by JOSEPH RAY
“Filthy Cyber!” Lord Elsmere spat. “Why do you dishonor my home by bringing this vulgar THING with you? I should have him melted down as we speak.”
Agent Calloway watched the man’s hands, waiting for him to reach for the small panel on the right arm of the red glass throne. A wave of relief came over him as the man simply folded his hands over his knee, the look of disgust still locked upon his narrow face.
“According to my scan,” MA Joseph stated, ignoring the threat. “Two of these girls are not of consenting age. To refer to them as your mates is to say that you have sexual relations with them. By common law, the act is deemed illegal. Tell me, Ira and Zulanna, has Lord Elsmere engaged you sexually in any way?”
Lord Elsmere laughed, his hands breaking wide to each side before clapping against the plush seats. There was something foul about the man’s smile, Calloway noted, like watching fabric being pulled over a metal frame. Faint bumps could be seen under the man’s taut skin, in areas where no cheekbone or other protruding bone structure would be. He was starting to ponder if the man had a skin condition. It wasn’t uncommon on terraformed planets, such as Parasus. Usually, such conditions were found in the first generation, shortly after the planet was deemed habitable. Parasus, however, was over a hundred years old and shouldn’t have been subject to such issues.
“I do not touch them,” Elsmere laughed. “At least not yet. They will spend many years in training before that day will come. I rather enjoy the wait, like a dog anticipating a meal. I almost need a handkerchief around my neck to mop up my saliva.”
The remark was made towards Calloway, the lord’s eyes fixated upon the agent from Earth. At this point, Nathan had caught on that the man was simply trying to provoke him though he wasn’t certain if it was Nathan’s presence that was making him carry on so rabidly. As he’d witnessed a few times prior, people of importance went out of their way to make the work of Earth representatives difficult, especially when Cyber’s were involved.
“I understand what you say,” Joseph replied in a monotone voice. “However, I am required to hear it from their voices, not yours. Perhaps, if you would give the girls some privacy, we would be able to resolve the matter more quickly?”
It was all Nathan could do not to yell ‘damn’ as the uncomfortable tide shifted in the MA’s favor. This would not be the first, nor the fifth time that the MA pissed off a dignitary in Calloway’s presence. The investigator wished on several occasions that he could be the full-time partner to the MA, if for nothing more than to watch him make powerful people squirm.
“That won’t be necessary,” Ira spoke up, stepping forward from the other two. “I assure you that Lord Elsmere has been nothing but a gentleman with my younger sister and me. Your concerns are appreciated, but unnecessary military advisor Joseph.”
Halfway through the response, the MA’s plain eyes took the mirror-coated form once more, scanning the young woman as she spoke.
Scanning: Pulse normal. Breathing normal. Subject is telling the truth.
“See, all good,” Agent Calloway offered. “Lord Elsmere, if I could just receive your formal complaint, we can be on our way.”
The light-haired lord sighed, snapping his finger before shifting in his seat. The nasty little man from earlier shuffled to Agent Calloway, handing him a data stick. The Agent inserted the strip into his pad and waited for the information to transfer. He didn’t look at the little man, patiently waiting for the return of his data stick, opting to yank it from his device and drop the data stick from his outstretched hand. Nathan hadn’t bothered to see if Terrance’s hands were anywhere near his when he let it go. Quite frankly, he didn’t care if it hit the special tile in between them and shattered into a dozen pieces.
The screen of the Agent’s pad sprang to life, a long list of data rolling down the center of the screen. Calloway frowned as the data was not a list of items were taken, but rather a message from a Yomiel Koranth from Mesa. It seemed that the man was able to pay off a debt he owed to Lord Elsmere and had hoped to have his collateral returned to him. The letter was exceptionally formal, full of words that Nathan had to skip over rather than look up the definitions. An odd sensation was forming in his stomach, telling him that this was not going to be as simple as stolen property.
“Alright, the orders I received was over stolen property,” he started. “I’m not seeing the property listed here. All I’m seeing is some guy owing you money who wants to pay it back with interest to get his collateral back. You mind filling in the blanks here?”
Nathan looked from the tablet, waiting for the lord to offer a reply. The lord, it seemed, was far too interested in gazing upon the backside of the three girls to his left to be bothered with such things as speaking. Realizing that his master’s mind was trailing off, the tiny, whiny voiced man from earlier stepped forth and took over.
“Mr. Koranth owed a debt of nearly two hundred thousand credits,” Terrance announced, adjusting the red glasses upon his nose. “As a sign of good faith, Mr. Koranth had to give collateral to Lord Elsmere for the money to be borrowed. Lord Elsmere, however, found himself to be in a generous mood and allowed for Mr. Koranth to pass on the debt. It seems that this did not please the man from Mesa, as he hired thugs to try to persuade Lord Elsmere to reconsider. I do assure you, though, the property of Lord Elsmere’s was taken. Property that must be found and returned or Mr. Koranth will be subject to Parasus law and punishment. You are here to prevent this from happening Agent Calloway. Find the thugs, and return the property. Lord Elsmere, in his kindness, has agreed to waive the charges if they do so.”
The odd sensation in Nathan’s stomach slowly churned. The agent only needed one guess to know what the missing property, and the collateral, involved. This incident was looking to be sent before the Council. Too many common laws were being broken for investigators to ignore.
“Alright,” he moaned, forcing his eyes shut in anticipation. “What property and what is the collateral?”
“The fourth sister is the missing property,” MA Joseph injected. “The collateral is the group of sisters you see before you. It can be deducted that the missing sister is the oldest of the four.”
Calloway wasn’t sure which he hated more; that they were considering human beings as property and collateral, or that the MA was able to make the deduction long before he was. Nathan had gathered that the girls were the collateral, but even in the darkest portions of his mind, he never would have allowed the thought of a fourth to enter the fray.
It seemed that Terrance had done his part. The tiny man nodded, turned, and ushered the three girls out the open door. Lord Elsmere waited until the door was closed before speaking.
“The property is not of concern to me,” he started. “What does concern me is that my generous offer was met with vulgarity. My father always said that to be kind to those lesser than you is to show them your weakness. I always thought to disagree with the man, especially in my younger years. Now, however, it seems that my father was right all along. I want my property returned to me, Agent Calloway. Not because I miss her as the flower had already withered, but rather for the principle of the matter. Situations, such as this, tend to have a snowball effect. I have never seen snow, but I know what the saying means. Today, one man from Mesa rejects my generosity. Tomorrow, another man believes he can negotiate with me, rather than accept what I offer. A year from now, a revolution. You know the history of your world, Agent Calloway. I will not let Parasus suffer the same fateful history that your home world has suffered.”
The Agent wasn’t sure if he would be able to contain his disgust, nor his temper, for much longer. The more the arrogant lord spoke, the more he wished to pull his sidearm from its holster and whip the man with it. At that very moment, his fingers were flexing, desperately wishing to be allowed to grasp the holstered weapon. In his younger years, he may have let them. Today, however, he had to rely upon his experience and wisdom to guide his actions. Property and slavery laws wer
e almost non-existent in the outer planets as common law was seldom acknowledged. Out here, one had to rely upon the laws of the individual planets more so than of Earth’s. It wasn’t something that Calloway liked, or even could stomach, but to attempt to enforce Common Law so far from home was to stand-alone. Nathan had no intention of being brought to Parasus justice.
The Agent’s mind attempted to work quickly to find some loophole in interplanetary trade agreements that would make the lord’s claim moot. For a brief moment, he’d almost wished to be a Cyber, if only to access any information he wanted at a second’s notice. Luckily, he had another option.
“MA Joseph,” he started. “Is there anything in the interplanetary trade agreements that would assist with the problem?”
“I’m sorry Agent Calloway,” Joseph replied. “I’m afraid that interplanetary trade agreements do not cover the use of human life as collateral, nor as to property. In this case, Parasus laws must apply. We will take the information the lord has on the ‘thugs’, as he called them, and do our best to track their location.”
It was all Calloway could do to keep his face in a neutral expression towards the unfavorable news. He’d hoped that the Cyber would have discovered some loophole that would allow him to shackle Elsmere and haul his sorry ass back to Earth. The man seemed to be reading his mind, a wry smile forming upon his face as the agent stared at him.
“You will find the names and descriptions on your tablet, Agent Calloway,” Elsmere said cheerfully. “Please send word as to when I can expect the return of my property. A set is of no value if it is not complete.”
The fingers demanded to be released, to beat the man’s face so viciously that he would never smile again. No, they wanted first to drag out into the public square and then beat him without mercy. They wanted to show this world that humanity still existed, even so far from the Earth’s grasp. His mind, however, knew a much more humbling truth.
“Very well,” Calloway muttered as he turned to leave the room.
The agent was halfway to the door when the MA closed in behind him. In complete silence, the pair trekked down the stairs and waited for the guards to open the red-glassed doors for them. They spoke not a word the entire trip back, the faint humming of the transport’s motor the only sound to be heard. It wasn’t until they reached the platform, far away from the guards that the agent broke the silence.
“The nerve of that smug-ass, piece of shit,” Nathan groaned. “Did you see what he was doing? He was practically taunting me in there. He wanted me to get violent. Who the fuck does that?”
Incoming file………
“I mean, what the hell is wrong with these people,” Nathan continued. “And did you see the youngest one in there? What was she, ten-years-old? He already has her trained to strip off her clothes. What the fuck?”
Initiating new protocols….
“Are you gonna say something?” Nathan snapped, turning to the MA. “Aren’t you even just a little pissed about this? I know you have a chip in your brain, but you’re ninety-eight percent human, right?”
The MA cocked his head to one side for a moment, looking at nothing in particular. Calloway was about to ask if he was even listening when the man suddenly turned away and started to walk back to the transport vehicle.
“Where the hell are you going?” Nathan yelled, chasing after him.
“You’ll have to forgive me, Agent Calloway,” Joseph replied, still walking towards the transport. “I’ve just discovered that I forgot to ask Lord Elsmere for written proof of the transaction. We cannot retrieve property if we cannot confirm that it is his.”
“Proof of the transaction?” Nathan gawked. “Are you taking his side in this?”
“I take no sides,” Joseph answered, maintaining a calm demeanor. “I must be thorough in my investigation Agent Calloway. Please continue to Mesa without me. My ship is faster than yours, so I dare say that I will catch up with you shortly.”
“Nathan,” he snapped. “Are you ever going to just call me Nathan? We’re basically partners. Hell, I’d almost tell people we were friends. We’ve worked together, shared meals together, what else does it take to get you to stop using my title?”
The MA stopped walking, opting to turn and face his companion. His eyes did not have to scan the agent to see the heightened state of his emotions.
“Very well, Nathan,” he replied. “I acknowledge that I felt something that I can only describe as a relief when I saw you on the landing pad earlier. Over the years, I have grown a preference to your company during investigations than any other human from your department. So, I can attest to your classification of friendship. However, my business with Lord Elsmere is not yet complete. I will catch up with you, as I said.”
Agent Calloway could only watch as the MA turned and continued his journey back to the transport vehicle. He looked to his ship, not certain if he wanted to test the hull against two more trips through Gabriel Rings or not. What he really stalled for was the thought of going to Mesa without an escort. It was the type of place that didn’t follow strict laws, choosing to enforce its own version of justice. Nathan contemplated waiting on the pad until the MA returned, but he knew it to be a foolish desire. He was about to turn and leave when Joseph called back to him.
“By the way,” he yelled. “I am eighty-nine percent human, just so you know.”
A smile formed on the Agent’s face as he turned back to his ship. His feet reluctantly pushed forward, adding to the distance between the two partners. Perhaps he would make a pit stop on the way to Mesa, just to make certain that the MA got off Parasus all right. After all, it was the least he could do now that they were friends.
After much protest, the guard holding Joseph’s weapon fulfilled the MA’s request to return to the capital building. The trip was made in silence as Joseph sat in the back, opting not to sit in the front bench with the driver. He retraced his steps, going back through the front doors, up the six flights of stairs, and then through the doors to Lord Elsmere domain. The site he was greeted with did not surprise him as he watched the elder lord gently tracing his hands on the bare skin of Ira, the middle sister. Joseph had suspected as much, his scans indicating a rise in blood flow in the man that suggested sexual arousal.
“On our planet,” Elsmere spoke, not bothering to turn towards his guest. “It is customary to knock before entering someone’s chambers. Did they not teach you this at your academy MA Joseph? Perhaps they just didn’t DOWNLOAD it into your brain.”
The MA stopped short of the couple, still watching them interact as if he wasn’t present. The two sat upon the plush, oversized seat, the lord’s silk robe opened further than it should before a girl of such a young age as her legs rested over his.
“They do,” he responded. “But this is considered a public domain, not a private chamber.”
The lord ignored the man’s words, his eyes fixed upon the flattering form of the dark girl before him. His fingers traced around the edges of the black bikini, the red silk robe lying on the floor before them. Joseph watched as the man’s hand continued to go where it pleased, but was far more interested in the girl’s reaction. His eyes changed once more, scanning the young woman before him. Her breathing was heavy, her pulse was quickened, but not in a manner that suggested arousal. The MA knew the signs far too well, the fear practically dripping from the girl’s glands.
“Lord Elsmere,” Joseph continued. “I believe we were interrupted earlier when I made mention to the common law of this system. If we could have some privacy, perhaps we could close the issue?”
The hands stopped their exploration, the smile fading from the man’s face as his head slowly turned to give the unwelcomed visitor a stoned glare. Through his scan, Joseph could tell the instant relief upon the girl’s body as she sat up straight to put more distance between herself and her owner.
“What issue do you speak of?” he asked, pushing the girl off his lap. “I gave you the information you required, now fetch
my property.”
Joseph’s eyes returned to normal, catching the movement of Terrance through the corner of his vision. He didn’t need to scan the lord to see the anger boiling inside of him.
“Perhaps you do not understand my tone?” he continued. “Leave, now, or I’ll have you recycled into a chair or something.”
Joseph turned his attention to the approaching man to his right, ignoring the ignorant comment from the man in front of him.
“Terrance,” Joseph started. “Please show me the documentation of Lord Elsmere’s transaction. I need to confirm that everything is in proper order.”
The tiny man’s mouth fell open, shocked at the nerve the Cyber displayed. His gaze shifted from the MA to his master, then back to the MA.
“I shall do no such thing!” the man cried. “How dare you insult my lord in this way?”
The tiny man composed himself, turning his body to face his master.
“My apologies for this intrusion my lord,” Terrance offered. “I shall have the guards escort him out immediately and file a formal complaint with its superiors.”
“No,” Elsmere replied, his expression turning to keen interest. “Retrieve the document. I will humor it for the time being.”
Terrance opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it. He disappeared through the door to the right, leaving the lord and the MA alone in the room. The half-naked girl was nearly invisible as the two men’s glares challenged one another. Eventually, the tiny man returned with a scroll, a red ribbon tied neatly around the middle. He made straight for Joseph, untying the ribbon and holding the document out before him. The MA received the offering, breaking his glare to inspect the document. His eyes rolled quickly over the writing, logging every word to memory.
“As I suspected,” Joseph started. “I’m afraid that the three girls will have to come with me Lord Elsmere. Under Common Law of this sector, I am obligated to return them to their family at once.”
Terrance snatched the document away from the Cyber, not realizing that he’d be allowed to do so. His little fingers madly rolled the parchment back to its form, returning the ribbon around the middle as he stepped away from the MA.
