiling widely. “Thank you, Mr. Galaal. You and your Argonauts won’t regret working for Green Systems.”
I highly suspect we will.
six
Rade stood opposite Shaw on the mat of the combat room. He had mounted thick metal pieces along either side of the mat to simulate the tight bulkheads of a typical passageway aboard the Argonaut. Both he and Shaw were wearing exoskeletons, but Rade secretly had his strength settings dialed to low.
Rade bowed, and she returned the gesture. Then they rushed each other.
At the last moment Shaw leaped toward the simulated bulkhead to the left, activating the supermagnets in her exoskeleton to take two gravity-defying steps past him. Rade spun to block the blow he knew was coming, and as the kick came down, Rade deflected it. She landed behind him, and Rade swirled to intercept the barrage of blows she launched. Because he hadn’t dialed up the speed of his exoskeleton as high, he had trouble deflecting all the blows, and in moments she had scored enough hits for the Argonaut’s AI to assign the victory to her.
“Shaw is the winner of round two,” Bax announced.
Shaw retreated to the side of the mat where Rade had been standing moments earlier. Rade assumed a position opposite her.
“Why do we have to do this?” Shaw said.
“Someday, these moves will save your life.”
“Well sure, but you’re not even trying,” Shaw said.
“Sure I am,” Rade said.
“If you’re going to fight me,” Shaw said. “Fight me.” She definitely sounded angry. “Don’t hold back. You’re not doing me any favors. Just a few weeks ago you were kicking my ass. You can’t tell me I’ve suddenly advanced a few belts since then.”
The pair exchanged bows, and once more took a run at each other.
This time Rade dashed onto the rightmost bulkhead, activating the supermagnets in his own boots. The move countered Shaw’s attempt to repeat the wall-kick maneuver of the last fight, and when he landed he had a clean shot at her torso. He took it, but because his strength was dial way down, she hardly flinched.
She rotated both arms upward and outward, smashing his hand away, then planted a kick squarely on his chest.
Rade was sent flying backward and slid off the mat.
“Shaw wins,” Bax said.
Rade clambered to his feet.
“Bax, what strength setting does Rade have his exoskeleton set to?” Shaw said.
“Don’t tell her—” Rade started.
“Rade has his suit set to the lowest setting,” the Argonaut’s AI replied.
Shaw smiled scornfully. “I see.”
Rade sighed. “You’re right. I can’t do it. I can’t fight you today.”
“Then we can’t train today,” she said. “I’m going to substitute one of the men instead.”
“I don’t think you want to do that...” Rade said.
But she didn’t listen. “Bax, summon Bender to the combat room.”
“Summoning Bender,” the Argonaut’s AI said.
“Bax, belay that!” Rade said.
“Affirmative,” the Argonaut’s AI responded. “I will not summon Bender.”
“Bax, override Shaw phi omega two three fifty four.”
“Override accepted,” Bax replied. “Summoning Bender.”
“Don’t do this,” Rade told her. “You have nothing to prove.”
Shaw crossed her arms as much as the metal framework she wore allowed. “I have everything to prove.”
“Fine.” Rade walked over to one of the metal panels that emulated the bulkheads and wrapped his arms around it.
“What are you doing?” Shaw said.
“Taking down the simulated bulkheads,” Rade said. Of all the crew, Bender was the best at manipulating supermagnets during a fight, and Rade wanted to negate that ability in the ex-MOTH.
He unmounted each metal panel from the deck and set them against the far bulkhead; afterward he retrieved an exoskeleton in Bender’s size from the storage closet and waited. He kept wearing his own exoskeleton of course: in case he needed to intervene in the coming fight.
When Bender arrived, Rade tossed the exoskeleton to him.
“Fight her,” Rade said. To save face, he was trying to pretend the idea was his.
Bender seemed confused. “You mean it?”
“Yes,” Rade said.
“Rade has specific instructions for you,” Shaw said as Bender attached the exoskeleton to the hardpoints on his own muscular form. “He wants you to dial up your strength and speed settings to the max.”
Bender paused. “If I do that, I’ll easily whoop your ass.” He nodded toward her body. “You don’t have hardpoints. I’ll be faster than you.”
“Did I mention Rade’s also going to give you a pay bonus each time you knock me down?” Shaw said.
“How much of a bonus?”
“One sixth your monthly salary,” Shaw said. “For each knock down.”
“You serious?” Bender glanced at Rade, who tried to subtly shake his head without Shaw seeing it.
“Very much so,” Shaw said, staring right at Rade.
“Hell yeah!” Bender quickly donned the rest of the exoskeleton and then took a place on one side of the mat. He raised his fists to assume a fighting stance. “Time for an ass kicking. You think I’m going to go all pussy on you just because you’re a woman? You have a few surprises in store for you if so.”
Shaw attacked him without further notice. Her punches and kicks came in a blur of motion. Rade was surprised by the ferocity of it.
Bender seemed taken aback by the flurry of blows, and retreated, nearly backing off the mat. But then he caught one o
f her punches with his left arm and spun her around, pinning her left arm up behind her back, and forcing her to her knees at the same time.
“Win for Bender,” Bax announced.
“On the knees counts as a knockdown,” Bender said.
“Correct,” the Argonaut’s AI replied.
Bender released Shaw and walked to the opposite side of the mat. “I’m going to be rich when the day is done.”
In round two, Bender didn’t seem so taken aback by her opening salvo. He responded in kind after she got in several quick blows, quickly switching to the offensive. He battered Shaw’s exoskeleton, scoring ten rapid hits in a row before the AI announced his victory.
Round three was just as bad. At one point Rade stood up when Bender partially clipped her jaw: he wanted to interfere, but he knew Shaw would give him hell later if he did. Shaw fell to one knee after the blow, but quickly blocked the next few strikes Bender aimed at her. He swept his leg under her remaining foot, tripping her. Then he mounted her, pressing her shoulders to the mat.
“Win for Bender,” the Argonaut’s AI said.
Bender released her and Shaw stood up. Her cheek was red from where Bender had struck her face; he had obviously dialed back the strength of the attack a moment before impact, because even a glancing blow like that would have drawn blood, or worse, broken facial bones. According to the vitals Rade saw on the HUD overlay provided by his Implant, she was fine.
The fourth round proved much the same. This time, Shaw stayed back, circling Bender, occasionally attempting a quick strike. Bender waited for her patiently, and when she came in too close one time, his punch struck her in the side of the mouth.
She fell to the mat.
“Win for Bender,” Bax said.
Blood oozed from Shaw’s lips as she clambered unsteadily to her feet.
Rade angrily stood up but she waved him off, wiping the blood from her mouth.
Shaw took her place on the mat drunkenly, obviously exhausted. She wasn’t going to give up.
Rade shook his head.
Just as stubborn as me.
Rade hated seeing his girlfriend take a beating like that, even if it was a willing one. He felt the same sense of helplessness he had experienced while aboard the shuttle during the flight from Yorokobi. He promised himself that he was going to have a very long talk with Bender later. A talk that would probably involve violence.
“Have you had enough?” Bender said.
“Again,” she said.
Bender shrugged. “I can do this all day, bitch.”
Shaw threw daggers at him with her eyes as the ex-MOTH took his place across from her.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Bender said.
When the round began, Shaw moved forward very slowly, seeming slightly unbalanced. Bender advanced confidently, obviously believing she was out of the fight. Rade assumed the same, and he feared the worst.
But then Shaw leaped forward with unexpected energy. He realized her exhaustion was a ruse. Before he realized what had happened, Shaw had flipped over Bender, dragging his right arm with her. She shoved it upwards so hard that Rade heard an audible snap.
“Gah!” Bender yelled.
Shaw let him go, shoving him face-down on the mat. “Don’t call me bitch.”
“You broke my arm!” Bender said.
“Yup,” Shaw replied. “Do you need someone to hold your hand all way to sickbay?”
“No.” The muscles of Bender’s jaw clenched as he forced himself to stand. “I’ll take myself to sickbay. Don’t need no babysitting.”
Bender’s face was set in a grim line of pain as he limped toward the door.
“Hey,” Shaw said. “Your arm is broken, not your leg.”
“Oh yeah,” Bender said. But he continued to limp. Rade suspected Shaw had somehow hurt his leg in that last attack as well. Rade would have to rewind the footage and watch it in slow motion later.
“What about your exoskeleton?” Shaw said.
“I’ll let the Weaver cut it off me,” Bender said.
“If the Weaver cuts it off, the replacement cost comes from your paycheck,” Rade told him.
Bender gave Rade a scowl that was almost a match to Shaw’s pre-fight glare, then he started to disconnect the exoskeleton. Rade and Shaw helped him; to his credit, Bender made no complaints about the pain he was in, despite flinching several times during the removal process.
When he was free of the metal framework, Bender left with a limp.
“Nice job,” Rade said after he was gone. “But did you really have to break his arm?”
“He deserved it,” Shaw said. “Besides, I figured I’d break the arm now and save you the trouble of doing it later.”
Rade had to laugh at that. “That’s my girl.”
seven
The Amytis arrived at Etalon Station a few days later. The Ptolemy class vessel was a blocky, gray thing, as could be expected of a transport. It was roughly the same size as the Argonaut.
Rade recalled his crew from shore leave and had them return to the Argonaut. Then the Marauder proceeded to escort the Amytis across the system, beginning the long journey to the target system.
After a week and a half, they reached the Gate to Gliese 581 and passed through without issue. In Gliese 581, they made a refueling stop at the main trade hub, and Rade used the deposit Ms. Bounty paid to settle the accounts of his men, and buy some much needed supplies. When that was done, the two ships headed toward the closest Sino-Korean Gate.
Gliese 581 had the unique feature of having six Slipstreams: two led to Franco-Italian systems, two more to United Systems space, and the last two to Sino-Korean territory. The profusion of Gated wormholes in the system readily explained its galactic status as a trade hub.
At the appropriate Gate, the two ships joined the queue. A pair of black SK Customs warships approached shortly: black, triangular-shaped corvettes with at least twenty heavy laser turrets on each of them.
The customs vessels paused beside the two craft, one next to the Amytis, the other the Argonaut. Rade didn’t have to answer any questions, as the Amytis handled the communications. Ms. Bounty would transmit the Argonaut’s manifest and registry details, in addition to that of the Amytis.
“I’m detecting an invasive scan of our hold,” Lui announced.
Rade nodded. That was expected. If his ship had harbored any contraband, he would have been very worried right then. But as it was, he rested fairly easy.
“We’re both being told to report to secondary screening for boarding,” Fret said.
Rade scrunched up his brow, then sighed. “All right. Shaw, fly us to secondary screening.”
He had expected Ms. Bounty to use her company’s vast resources to streamline the process, but apparently she had decided it would be far cheaper to simply let the SKs search the vessels. Presumably her cargo was well hidden, and the Amytis could readily undergo a cursory search.
The Argonaut and Amytis proceeded to the designated area beside the Gate. Two customs shuttles crawled toward them, one for each ship.
“Tahoe, send a couple of Centurions down to the hangar bay,” Rade said. “Have them oversee the customs robots.”
“You got it,” Tahoe replied.
The search proceeded without issue. The only uncomfortable moment came when the SK robots reached the bridge. The tight quarters were made even more cramped by the presence of the intruders, and the bridge crew had to constantly shift about to allow them access. Thankfully the robots finished their examination soon enough, then cleared the Argonaut and departed.
When they were gone, Rade glanced at the tactical display positioned in the upper right of his vision. According to the returned data, the other customs shuttle was still docked with the Amytis.
“They’re sure taking their sweet time,” Rade commented. He wondered if whatever cargo the Amytis was carrying would be discovered. If that was the case, depending on the nature of that cargo, Rade and his team could find them
selves in a galaxy of trouble.
Finally the second customs shuttle withdrew from the Amytis and both ships were cleared for travel into Sino-Korean space.
Over the next few weeks, they proceeded deeper into Sino-Korean territory, taking four more Gate jumps. Customs never bothered them again after that first time. Either the officials kept meticulous surveillance records of the ships, and knew that both hadn’t stopped at any planets or stations along the way, nor halted in deep space to receive any payloads, or they were simply too lazy to search the craft. The current route wasn’t known for rich cargo, and the officials knew that any bribes they received would be minuscule.
During the intervening period, the crew passed the time in various ways. The gym was booked at all hours, as were the three simulation pods in the adjacent war room. Those pods allowed the platoon members to practice small unit tactics with mechs and jumpsuits via full body VR. The combat room mat also proved popular—while VR was great for some hand-to-hand practice, nothing matched the real thing.
One evening, Rade returned late from his duty shift to find Shaw seated on the bunk in the cramped stateroom they shared. Her eyes were defocused. She was either reading a virtual book, or engaged in a local VR experience.
Rade went to the head to freshen up. His clothes locker was in there, allowing him to change into his evening wear. He had to tighten his belt an extra notch that night—his waist had gone down another size. His diet and hard work in the gym were paying off.
He decided to do some quick push-ups in the cramped space of the head, and used the bar on top of the hydro-recycle container to get in a few chin-ups. After three quick sets he had a nice pump, with two veins bulging down either bicep. He struck a few quick poses in the mirror. Abs were starting to poke through again, and he had some clear definition on the muscles of the chest and arms; when he flexed his shoulders, he saw some obvious striations underneath the hardpoints.
Lean, mean, sex machine.
When Rade emerged from the head, Shaw’s eyes focused on him.
“Well hello there,” Rade said, well aware that she was admiring his physique; before he left the head, he made sure to choose a T shirt whose sleeves barely restrained his pumped biceps. He had cut holes in the shoulder area for his hardpoints, of course.
