by Tripp Ellis
Ray rubbed his jaw. "Well, that's good, because I’ve got a favor to ask.”
“I don’t do favors."
“I’m looking for somebody."
“Well, then. You've come to the right place. Everyone you'd ever want to meet is here." Nero gestured across the club.
"Is there somewhere we can talk, in private?"
“This is my office, Ray.”
“It's a little loud,” he said, yelling over the thumping music.
“You're getting old, my friend."
Ray shot him a look.
Nero motioned for Ray to have a seat on the plush couch, then sat beside him.
ZV-0 was taking full advantage of all the opportunities the club had to offer. He was chatting up a scantily clad blonde and a brunette.
“Eko Sen Zaan,” Ray said. “He’s some type of religious figure.”
“You'd be surprised, but I get a lot of religious figures that come through here. I get senators and congressmen too. You know, I even thought about setting up a confessional near the exit so you can leave with a clear conscience.”
“Do you know him?”
“It’s a big city, Ray.”
“I thought you knew everyone?”
"I know people who know people. I'll make some calls.”
“Do it discreetly,” Ray said. “Unless you want the Realm creeping up your ass.”
“I don't like the Realm anymore than you do. Trust me, my contacts are loyal.” The way he said it carried a certain weight. The look in his eyes implied that those who were disloyal were dealt with appropriately. Nero wasn't a man to be trifled with. “Have a drink. Enjoy yourself.”
Grace gave Ray a look that said don’t even think about it.
“Thanks, but we’ve got to stay focused,” Ray said.
ZV-0 had already taken it upon himself to enjoy the amenities. He was getting an exotic dance from the two girls. What little clothing they were wearing had come off quickly. The visual processing center of his neural network was definitely stimulated.
“Where are you staying?” Nero asked.
“I don’t know yet,” Ray said. “We’ll grab a hotel nearby.”
“Nonsense. Stay at one of my properties. The penthouse on Fairfax is empty.” Nero dug into his pocket and handed Ray a key.
“That’s very generous of you.”
“It’s the least I could do for an old friend,” Nero smiled. “I hope the jaw is okay.”
“I’ll live,” Ray said, moving his jaw from side to side, feeling a tinge of pain.
“You have to admit, you deserved it.” He paused, waiting for an acknowledgment that never came.
“If you think about it, I did you a favor. She was no good for you anyway.”
Nero pondered this for a moment. “Maybe you’re right.” He paused. “I’ll let you know as soon as I find out something.”
“Thanks.” Ray stood up. He looked over at ZV-0 and shook his head. “Hey, Buddy. It’s time to go.”
“But… But… But…” The robot’s eyes pleaded to stay.
“Now.”
“Sorry ladies,” ZV-0 said.
They made pouty faces and kissed him on his cheeks, leaving lip prints on his glossy exterior. His eyes lit up with glee.
ZV-0 followed Ray and the others toward the exit.
“Did you program him to be this way?” Grace asked.
"Hey, sometimes I need a wing man. And that little egghead is a chick magnet. He’s better than a dog. Women love him.”
Grace rolled her eyes. “Please explain to me how in the world I ever found you attractive?”
“You apparently had good taste at one point in time," he zinged back at her.
Outside the club, there was a blind beggar on the sidewalk. He held up a cardboard sign that read: It's a beautiful day, and I can't see it.
Ava stopped on the sidewalk. Her sad eyes gazed at the man. She knelt down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and focused on the energy of the shard. She could feel the healing power flow through her hand and into the blind man.
A moment later, she stood up. The man pulled off his sunglasses and looked up at her in disbelief. Tears of joy streamed down his face. Ava was the first image he had seen in over a decade. It took a moment to sink in.
“I must be dreaming,” he said. The sights of the city filled his eyes. Everything was sharp and vibrant. He now had the eyes of a twenty year old, even though he was well on in years.
“It’s not a dream,” Ava assured him, smiling.
“You’re an angel,” he praised her. “That’s what you are.”
“No. I’m not.”
He bowed at her feet, thanking her over and over again. “I can see! I can see!”
A crowd was beginning to gather.
“She cured me,” the man exclaimed. He continued to extol Ava, shouting about the miracle.
Ray looked back over his shoulder, taking note of the commotion. He stormed back to Ava and pulled her along. “What part of don't draw attention to yourself did you not understand?"
“What was I supposed to do? Let him continue to suffer?"
Ray sighed. “If you are going to go around healing the blind, just do it discreetly.”
“I didn't do anything,” Ava said. “It's the stone.”
“Just try to keep a low profile from here on out."
21
Nero’s penthouse was on the 57th floor of Skyline Plaza. Floor to ceiling windows provided a panoramic view of the city, and it had a 2500 square foot private terrace. The place had marble floors, and was lavishly decorated. No expense had been spared.
Ava stepped onto the terrace, taking in the magnificent view. The dual suns hung low in the sky, casting brilliant hues of pink and purple across the clouds. She stepped to the railing and peered down at the bustling street below. This was a far cry from the temple.
Inside, Ray surveyed the amenities.
“You’re friend does pretty well for himself,” Grace said.
“Yeah, he does okay,” Ray replied.
“I don’t like it.”
“What, this place isn’t good enough for you?”
“No. I don’t like this whole thing. I don’t trust him.”
“Relax. Nero and I go way back.” Ray looked over the fully stocked wet bar. “Besides, what’s wrong with living the high life for a few days?”
“Looks like you guys had some bad blood?"
“Water under the bridge. What you need is a drink and a little time in the hot tub.”
"Not a chance, Ray.”
Ray shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“She’s special," Grace said, eyeing Ava on the balcony. “This isn't to be taken lightly."
“I’m not taking anything lightly."
“She healed a blind guy, Ray. You saw that, didn't you? I mean, you were standing right there."
“That guy could have been faking it the whole time. Probably was. You know how these people are.”
“I don't think he was faking it."
“There’s a sucker born every minute."
“Tell me you don’t think there’s something to this.”
Ray shrugged again. "Look, I don't know anymore. You asked me to help you, so I’m helping you. And, on the off chance that the stone is something special, I'd rather not let the Empress have it.”
The two stared at each other for a moment.
Ray took off his jacket, then peeled off his shirt. Grace watched his biceps bulge, and his scalloped abs flex. She was almost transfixed. Ray was a handsome man, and carved out of stone. Grace caught herself staring and shook it off. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m going to take a shower. Then I'm going to take a power nap. Then I'm going to get my drink on. Is that okay with you?"
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”
“What am I doing?"
“You think that I've been living in a frozen ice hut for so lo
ng that I'm just going to fall all over you."
“Actually, I hadn't given that a second thought." Ray grinned.
Grace growled in frustration.
Ray knew exactly how to press her buttons. He strolled to the master bedroom, then turned around and hung in the doorway. “Don't even think about trying to sneak into the shower with me."
“I can’t think of anything more nauseating.”
Ray smiled and closed the door.
Grace huffed and muttered something under her breath.
“CAN you give me a description of what she looked like?” an Imperial Soturi asked. He stood on the sidewalk, interrogating the man who was once blind.
“She looked like an angel.”
The Soturi slammed him against the wall. “What did she look like?”
The man’s eyes widened. His face tensed with fear. “Blonde. Blue eyes. Good looking. Maybe 19 or 20,” he stammered.
“Was she with anyone?”
The man gave him accurate descriptions of Ray, Grace, and ZV-0.
RAY EMERGED FROM THE SHOWER, toweled off, and got dressed. He stepped into the living room and eyed the wet bar. Then he glanced around the apartment. He noticed Grace and ZV-0 were on the terrace, chatting. A look of concern washed over his face. He scurried through the rest of the apartment, calling out for Ava. But she was no where to be found.
He ran to the terrace. "Where is she?"
Grace looked perplexed for a moment, then realized Ava was missing. “I don't know. She was here just a minute ago."
Ray grimaced. He raced to the front door and flung it open, then peered down the hall in both directions.
Nothing.
Grace and ZV-0 followed him to the doorway.
“Did she say anything?” Ray asked.
Grace shook her head. “I should have been keeping an eye on her.”
Ray sprinted down the hall to the elevators and mashed the call button. Even with high-speed elevators, it seemed like it took forever for the lift to arrive.
The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. Ray hopped inside with Grace and ZV-0 and plunged to the lobby. Of course, it seemed like they had to stop on every other floor on the way down.
Ray dashed through the lobby, onto the sidewalk. His eyes flicked in all directions. The sidewalks were filled with an anonymous sea of people. But he didn't catch sight of the young blonde Oracle.
"I'll head this way," Ray said, pointing north. "You go that way,” he said to Grace, pointing south. “And you go down Fulton Ave.,” he said to ZV-0.
They dispersed like a grenade, barreling in their respective directions.
Ray dodged and weaved through pedestrians, almost knocking a few of them down, and pissing off quite a large number. There were plenty of obscenities shouted in his direction, along with the occasional “Hey, watch it, Buddy.”
He must have sprinted for five solid blocks before he found her. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Ava in an alleyway as he was running by. He stopped and backtracked. She was talking to another homeless person that was huddled against a dumpster.
“What are you doing?”
Ava shrugged. “I don't know. I thought maybe there were more people I could help." She gestured to the homeless woman.
Ray stared at her in disbelief.
“She's got cancer. Well, she had cancer. She couldn't afford conventional treatment.”
"But she's all better now, right?” There was a trace of skepticism in Ray’s voice. But, in truth, he wouldn't have bet against the woman being cured.
Ava nodded.
“Great. Now we can go back to the apartment.” Ray smiled.
“I guess. But it just seems like there are so many people in need here.”
Ray sighed. “Yes. There are. But right now, we need to focus on getting you to where you're supposed to be."
“What if I’m supposed to be right here? What if the stone brought me to this city to help people?”
“The stone didn’t bring you anywhere. I think you’re forgetting the bigger picture here.”
“And I think you underestimate that sometimes the Universe has plans for you that you cannot see."
Ray rolled his eyes. "So, you mean to tell me that the Universe conspired for both of us to be in this alleyway at this exact moment?”
“Perhaps."
“For what greater purpose?"
Ava contemplated this for a moment. "That has yet to be revealed."
Ray wasn’t buying into it. One thing was for certain, the Universe had definitely conspired against them, or so it seemed. Several ominous figures closed in on them from either end of the alleyway.
The homeless woman got up and scurried away. The thugs let her pass without issue.
Ray's hand clutched the grip of his pistol. But the goons had already drawn their weapons. As good a shot as Ray was, he couldn't take out all of them. He clenched his jaw and scowled at them. "Is there something I can help you with?"
“Give us the shard," one of them said.
“I don't know what you're talking about. I've got 50 credits in my wallet. You can have that.”
“You seem to be under the mistaken impression that you have a choice. If you want to live, you hand over the stone. If not, I'll shoot you both and take it.”
“You work for Dietrich?"
“He's very disappointed with you. Your shenanigans cost him a very expensive Osprey class starship."
“I didn't cost him anything. It's the shitty pilots that he hires."
The goon scowled at Ray. “Shoot him,” he commanded to the others.
“Wait, wait,” Ray shouted. “All right. I'll give it to you.” Ray reached into his pocket.
“Slowly,” the goon yelled.
Ava looked at him perplexed. She knew he didn't have the shard.
Ray grinned as he eased his hand out of his pocket. He was holding a small, cylindrical device. “Thermal grenade. Back off, or we all go boom. It's on a dead man switch, so if my finger comes off this button…”
“You wouldn't kill the girl. And you certainly wouldn't kill yourself."
The air was thick with tension. Ray could smell the rotten garbage in the dumpster and the stale, urine stained walls. The sounds of the city echoed off the narrow alley walls. A thermal detonation in a confined space like this would easily take all of them out. It would be quick and painless. Probably not a bad way to go, all things considered. But Ray wasn't ready to die.
The goons tightened their grip on their weapons. Everyone was sweating a little, and getting anxious. But the goons weren’t backing down.
“Okay. Fine. I'm disarming it.” Ray clicked the grenade. From this point on, they could shoot him with no repercussions.
22
“Set the grenade down,” the goon commanded.
Ray knelt down and set it on the concrete, then stood back up.
“Now let’s see the stone.”
“Give it to him,” Ray muttered.
“No,” Ava said.
“Give it to him or we die.”
“I don’t care. Oracles are sworn to protect the shard.”
“I thought you hadn’t taken your oath.”
“Well, maybe I should have.”
"Enough of this nonsense," the goon said.
Ava’s face tensed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the glowing crystal. She held it firmly in her hand and gazed at it with solemn eyes. “If you want it, come and take it."
Ray's eyes widened. He had to admire her spunk. But now was not exactly the appropriate time to be defiant.
The goon growled.
Plasma bolts filled the air. But they didn't come from the thugs. Not at first. Someone else was firing.
The first blast eviscerated the leader. His chest erupted, spewing a gooey mix of blood and bone. His body crumpled and splattered against the concrete.
Ray took the opportunity to draw his weapon, and he fired at anyone left standing.
Ray surveyed Ava. She was unharmed. Then he gave himself a look over and realized that he too was still in one piece. It seemed like a miracle. The sheer volume of weapons fire that had filled the alleyway dictated that the two of them should have been dead.
A cloaked figure stood at the end of the alleyway with a smoldering pistol in his hand. He looked like a gunslinger, straight out of a spaghetti western. He wore a leather hat, and a small cigar hung from the corner of his mouth. Smoke wafted from the barrel as he re-holstered it.
Ray couldn't make out his features in the shadows. But as he stepped closer, the gunslinger’s lined face came into view, caught in the rays of an overhead streetlamp. He was older. Probably in his late 60s, but it was hard to tell. Modern medicine could add centuries to your life. He had a short grey beard and piercing narrow eyes that looked like they’d seen the galaxy twice over. He had a permanent scowl on his face.
"You're pretty handy with that thing," Ray said.
“Lucky for you,” he said dryly. His voice was deep and gruff. “I understand you are looking for me."
“I don’t know, who are you?” Ray asked.
The man scowled at him. “Don’t be a smart ass.”
“You’re Eko Sen Zaan,” Ava said with amazement.
Ray looked stunned. “Are all religious leaders that handy with a pistol?”
“I am not a religious leader.”
“What are you then?”
“A guardian, of sorts.”
Ava looked elated. “How did you find us?"
“The stone led me here. As it did you.”
“Oh, no,” Ray said. “Not this nonsense again.”
“Do not underestimate the power of the shard. It has a will, and it wants to be reunited.”
“Reunited?” Ray asked.
“Come. We have much to talk about. I’ve been expecting you.”
“How?” Ava asked. “Everyone in the temple was killed.”
“For decades, I have anticipated the unfolding of these events,” Eko said, gravely. He glanced at the glowing crystal in Ava’s hand. “You should put that away before it draws more unwanted attention.”
