by Adair Hart
“And … you know where to get these?”
“Next to Gambunos. You can’t miss it. They have a level-three replicator there.”
“Uh-huh,” said Seth. “And what do you plan to do with those?”
“I suspect we’re headed to a rough district.”
Seth sighed. “All right. I get it. The armor’s for me. I’ll get those. Then we’re off to Generis.”
Blake nodded as he watched Seth get up and head out.
Once Seth was gone, Blake went to his private quarters and stripped down to take a nap. Seven hours later, he awoke to Seth pounding on his door.
“We’re here,” said Seth.
Blake yawned as he slipped on his body armor and headed to the cockpit. Once there, he scanned the navigation panel on the front console. The amount of small ships was the first thing he noticed. Given how important Tooka was, it made sense that its spaceport would be a high-traffic area. Tooka stood out as a red dot on the planet image.
“We’ve been cleared for landing already,” said Seth, tapping at the console. “Headed to Tooka.”
“You get any rest?” asked Blake.
“I got a nap in.”
Blake nodded.
The ship approached Generis.
“How we gonna find out where Alcarez is?” asked Seth.
Blake half smiled. “I know a club we can hit.”
“What if Alcarez isn’t here?”
“One problem at a time.”
“Is this how every contract is going to work?” asked Seth. “Fly by the seat of our pants?”
“You would hate intelligence work.”
“Sounds like it.” Seth interacted with the console as the ship entered the planet’s atmosphere.
Twenty minutes later, they approached a large spaceport that bustled with activity on the outskirts of Tooka.
Blake narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the outline of the city. It looked like it had changed significantly since his last visit several years ago. Tooka was circular in design, with transportation systems lining the outside. Large metallic skyscrapers stood out in the center of the city, forming an impressive skyline. The waning sun lit up everything, causing a sort of glow to permeate the air.
Tooka was one of the newer rim colonies that had been rapidly built with replicators and a small army of robot workers and machines. Fusion reactors powered the city, and with massive element storage tanks, replication for sustenance was not an issue. It did not take long for Seeros Industries to get Tooka up and running, but that was what they were known for. Although Tooka overall was high-tech, he knew that where they were going, there would be a mix of low and high tech in general.
Seth pointed at one of the skyscrapers. “Fancy place.”
“From out here, sure,” said Blake.
After they landed in the designated spot given to them by the spaceport controller, they did a final check that their weapons had full clips and then disembarked. Once the ship was secured, they headed down a walkway with lights on each side, showing them where to go.
Seth looked around as they walked. “Man … look at these ships.”
“We’ll have one better than them in a few contracts,” said Blake. He could see why Seth would be amazed. Tooka’s spaceport was a who’s who of elite ships, mostly corvette and frigate class or smaller.
They reached the building that acted as a transition between Tooka and the spaceport after twenty minutes. A Fredorian security detail stood outside the entrance flanked by several robot guards.
Blake and Seth pulled out small playing-card-sized devices.
After a moment, the security guards waved them through.
Once inside, Seth glanced at Blake. “So … to the club then?”
Blake raised a finger as they passed two humanoids in black-and-gold light armor with red armbands. They were talking to another male humanoid in a brown robe with a belt. The man’s sweat scent filled Blake’s nose. He knew the other humanoids to be Covendrin mercs, considered the elite among other mercs. One of them glanced at Blake and then nodded. Blake returned the motion. The merc turned his attention back to the Rimborn.
After they had passed on, Seth gulped as he glanced at Blake. “That Covendrin nodded at you.”
Blake smiled. “Guess they know Blake Brown has arrived.”
“Let’s hope that’s not a negative thing,” said Seth, looking around with narrowed eyes.
Blake laughed. “Given how crazy the power struggles are here, no surprise to see them. I’m sure a lot of merc companies have moved in since I was last here.”
As they entered the outskirts of Tooka, Seth took a breath. “Smells nice out here.”
Blake swatted Seth’s arm. “Hold on to that smell. It gets much worse.”
“Of course. I just hope you know where to go.”
Blake slapped Seth on the back. “Loosen up. Enjoy the … sights and smells of Tooka, the home of our first freelance contract.” He pointed ahead at a one of several tunnels leading underground. The tunnel had the text “District G” hovering above it. “That’s our destination.”
“Underground transportation. Always fun … ,” said Seth.
“Tooka is a city built on top of a transportation network. You can get anywhere within the city with it. We could take the transport on the outskirts, but it’s not free. Where we’re going is District G. It’s one of the districts outside the main city’s circular hub.”
“How many districts are there?” asked Seth.
“About eighteen. Don’t worry, we’ll be in a transportation unit the whole way.”
“Yeah, sure thing,” said Seth, licking his lips as they approached the entrance.
After an hour on the underground transportation system, they emerged into District G. Seth noticed the change immediately. The smell of garbage caught his nose. That it did not filter over to the spaceport surprised him. Maybe there was some type of barrier between districts. He noted that everything looked bleak, like the area was built just to provide cover instead of any unifying aesthetic. Gone were the high-tech buildings he saw when he first entered Tooka. In their place was a concrete and steel jungle that looked tossed together.
With nightfall coming on, the various bright lights around the district had begun to turn on.
As they headed out, a commotion off to the side caught their attention. A silver android had a young male humanoid in a black trench coat and black sunglasses backed up against a concrete wall in an alleyway between two buildings. The humanoid had a shaved, slightly domed head and pointed ears with paler-than-usual skin.
Blake smiled. “I see an opportunity.”
“Oh, c’mon, seriously?” asked Seth.
“Trust me.”
“You sure about this?”
Blake tossed both hands out as he drew his lips to the right.
“Yeah … you’re sure. Let’s go,” said Seth. He pulled out his FLP-40 as Blake took out his striker.
They approached the android.
“Hey, asshole,” said Blake.
The android shoved the humanoid to the ground. It then wheeled around and began to approach Blake and Seth.
Their weapon fire dissipated the android’s kinetic shielding, then shredded the android. They walked up to the trembling male who had his arms around his face.
“Vizerian?” asked Blake.
The male shook his head.
“All right then, what’s your name?”
The male sighed. “Javiet.” He tilted his head. “I sense … we’re similar.”
Blake bobbed his head for a moment. “Similar, yes. I’m a different strain than you. Ancient vampire strain to be exact. Anyways, why was that android shaking you down?”
Javiet lowered his arms and licked his lips. “Alcarez’s goons. He’s making a play for this district. That android was going to torture and then kill me after it got the information it wanted.”
“Great, a gang war,” said Seth with a sigh.
Blake exh
aled from his nose. “How much do you know about this district?”
“In what sense?” asked Javiet.
“Politics, who runs what. You know … the layout.”
Javiet nodded. “Why do you want to know?”
Blake nodded back out of the alleyway. “We’re headed to Vizes, assuming it’s still under Vizerian control. I haven’t been out here in a while and could use an update.”
“Vizes is still under their control,” said Javiet. “I’d … appreciate an escort.”
Blake waved forward. “Let’s go.”
As they walked out, Javiet sighed a breath of relief. “Definitely wasn’t expecting any help. Those androids are strong.”
“By the way, I’m Seth,” said Seth, pointing to himself. He crooked a thumb at Blake. “And that’s Blake.”
“Blake Brown?” asked Javiet with wide eyes.
Blake narrowed his eyes. “Yeah … is that gonna be a problem?”
“N-no … just … you’re sorta like a legend in the rim colonies.”
Seth laughed.
Blake jerked his head back at Seth and then faced Javiet. “So you’re not with the Vizerians. I’m assuming that since you said ‘they’ instead of ‘our’ in reference to who controlled Vizes. Which crew are you with?”
“The Fallen.”
“Must be new. I haven’t heard of them before. Makeup?” asked Blake.
“Mostly Rimborn and a few nonhumans like me. The Vizerians let us operate on their turf,” said Javiet. “Not a lot of us.”
Blake eyed Javiet. “Who’re the other big players?”
Javiet looked around as they rounded a corner. “West side is the Red Wave, some Fredorian cult that got kicked out of Fredoria. East side is the Rookers, a nonhuman group that has some aliens in it. Central and south side is Vizerian, which, as you probably already know, is a vampire-heavy faction. North side is the Crazy Eyes, another mixed group of merc.”
“Sounds lovely,” said Seth.
“There’s a lot more, but they’re small with minor turf and usually do the bidding of one of the big four.”
Blake gestured out. “And now Alcarez has entered the picture.”
“Yeah. He’s been sending these androids around, sometimes with robot guards to shake people down, rob, eliminate known members, you name it.”
Blake rubbed his chin. “He’s trying to cause everyone to fight each other, and then he’ll move in during the confusion. That might actually work for us.”
“For what?” asked Javiet.
“Not important. Do you know where Alcarez is holed up?”
Javiet shook his head. “Someone in Vizes would know. A Vizerian member would, anyways.”
“That’s what I figured,” said Blake.
As they neared the club, synthesized music with a hypnotic beat bellowed out. Several Rimborn dressed like Javiet came forth.
Javiet put his hands out. “They’re cool. Wasted one of Alcarez’s androids.”
The Rimborn looked at each other and nodded.
Blake glanced at Javiet as he and Seth walked up to the club door. “Stay in trouble.” He grinned, showing his bared fangs.
Javiet and the others around him laughed and nodded at Blake.
As they entered the foyer area, two muscled men in light armor put their arms out.
“Fellas,” said Blake with his hands out. “Not here to cause trouble. Just want to relax.”
One of the muscled men looked Blake up and down while running a gadget over him. The other man tapped at a panel on the wall with the number thirty-four. The panel slid out, revealing a drawer. “All weapons.”
Blake sighed as he handed over his striker, two pistols, and dual blades. It took him a moment to get his belt off and pull out the various small weapons hidden in his suit. Seth handed over his two pistols.
Blake put his hand on his crotch. “Not sure how I’m going to get this in there.”
Seth laughed.
The muscled men grimaced as they waved them into the club.
After a few minutes, they found an open table.
Seth enjoyed the atmosphere of the club. It was almost all humans, as far as he could tell, and the mesmerizing beat and synthesized sounds were soothing to him. He could imagine that he was on Earth for a moment. Smoke filled the air from the electronic vaping devices in use everywhere, and he was sure that it probably was not tobacco in them. There were a variety of people dressed in a similar fashion to Javiet. Black clothing, shaved hair, and a variety of gadgets on the head seemed to be the rage.
Blake pointed to a man behind a console of some sort on the stage. “When he goes on break, he’s who we need to talk to.”
Seth followed Blake’s gaze. “The DJ?”
“Yeah. He’s Vizerian.”
“How can you tell?” asked Seth.
“Vampires know their own kind, even if they’re a different strain. Vizerians are mostly of a strain known as Raskarian, at least from what I remember. I never got along with them on Earth, but out here … it’s a whole different game.”
“Oh …” Seth’s attention focused on Javiet and his friend stopping by the table.
“So I was talking with everyone … and we decided to help you out,” said Javiet. “If we can do it, that is.”
Blake tilted his head. “You can, actually. When the DJ goes on break, tell him we’d like to talk to him.”
Javiet nodded. “You got it, man. He’s the best damn rimwave DJ I’ve ever seen.”
“Rimwave?” asked Seth.
Blake laughed. “It’s what they call the music you’re listening to. It’s mix of synthesizers, electric guitar, and thumping beats, similar to what you would know as cyberpunk or synthwave. What makes it unique is they also include alien instruments and sounds into it. It’s a fusion of multiple cultures.”
“Damn, you know your shit,” said Javiet. He flapped his hands out to the side, hitting two of his friends. “We got you, man. You just sit back and relax.”
Blake nodded.
Seth watched Javiet take off. “Kid probably doesn’t realize how close he came to death.”
“He does,” said Blake with narrowed eyes. “If you noticed, he’s wearing a new set of pants.”
Seth peered at Javiet off in the distance. He laughed. “Holy shit.”
“Let’s get something to drink while we wait,” said Blake, tapping at the table screen.
Seth reflected on the ease with which Blake interacted with others. It was a calm, levelheaded approach that could turn violent in a snap. Blake’s lack of fear made Seth a bit more relaxed. He had wanted to know more about the rim colonies in general, and this was turning out to be a first-rate tour of one of the bigger cities. Looking around, he could now pick out the patterns of various groups. He focused on the table and getting a drink.
Thirty minutes and several shots later, the DJ walked over to their table.
Seth noticed that like Javiet, the DJ had pale skin; a slightly elongated, domed, shaved head; and pointed ears. Various gadgets ringed his head, and multiple piercings covered his face. With black pants, a black sleeveless shirt, and black boots, it was hard to see him. Tattoos covered his neck and arms.
Blake smiled and bared his fangs. He pointed at himself, then Seth. “I’m Blake Brown, and that’s Seth Williams. Got a moment?”
The DJ eyed them both, then raised his head a bit. In a rough voice, he said, “DJ Shrike. What’s up?”
“Sit,” said Blake, pulling out a chair.
DJ Shrike took a seat. He put his elbows on the table and glanced at Blake. “I’ve heard of you. The outlaw vampire.”
“Well … I have no clan, if that’s what you mean. My master is … far away, and a bit more powerful than what’s out here.”
DJ Shrike drew his head back a bit. “So I’ve heard. Also heard you served with the Fredorians.”
“Twenty years as a ranger … but I’m freelancing now, and looking for a sleazeball known as Alcarez.”
> DJ Shrike sat up in his chair. “What about him?”
Blake rubbed the side of his face. “For starters, I know you’re Raskarian, and most likely with the Vizerian. I can sense you, and I’m betting … the Vizerians know where Alcarez is.”
“Maybe we do, and maybe we don’t.”
“Tough customer,” said Blake with a smile. “I like that.” He raised a finger. “However … I have something to trade.”
Seth glanced at Blake.
“And what would that be?” asked DJ Shrike.
“Oh, you know … just the last five years of all music from Earth,” said Blake.
DJ Shrike jumped out of his chair. “You serious? You messing with me?”
“Dead serious,” said Blake. “Get me a storage device, and we’ll fill it up. All we ask for is Alcarez’s location.”
DJ Shrike sat back down and ran a hand over his mouth. “Normally have to talk to the council about this, but … people love my shit. They’d crap over what I could do with five years of fresh new music samples. You know that data is illegal, right … ?”
“Yep.”
DJ Shrike took a deep breath while nodding. “How do you want to do this?”
“We’ll fill up your device and then meet you wherever you want.”
DJ Shrike looked around. “You docked at the spaceport?”
“Yeah.”
“All right. I’ll meet you at the underground transit point, near the spaceport entrance. I’ll leave shortly after you two do.”
Blake glanced at Seth, who nodded. “Fair enough. See you then.”
After an hour, Blake carried the storage device that Seth had filled. They were hassled by spaceport security on their way back in, but after the device was scanned, the guards let them through. The entrance to the underground tunnel network that led to District G came into view.
Blake looked around as they walked down the slightly angled ramp. His senses picked up DJ Shrike immediately. The stench was harder to detect in the club, but near the spaceport, it stood out. He waved a finger forward. “He’s up ahead.”
