by C H Gideon
Geroux snarled. “Trying to hack the planet’s security,” she replied barely loudly enough for Jiya to hear her, “but it’s like crazy complicated.” She shook her head, her frustration obvious. “It shouldn’t be this hard. I’ve been at it for a while.”
“What do you mean?”
“The tech they use here is comparable to Lariest’s in design,” Geroux told her. “The coding looks basic, not even as complex as the systems at your father’s compound but for some reason, I can’t seem to get past the initial line of defense. It’s like there’s a second layer of a different kind that stops me cold. It’s weird.”
Jiya nodded. “It’s not the only weird thing about this place,” she told her friend. “The Gold Mine Casino is operating some kind of scam.”
Geroux looked up from her computer, eyes narrowing. “A scam?”
“Yeah. They’re doing something to make the players keep gambling even when they lose.”
Geroux chuckled. “That’s just what gamblers do, Jiya. It’s normal.”
“No,” Jiya argued, “it’s more than that. Maddox is in there losing a bunch of Reynolds’ money. He hasn’t left his seat once, hasn’t ordered a drink, and hasn’t tried a different game,” she explained. “He was winning big, then I heard one of the casino men mention tweaking the algorithm and all of a sudden, Maddox was losing. Losing big, and he didn’t care.”
“Well, it isn’t his money,” Geroux suggested. “Maybe he’s okay with facing down Reynolds for its loss.”
Jiya shook her head. “When have you known Maddox not to be disciplined?”
“Uh, true, but he has been locked up for a long time,” Geroux replied. “He could be making up for lost time.”
“I thought that too, but no. We need to get him out of there, but comm is down.”
Geroux tried hers and grunted. “Mine too. It’s all this interference,” she said, gesturing to the lights and signs.
“I’m starting to think it’s more than that,” Jiya told her. “Let’s head back to the tarmac and see if we can reach Reynolds.”
Geroux nodded and rose to her feet. It was only then that Jay realized the Melowi wasn’t with her.
“Hey, what happened to Ka’nak?”
Geroux sighed. “Lost him at the fight pits hours ago.”
“Of course you did,” Jiya replied, grunting. “We should have kept him on a leash.”
Geroux giggled, thinking of the huge fighter wearing a leather collar and being led around, and the pair made their way back to the landing area.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Are you sure about this?” Reynolds asked once the two crew members returned to the superdreadnought.
“Whatever they’re doing in there, it’s not natural,” Jiya replied.
“I tried to hack Dal’las Tri’s systems while I was there, but they kept kicking me out like I was some baby hacker in diapers,” Geroux added. “There’s no way that’s normal for a place like this.”
“I’ve opened a running tab for Maddox to keep him in place, although he’s going to have to work his ass off to repay this if we don’t collect his losses from the casino,” Reynolds said.
“It’s not his fault,” Jiya argued. “They’ve hacked his brain or something. We need to get him out of there.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it, but right now, we need to figure out how to disengage him from the game.” Reynolds glanced at the XO’s station. “XO, have you been able to penetrate Dal’las Tri’s security?”
“The kid’s right,” XO answered. “There’s a deeper system buried beneath the exterior level, and it’s complicated as shit. There’s no reason for a tourist-trap planet like this to have security of this caliber. It’s way out of proportion to the level of tech on the planet.”
“Kurtherians?” Reynolds asked.
“Maybe,” XO told him, “but I can’t be sure. Whatever it is, I’m slowly beginning to peel it apart. There are some pretty complex layers involved.”
“There!” Tactical called, and the viewscreen flashed to life.
A number of waveforms appeared on the screen, and XO began separating them and deleting them from the image until only one signal remained.
Geroux gasped. “That’s a neurological wave beam.”
“Exactly,” XO replied. “It’s emanating from the Gold Mine Casino and seems to encompass the entire gaming area, as well as some of the nearby buildings. I’m guessing they are owned by the same people.”
“Does it cover the fighting pits?” Geroux asked.
“It looks like it does,” XO replied.
“That likely explains Ka’nak’s attitude then,” Geroux said, clearly glad the warrior had more of an excuse than simply wanting to brawl.
“Is that what’s making Maddox and the others gamble everything away?” Jiya asked.
“Most likely,” Comm told her. “This type of signal works like a neural inhibitor, suppressing certain aspects of a person’s personality.”
“In this case, it’s likely working on their restraint or concern for consequences, judging by what you’ve told us,” XO continued. “Although you may be right that his time in solitude made him more susceptible, the beam is powerful and would catch nearly anyone in its trap.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t fall under its spell,” Reynolds told Jiya.
“I never played any of the games,” she answered with a shrug. “Plus, when I was young, my uncle was a drunk and a gambler. I watched him gamble away everything he had in a drunken fugue.” She sighed. “My father ultimately exiled him to who knows where, but I got to see the fallout day in and day out until he disappeared. I swore I’d never be like him.”
“I remember him,” Geroux said, leaning in and giving Jiya a hug. “He was kind of an ass.”
“That probably helped,” XO said. “This beam is tightly focused, it appears, and it’s definitely designed to attack a person’s inhibitions. The slightest hint of an addictive personality and it sets it off.”
“Which explains Maddox,” Reynolds said. “You can’t rise to the top of the military without collecting a number of coping mechanisms, which usually involve alcohol. Ka’nak’s addictions are different, but this device is likely working on him just the same.”
“So, can we shut this thing off?” Jiya asked.
“Not from here, I’m afraid,” XO answered. “While we can detect the waveform with narrowed sensors, it’s not actually a part of the planet’s system. This is an independent device, so it has to be shut down from the source.”
“The casino.” Jiya groaned. “Great. Guess that means we’re going back to the planet. It seems like the only thing we run is rescue missions.”
“Looks that way,” Reynolds agreed. “Go see Takal. He’s been working nonstop on those suits of armor since we dug them out of storage. I’m sure there’s something there you can use while we’re down on the planet.”
Jiya nodded, remembering the cloaking device Takal had shown her the last time she’d visited his lab. If that was ready, she could definitely use it.
“Will do,” she replied, offering a salute to Reynolds. She and Geroux left the bridge and headed to the lab.
With Maddox stuck in gambling mode and Ka’nak busy busting heads for money, it was up to them to make things right.
Jiya was okay with that.
Rasaka stood on the bridge of the Exeter, the Thra’kali Department of Exploration’s recovery craft. He stared at the viewscreen which showed the wreckage of a Thra’kali scout ship he’d come to collect.
There’d been a report of one of their ships going missing on a scouting mission, and they’d only just managed to track its beacon back to the source.
“No wonder,” Rasaka muttered, seeing the absolute ruin that was the scout ship. “I’m surprised we received a signal at all.”
His crew maneuvered the recovery ship into place as his second, Bolus, accessed the wrecked ship’s databases.
“Sir,” Bolus
called, “the scout’s data has been pillaged, all of it uploaded by the craft that took it out.”
Rasaka growled and slammed a fist into the arm of his seat. “Any idea who did this?”
“I’m reviewing the security systems now, sir,” Bolus replied, fingers flying across his console.
Rasaka watched quietly as the Exeter extended a tractor beam and pulled the wreckage toward the salvage bay.
“On screen, sir,” Bolus told him after a few minutes.
The viewscreen flickered and changed views, and Rasaka grunted as he spied the massive craft chasing the scout craft. His heart thumped loudly in his chest when he realized the ship was the largest combat vessel he’d ever seen.
“They didn’t have a chance, sir,” Bolus muttered, and Rasaka agreed, seeing the monstrous ship bearing down.
He narrowed his eyes and stared hard at the superdreadnought as it drew closer, weapons firing. “Whose is that?”
Bolus gasped. “I absolutely don’t know. Never seen anything like it.”
Rasaka watched the destruction of the scout craft and the pillaging of its systems by the Federation bots that invaded the craft after it had been scuttled. He saw the last of the bots barely escape the wreck and watched as the superdreadnought Gated away as if nothing had happened.
“Take us home,” Rasaka growled. “We need to report this immediately.”
Jora’nal would want to know.
“You need to see this,” Takal shouted as soon as Jiya and Geroux entered the lab. He waved them over.
Reynolds had been right. Takal had been working on the armor for the last several days without stopping. Pieces of the black suits lay scattered across his workbench. He held up a gauntlet, grinning.
“Nice,” Jiya joked. “A glove.”
Takal chuckled. “It’s so much more than that, young lady.”
He triggered a switch and a gleaming silver blade shot from the glove, jutting out about a half a meter.
“Woah!” Geroux muttered, taking a step back.
“There’s one in each gauntlet,” Takal explained, moving the shimmering blade so it struck a piece of steel rebar he had propped up. The blade cut through it with ease, the tip of the rebar clattering across the table.
“Damn, that’s sharp as hell,” Jiya exclaimed. “Where did you find those?”
Takal grinned. “Been scouring the ship, and stumbled across information regarding transference of energy. I applied the theory, and this is the result.”
“What do you call this?”
“I’ve been calling it ‘Kami,’” he replied.
“Divine energy?” Geroux asked, translating the word.
“Exactly,” Takal said with a nod. “What better name for it?”
“Those things look mighty dangerous,” Jiya mumbled. “I like them.”
“I’ve installed them on several of the suits,” Takal told them, “And I’ve sized a suit for each of you, so you won’t be swimming in them this time around.”
“Excellent,” Geroux said, grinning.
“What about your cloaking device?” Jiya asked.
“That is a different matter altogether,” Takal replied with a grunt. “I’ve been having difficulty shrinking the tech to make it more effective. So far, I’ve only managed to install it on one suit.” He pointed to a suit of dark armor set aside from the rest. “Fortunately, it’s in the one I sized for you, Jiya.”
Jiya cast a sideways glance at Geroux. “That leaves you vulnerable.”
“Not in that stuff.” Geroux shook her head and pointed at the armor. “The locals don’t have anything near this badass,” she said. “Besides, you’re more likely to need a distraction to get into the casino where the neural device is.” She grinned and raised her hand. “Looks like I’m volunteering.”
“You’re crazy,” Jiya told her friend, hugging her. “You sure about this?”
“We need to get Maddox and Ka’nak out from under that device’s influence before it does permanent damage. A person can only sustain that level of interference for so long before it starts to have consequences,” she answered. “Besides, I’m sure Reynolds wants Maddox to stop spending his money.”
Jiya chuckled. “No doubt about that.”
“Then let’s get it done,” Geroux told her friend.
“I’ve got an idea,” Jiya said, rubbing her hands together maniacally. “Help us get suited up, Takal.”
He sighed. “I’m going to regret enabling you, aren’t I?”
“The odds are good, Uncle,” Geroux responded, breaking out in a wide grin.
“The odds are very good,” Jiya confirmed. “Let’s get ready to kick some cheating casino ass.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Outside of the casino in a secluded alley, Reynolds turned to the crew.
“Understand that we’re not here to kill anyone,” he warned. “We get in, we get the job done and Maddox out, then we collect Ka’nak and return to the ship. Easy-peasy.”
Jiya nodded her understanding, knowing that since she was running point, he mostly meant her. She triggered one of the blades and grinned.
“I’ll keep these bad boys under wraps, don’t worry.”
Reynolds’ eyes narrowed into metallic slits. “Where did you get that?”
“Takal added it to the suit,” she answered. “Slick, huh?”
The AI leaned in, looking closely and whistling. “Hmmmm. Seems Takal and I need to have a chat here soon.”
“About?” Geroux asked, clearly feeling defensive toward her uncle.
“Oh, it’s nothing bad,” Reynolds assured her. “But yeah, don’t use that blade on anyone here unless you are positive you want to kill them, okay?”
Jiya couldn’t help but wonder why Reynolds was so riled up about the blades, but she knew better than to question him right then. They had a job to do, and Maddox and Ka’nak were counting on them. She could pick Reynolds’ brain later.
“We up to date on the plan?” Reynolds asked.
Geroux nodded, and Jiya glanced her friend’s direction. Just like Reynolds and Jiya had, she’d covered her armor with robes that flowed to her feet, and she wore a hood low on the back of her head. With the exception of the black-booted toes sticking out when she walked, there was no way to tell she was suited up in battle armor.
“I go in, try to grab Maddox, and make a scene. If he ignores me or resists, or someone tries to stop me, I escalate,” Geroux listed. “Big time.”
“Get out of the building if things get too hectic,” Jiya reminded her. “You need to be where Tactical can cover you without a bunch of collateral damage if need be.”
“We’re not expecting that kind of aggression from these folks, but you never know,” Reynolds told her. “Whoever is running the bigger game behind the scenes might not take kindly to us wrecking it.”
“I’ll be fine,” Geroux assured them. “The local security forces are understaffed and unprepared. I’ll bail if things get too hairy and wait for you two.”
“You sure we won’t trigger metal detectors or alarms at the door with all this armor?” Jiya asked.
Reynolds shook his head. “We’ll be fine. These guys are relying on their neural inhibitor to keep patrons under control more than they are basic security measures. Besides,” he tapped Geroux on the arm, “this stuff won’t trigger metal detectors.”
“Then let’s get this over with,” Geroux said, pulling her hood over her head and setting off across the street.
Reynolds and Jiya gave her a few seconds’ head start, then went into the casino. Both angling off to the left where Comm had directed them before the communications system went down. Robes bundled around them, hands crossed in front, they shuffled slowly into position as Geroux made her way toward Maddox’s table.
As expected, he was still there.
“The bastard could have bought a destroyer with all the money he’s blown,” Reynolds mumbled.
“It’s not his fault,” Jiya defended. �
�If you want to take it out on someone, take it out on these casino people who are running the scam.”
“Oh, I intend to,” Reynolds assured. “Comm located the servers when he was scanning for the device.” He grinned. “A quick stop, and we’ll earn back every credit Maddox lost—and then some.”
Jiya grinned, watching her friend as they spoke. Geroux approached Maddox, pushing through the crowd to get beside him. Jiya could tell even from where she stood that Maddox was still caught in the thrall of the device. A few of the other players had vanished in the meantime, but with Reynolds’ endless supply of cash, Maddox played on, and the house let him.
“Uncle Maddox!” Geroux screamed as she tugged at the man, yanking him out of his seat. “What is wrong with you?”
The casino stilled at the sound of her voice and she made a show of it, pulling on Maddox and knocking a couple of the other players from their seats in the process. The dealer tried to stop her and she shrugged him off as the players, still under the fugue, scrambled like zombies to get back to their seats and continue playing.
Casino security responded immediately, and suited men closed on Geroux.
“I don’t like the idea of leaving her alone,” Jiya muttered.
“She’ll be fine,” Reynolds told her. “We have our part to play. We can’t be worrying about Geroux while we’re doing it.”
The first of the security men reached Geroux and grabbed her arm, but Geroux was having none of it. She twisted loose and leveled the man with a single punch. His head bounced off the carpet, clearing a path in the crowd.
Reynolds chuckled. “See? I’m more worried about the security guys.”
Alarms sounded, and a swirl of movement erupted, casino security moving patrons out of the way to reach Geroux as she ducked and dodged behind the lollygagging gamblers.
“Come on,” Reynolds said. “We need to go.”
Jiya growled but let Reynolds lead the way as Geroux reveled in the power of her armor, punching another man in the face and sending him toppling over.
