“Management?” Jim hopped over the conveyor, scrambling toward both Dario and Jake. He held a metal tool in his hand which he swung in their direction, his rage carrying him so much that he whiffed in mid-air.
Jake pushed Dario backward, placing himself in front of him. “Hey. Calm down. We’re trying to help.”
“Like hell you are!” Jim shouted. “We got higher ups tryin’ to get on us personally now!”
Those words carried through the plant, other workers erupting in similar shouts and curses. Those snowballed further until the whole plant teemed with volcanic levels of pressure.
“We need to get out of here,” Dario said, stepping back. This had been a bad idea, but not because of the risks of corporate finding out about their fool’s errand, but because of the very warnings his father gave him. These people had too poor of conditions to even talk, and it’d been going on for much too long. There was no talking left to do. Dario’s plans of reconciliation had been far too late. If only he’d come to this realization sooner.
“Keep backing toward the door, Dario,” Jake said, maintaining himself as a human shield. “Then run. Get to the lift. I’ll catch up.”
“Scrap it, I’m not going to leave you here!”
“We’ll meet up at the lift base, now go!” Jake shouted, turning. A seriousness weighed upon his face like Dario hadn’t seen before. Anger, fear, defensiveness, it all crossed Jake’s expression.
And he was here to protect Dario. This was his assistant. All Dario could do was nod. Then he took off running toward the exit.
More shouts echoed behind him. “Get the higher up!”
Some metal part flew past Dario’s head, nearly clipping him. He looked back to see where Jake had disappeared to, but machinery obscured his view from where his assistant should be. Jake had moved fast, wherever he’d gone. The laborers they had argued with had vanished as well. What if they’d captured him or worse?
Dario wanted to go back for him, but knew there was no way that he’d have any success. It’d be him against hundreds of workers. If he were captured, it would make for a very delicate hostage situation at best.
Two larger men scrambled into the path in front of him, cutting off his escape route. “Stop it right there!” one shouted at him, brandishing a hand-sized tool.
Large machines with conveyors propped up on stands at ninety degree angles blocked either side of Dario. He couldn’t go backward, more workers gathered and chased after him, cursing and rumbling. The door was so close, but going at these two would get his teeth knocked out.
The laborer without a weapon lunged forward to grapple Dario, narrowly missing. Dario jumped backward to avoid pincing arms.
That conveyor was his only hope. With both men coming at him again, Dario dove forward to slide under the machine. His stomach and chest burned as his body rubbed against the concrete floor. He’d leave with a bad scrape, but it was better than getting bludgeoned in the head or killed.
Dario scrambled to his feet on the other side of the conveyor, using it as a shield from his assailant who tried to swipe at him from over it. He wasted no time and took off running toward the door again. Poor Jake had no way out, protecting him through this craziness.
A piece of machinery exploded in the back of the factory. A cloud of smoke and debris filled the room. Something sparked from the machinery which caught fire in a raging orange light.
The thugs that chased him were distracted by the blast and Dario wasted no time bolting for that exit door. He managed to get a few steps ahead of the two chasing him, though the conveyor now blocked his way. He was no athlete, but with adrenaline pumping through his veins, he had one chance for survival. Without hesitation, Dario leapt onto the conveyor, using his hand as leverage to propel him over in a swift motion, never sparing a moment after landing on the opposite side. He broke into a run.
The exit door whooshed open as one of the assailants reaching out and grabbed the back of Dario’s shirt. His forward momentum pulled him from his assailant’s grasp, narrowly allowing him to escape from the man’s clutches.
Though he’d made his way out of the factory, that wasn’t the end of the chase. He took off at full speed, running for what he knew was his life. His two assailants pursued.
What could he do down here? Did corporate security even patrol these areas? Who could he contact? If word of any of this got back to corporate, he would be in huge trouble.
Dario realized quickly that word would get back to corporate. There was an explosion in the plant. If the laborers inside had gone into a complete riot as they had just a few weeks before…
A crash came through the window, glass shattering and spraying near to Dario. He reflexively put his arm up to shield his face. Some of the glass shards did strike his arm.
The crash had a side-effect of distracting his assailants. The cause of the window’s shattering became evident—a boxed bodymod, a cybernetic bicep implant, crashed into one of the thug’s heads. He howled in pain and stumbled into his companion.
Dario padded down the street at full speed, trying to remember the way Jake had led him earlier. He recalled the level map Jake had displayed earlier to his oculars and scanned through quickly for directions to the lift. A map overlay appeared in his vision field. He had about half a kilometer to go, and a few turns to make. With luck he’d be able to outpace his would-be-attackers.
Other people descended upon the streets, not so much concerned with him but the factory behind him. They pointed, talked, but Dario couldn’t spare more than quick glances. Though he didn’t exactly land the interviews he wanted with the underleveler workers, he’d gotten what he’d needed in understanding from the general emotions of the laborers here. They would attack the corporate “higher ups” on sight. That was as disconcerting as anything else. No wonder his father had warned him not to come.
In many ways, his father was right, even if the underpinnings of the reasons why he’d advised Dario to avoid these areas were different. With the security footage from the factory, there’d be a lot to deal with when Dario returned to the Central Office.
Jake had said to meet at the lift, but Dario wasn’t certain he’d be able to stay on this level in any semblance of safety. He hoped the schedule for the lift upward to the mid-levels was still active. He would have to comm Jake, and hopefully his assistant would receive the message.
Dario turned a corner, sprinting through the next block until the lift was in sight. He took a moment to peek behind him and saw that his attackers didn’t pursue. His heart pounded from the run, adrenaline already fading through rapid breaths. He was safe, for now. He hoped to hell that Jake made it out alive.
Chapter 15
The Man On The Inside
Mars—The Underlevels
Local Date February 10th, 2464
“I apologize for being tardy,” said a skinny man in a business suit. He leaned over the table toward them, letting out a winded breath. The suit was torn as if he’d recently been in an altercation. He had blue hair that waved across his head, held perfectly in place despite his torn clothing. “If you knew the pains it took to escape the eyes of the company, you’d have more sympathy.” The man let out a deep sigh. “Jake Dylan.” He offered his hand to Joan with those words. “I already know you two scoundrels,” he said to Trian and Yui.
Joan accepted the hand with a firm shake, noting the eyewear on his face, an antique contrast to the memory enhancement device on his scalp. Most eye problems could be corrected fairly easily, but Joan respected his privacy enough not to comment on his odd sense of fashion.
“If anyone’s the scoundrel it’s you, Jake. Remember when we had to plant a bomb on that asteroid titanium mine and you distracted the guard with your… well, that’s not for polite company. Oh, the good old days,” Yui said, slurping the last of her drink through a straw. “Besides, I’ve got a good buzz on now with how long you took. What’s going on up in the clouds anyway?”
Jake smiled at Yui,
but his face quickly fell into a serious expression. “It’s bad out there. The pyramid keeps getting steeper and the people can’t even think to start to climb it. The problem is it’s been that way for so long with these mega-corporations that most people have forgotten how to fight for more than what’s granted to them.” He shook his head and gave Joan an apologetic look. “Sorry.”
“We all are passionate about this, or we wouldn’t be here,” Train said.
“So what are you doing about it then?” Joan asked.
“Sowing the seeds of discontent,” Jake said. “I’ve got a man on the inside I think is susceptible, part of what allowed me down here to meet you all. If all goes well, it’ll provide an ample distraction for your mission. Speaking of which…” He patted his coat over his chest and found the one he wanted, reaching inside and producing three chips. “Plug these into your handtabs. They’ll be your corporate identities. I’ve tested my ability to make these already, and they can get you through security scanners. The chips don’t have executive level access, but I was able to obtain director codes. Oh, and do use them sparingly. I’m not sure what kind of red flags they’ll trigger with overuse.”
“Director?” Joan asked. Having lived a life aboard an independent cargo vessel, she didn’t have a familiarity with corporate structures. If it was anything like the Star Empire Navy, it’d be as much of a cluster as the stars they represented.
“Higher than ensign.” Yui smirked at Joan.
Trian inclined his head toward Joan, ignoring Yui’s comment. “A managerial status below Vice President. Very lucrative on the pay scale with access to all but the very top levels of the corporation. I’m certain that the information about the Commodore will be classified beyond that, but we might be able to glean some information from the databanks with this, given time.”
A rumble sounded outside, loud enough that it overwhelmed the music in the bar. Joan turned to look toward the windows as did the others. Nothing could be seen, the streets packed with buildings and the noise could have come from anywhere.
“I need to get going,” Jake said. The sound had made him curiously jumpy. “The scenario I set up was a stretch, and I’ll have a lot of explaining to do when security vids are reviewed. My inside man is already trying to comm me. I don’t want to worry him too much.” He glanced toward the door. “Your cover information is all on the chips, and your corporate lodging keyed to it. Just follow the directions once you make it up the lift to the higher levels.”
“Well, good to see you again, Jake. Even if it’s just a couple of minutes,” Yui said—eyes a little bright and hazy from the alcohol. “Miss you.”
Jake paused to look at her, sorrow crossing his face. “I miss you, too.” He pushed himself off the table and stepped away but stopped himself, turning and holding a finger up to the group. “One more thing. There’s supposed to be an event celebrating a launch of a new cosmetic body-mod line in three days. I assume that it’ll still be going on despite what’s going on out there.” He looked to the window with concern. “What happens down here doesn’t often shift corporate plans, no matter how big it is. Anyway, you all have been added to the invitation list. It’d be a good way to make some contacts.”
“Thanks for all your hard work,” Trian said.
“Yeah,” Joan agreed. A party? This wasn’t her forte to say the least. At least Trian could take lead in a social situation, but she’d be useless in a group setting. She shifted uncomfortably at the table.
“Gotta run. See you soon!” Jake’s voice contained an unsaid I hope as he darted from the table and out the door.
Joan stared at that door for a while, still thinking about the party. They’d know for certain she wasn’t a member of the corporation. She didn’t know much about the company other than the briefing information. What could she possibly talk about?
“Well, he came through,” Yui said. She had already inserted her chip into her handtab. “These are pretty detailed idents. First class work.”
“You expected anything different from Mr. Dylan?” Trian asked, a knowing grin at Yui.
“Of course not. Don’t tease.” Yui rolled her eyes.
“What about this party business?” Joan asked, worried. “I’m not sure I’ll be much of a help in a situation like that.”
“Nonsense,” Trian said. “All we have to do is get you some appropriate attire and I’m sure you’ll charm anyone.”
“What if I flub? Miss something about the company I should know?”
“I echo these concerns. She could barely hold her own back on the Destiny,” Yui said.
Trian narrowed his eyes at Yui before turning to Joan. “You won’t have a problem. You’re a professional. Your files say you’ve navigated through many social situations without assistance,” he said. “Besides, we’ll be there to help if anything starts to get uncomfortable.”
Get uncomfortable? The whole concept was uncomfortable enough. Why wouldn’t they just let her hide in whatever apartment had been set up for them while they made contacts? She could look through the databanks and find any information as well as them. With the help of G.O.D., if he could keep together enough to operate.
“You’re about to hit the big leagues, ensign,” Yui said. “Put your game face on and don’t screw up. Or it’s…” She drew a finger across her neck. “Got it?”
Joan went quiet, eyes facing away from Yui. Her discomfort came both from the concept of having to venture into some upper-class soiree, and from Yui’s constant ribbing. She looked down at her handtab, wondering how well G.O.D. held together. Stupid to be concerned about an AI, but he had been her only true friend for years, the only person who didn’t leave her out to dry.
She tapped the button to unmute his voice.
“Coco coco coco-NUTS!” G.O.D. sang. He was nuts all right.
Joan muted him again, letting out a small sigh. She hoped she’d get out of this mission alive. With a small nod to reassure herself as much as the others, Joan composed herself. “Let’s go then.”
Chapter 16
When The Future’s Uncertain, Turn To the Past
Mars—Level 3
Local Date February 10th, 2464
“Dario!” a voice shouted from near the lift.
Dario looked up from the bench where he’d sat for the last hour, an open area that had a direct view of the lift that led back to the Regency BioTech Central Office. Jake Dylan made his way through the exit gate, his face swollen as if he’d taken a punch or two, and his suit definitely had seen better days, but he was alive. His appearance wasn’t a surprise, as Dario had received a message that simply said “wait.” Prior his arrival, Dario had imagined the worst. “Jake! I thought you’d been captured and there’d be some sort of hostage situation I’d have to fight off.”
“You didn’t call security?” Jake asked with a wry grin.
“No, didn’t want to risk it. I already don’t know how I’m going to explain being here when my father gets hold of the footage. The more I think about it, this could be a PR nightmare. We could be in real trouble.”
“We were already in real trouble, Dario. We got out of it with our skin. The corporate stuff can wait, yeah?” Jake asked with the shake of his head. “No one hurt you, did they?”
“Tried to, but I was a little faster than them. Crazy, but it was a little exhilarating. Never had to run for my life before.” He laughed a little at the situation. It was easy to now that the danger had passed. He’d been so scared at the time.
“Let’s make sure you never have to do that again. I don’t think there’s any incriminating evidence about us. It’s not illegal to do site visits. Maybe we’ll come up on the vids, but it’s a big factory, lots of people. And you didn’t scan your ident, only I did. I can take the heat if you need it.”
“Jake, don’t do that for me,” Dario said. Jake was a self-made man. He couldn’t afford to lose out when it came to the company. If anyone should take the fall, it was Dario. He had a safety net
. “I won’t let that happen,” he vowed.
“It’s my job. I got you into this, I’m not going to abdicate responsibility. You didn’t even think this was a good idea, remember?”
A call came through Dario’s comm, flashing on his peripheral of his oculars to alert him. “Incoming call,” Dario said to his assistant to let him know to quiet down. “It’s Daniella. Hold on.”
Dario flicked his eyes to answer the call, the sound coming from his handtab which he held up. “Daniella, can I help you? In a meeting with Jake.”
“Oh, he’s there too?” Daniella’s voice came through the handtab speaker. “Well, saves me a call. Your father, uh, Mr. Anazao, came by a few minutes ago. He looked pissed, let me tell you. I don’t know what went on, but he says both you and Jake are suspended without pay for the next four days. He expects you to attend the RetroSilver Cosmetic Line launch party all the same. Says how you conduct yourself there will dictate your future in the company. He sounds serious, Dario.”
Dario lowered his handtab, feeling the blood drain from his face. This was crazy news. He had expected that his father would be angry, that there’d be a lecture that would last for hours, perhaps even a dock in pay or even this suspension. At the same time, his father was the type to deliver news like this himself. That he’d sent a third party to tell Dario, even after looking for him, showed the extent of his father’s anger.
“This wasn’t Dario’s fault,” Jake said loudly, speaking toward Dario’s handtab. “I’m at fault for all of the events that transpired. Dario shouldn’t be punished.”
Dario locked eyes with Jake. His assistant looked as serious as he’d ever been, ready to fight for this. Dario wasn’t sure he was willing to state otherwise, even though he’d felt their sojourn to be a joint effort between the two.
“Not gonna matter,” Daniella said through the speaker. “His decision’s already been handed down, the suspensions are noted in the systems. Both of your accesses are restricted to unrestricted interfaces and executive club level amenities are off limits until further notice.”
Star Realms: Rescue Run Page 11
