Fire and Steel

by Gavin Magson

  Ajax sat down on the sole chair and reached over for the platter Raúl had left on the bed. He wolfed down mouthfuls, trying his best to slow himself as his stomach protested as it stretched to meet his appetite. When Ajax finally had a hold of his hunger he took his time with the remainder, savouring its taste. A glass of yellowish liquid, rich and creamy from a high fat content, washed away what was left of his meal.

  With his food finished Ajax pushed back the chair he was sat on, standing and turning around to see Major. The man stood in the room’s doorway, a small box held in one hand and a look of pure curiosity on his face.

  “Raúl tells me you have been doing a little cosmetic surgery. Someone like him would not understand what the scars of battle means to a man, though I am intrigued as to what army you once served in. If you fought for the Believers you know what the punishment would be; I would be forced to hand you over to the authorities, your permanent execution guaranteed.”

  “I did not fight for them; you have nothing to worry about there.”

  Major held eye contact for a little longer than was comfortable, staring deep into Ajax's eyes for any trace of a lie. He only looked away when he was satisfied the man told the truth, stepping forward and holding the box out towards Ajax.

  “This belongs to you now. Once you have finished disposing of Henry we can have it back inside your body.” said Major.

  Ajax accepted the box, opening it with a confused look on his face. Inside was a small piece of yellow paper, torn from a larger sheet, with a message scrawled hastily upon it. The paper was wrapped around an implant, which he could only guess was his own. The handwriting and the letters contents were all too familiar to him; Ajax had studied the note until it was memorised.

  “Where did you get these?” he asked.

  “Inside the Sector Four Vault. Your friends paid for a proper burial, a rare thing for people in the lower sectors to afford. The implant was how it was found, the note had been wrapped around it already. Don't worry, no one read it. I have to say it is a convincing forgery, most of our systems could not detect it as anything but genuine.”

  The shocked look on Ajax's face was all Major needed to know that his suspicions were correct. He had lied, he did not know for certain the implant was a fake.

  “If you never fought for the Believers why do you have a forged implant? It is obvious you were not born on Konar, but any of the Konarian territories would have supplied you with an implant at birth. Where did you say this battle was that gave you those scars?”

  “You would not have heard of the place, of that I am sure.” answered Ajax, avoiding the man's stare as he moved over to sit on his bed.

  Major sat down on the vacated seat, an audible sigh escaping his lips once the weight was taken off his injured leg. He removed a thin case from his dark uniforms jacket pocket, selected a cigar from inside, and ignited it with an unseen flame. Ajax only looked up when he heard the case snap shut.

  “I know the names of every planet that has been lost in the last two centuries; I think I would know where this battle was fought. If you are to work for me I want total transparent honesty between us. I will always answer your questions truthfully, please do the same for mine.”

  “You would not have heard of it because the planet was annihilated long before you, or even your ancestors were born. I am not from this planet, this system; not even this galaxy. I was thawed from cryogenic stasis several months…no, longer than that. Only after you rebuilt my body did some of my past memories come to me. I am not from this time, of that I am certain.”

  It was the first time Ajax had seen Major speechless, a truly surprising and unexpected sight. The room was slowly filling up with thick cigar smoke, giving Ajax an unpleasant after-taste as he breathed in the fumes. He could not remember ever having smoked a day in his entire life, which might have changed following his slaying of Rascas. Duke had considered offering him a cigar not long after sitting down on the fountain; he was glad the man had thought otherwise.

  “Are you claiming to have been alive when the first Founders discovered Konar?” asked Major, finally breaking his silence.

  “I don't know anything about these Founders you speak of. I could tell you which year I was frozen in stasis, but it does not fit into your calendar. I have no idea how long ago I was frozen, or how far the ship I was in drifted during that time. All I know is I am alive here and now; I would like to keep it that way.”

  Major seemed to take his time mulling over this development. If he had known what would come to light from mentioning Ajax's implant was a fake, he would have thought twice about his actions.

  “This does not change anything, for now. If it is alright with you I might have a full medical performed to confirm you aren’t suffering some form of psychosis from your death. I would like to believe this tale; you are free to use this installations resources to find out more about your history, but for now, just focus on Henry Steel. Don’t tell anyone else of your origins, the next person might not be so accepting of this revelation. Here is a blank tablet,” Ajax accepted the familiar object, noting how it was half the size of the one he once owned. “you won't be able to contact anyone but myself and your pilot using it, and I’ll be monitoring any attempt to circumvent the devices security.

  “You’ll likely find Ilya on the mansions top floor, Raúl tells me Henry keeps her in the southeast corner of the mansion to ensure no guests hear her. You’ll find at least eight guards patrolling the guards and probably another eight inside the mansion.”

  “Thank you, Major. Ilya is my top priority, once she is safe I’m going to make sure Henry truly suffers for what he has done.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I care not for this woman; my only interest in all this is Henry’s death, so make sure you handle him. I have stored two sets of coordinates in your tablets map, one is Henry's mansion and the other is the location of his off-site backups. We don't know exactly how many bodies he has, probably no more than five in total. Kill them first and, this time, his death will be permanent.”

  Ajax knew Major didn’t care about Ilya, but there was no need for the bastard to voice it. Ajax tried not to think too much of it and fired the tablet into life, opening the map of Konar City once he could. Major was correct, two green markers on the map indicated the destinations he spoke of, yet only one was inside Sector Four.

  “How am I going to move between sectors without an implant?” he asked.

  “No need to worry about that. I will have a ship drop you off at the first site and then transport you into Four once the clones have been dealt with. There is no precedent for an operative such as yourself, so I will disregard my own thoughts on the matter and give you an hour once Ilya is free before you are returned to the base. Do in that time as you see fit but use your own judgement as to whom you trust with the fact you are alive; I will not hesitate to silence any who could undermine my operation. And, no matter what, don't get caught by the authorities.”

  “Thank you, I guess. I’m presuming that this might be the last chance I have to see Ilya and the crew?” asked Ajax.

  “Not necessarily. Like I said, you will be a unique operative. Considerable time and resources have been invested in you, and I will need a return upon that investment. That said, if I had you working nonstop it would only be a matter of time before fatigue set in and posed a threat to my resource. You will, periodically, get leave between assignments, how often depends entirely on your ability to swiftly complete the tasks at hand.”

  “Could you tell me more about these assignments? Taking care of Henry seems more of a reward than a job; it would be nice to know what to expect in the future.”

  “That depends entirely on where you are needed. You report to me, yet there are men I report to who might want to use you for their own purposes. Once word spreads of your talents I think that Ajax Frost might be in high demand… why are you laughing?” asked Major.

  “Because Frost was just a poor pun that Duke came
up with, as I couldn’t remember my full name. Centuries frozen in stasis, hence Frost. Can you make me a new implant?”

  “We could, I don’t think it’d hurt to have the genuine article. What is your birth name?”

  “Ajax Mors.”

  “Mors? Never heard it before. I’ll get a technician to make up a new implant, but for now just focus on the task at hand. After Henry is dead you will soon be sent on another assignment; perhaps even off world, if needed. That is something for me to consider once you have returned. When do you feel like tackling Henry’s assassination?”

  “What time is it?” asked Ajax.

  Major checked his watch, its cheap metal the only tarnished aspect of Major’s entire appearance. “A couple hours off midnight.”

  “Now is good for me.”

  Chapter 26

  It occurred to Ajax that free will was but a fallacy, probably dreamt up as a convincing illusion that could keep the masses under control. Since his awakening on board the Illicit Jane he had willingly agreed to countless tasks that had constantly involved putting his life on the line, and he could not help wondering what his important reason for doing so was. In the end love had seen him beaten and tortured, until at last Henry had killed Ajax.

  There was something about being left alone on the landing platform, fierce winds whipping at him, threatening to freeze him to the spot, that made Ajax consider whether punching Major would be a good life choice.

  Somehow, and he was still struggling to believe it, he had managed to join a military outfit that he still knew nothing about, although Ajax realised that the choice had been taken away from him when presented with the option to either join freely or die. He presumed that now meant punching Major was deemed a court martial offence and would see him hung or shot for his crimes. Yet, right now, with his body rigid with cold, Ajax felt it a risk worth taking.

  Konar's military base was gargantuan, it was the only word that could possibly describe it. Ajax was convinced that the entirety of Sector Four could fit within it, though there might not be much space spare. He had climbed up several levels to get out of the laboratory, soon taking a long elevator ride that took him to the surface. What had greeted him were open skies in every direction, save for when he felt brave enough to peer over the edge.

  The military base hovered easily a thousand feet above Konar, perhaps more. Ajax could not even fathom what could keep such a beast afloat and, despite expecting to hear them, there was a complete lack of giant turbines whirring or engines rumbling. A high fence ringed the perimeter for as far as he could see, which he clung to with one hand to keep himself steady. Despite the darkness Ajax could just make out the rolling seas below, reflections from both moons looking back at him. To fall now would be certain death, no chance of revival.

  Major had escorted him as far as one of the bases store rooms, where a quartermaster had sized Ajax up and returned with an outfit of fine black clothing, with boots to match. The ensemble was a poor man’s version of what Major wore, with a lack of patches or pips to identify Ajax's rank or unit. Major had not even tried to pretend this didn’t mean Ajax was disposable, should he be caught.

  Ajax watched as the platform to his right jerked into motion and descended from view. Despite the roaring winds he could still hear the rumbling mechanism that allowed the platform to lower and raise. When the platform came back into view a sleek craft was perched on it. The craft was almost a perfect mirror, and as Ajax tried to focus on its surface he felt his eyes drawn away, an unseen force persuading them to disobey his directions. A rear hatch opened, soundlessly lowering until it stopped just above the floor. Ajax took the open door as an invitation to board. He checked the pistol was still strapped at his side and walked up the ramp, careful not to stumble as the wind tried to topple him.

  Inside the ship was cramped, only at gunpoint could you have fitted more than three people within. The pilot turned in their chair as he stepped inside; Ajax did well to hide his surprise that the figure was female.

  “You must be my charge for tonight. Where to first, boss?” asked the woman.

  Ajax pulled out his tablet, when the screen unlocked it instantly displayed the map Major had loaded onto it. “Can you take me there?”

  “I can take you anywhere. Sit down and strap yourself in, this thing packs a real punch.”

  Ajax took her advice and sat in the vacant seat behind and to the left of the pilot, who's chair was central in the cockpit. He barely had chance to pull the straps over his shoulder and click them into place before the ship lifted off, pulling away from the floating base with ease. The pilot pushed forward on the controls and incredible acceleration had Ajax pressed back into his seat.

  It took a few minutes for him to accustom to the awesome speed, peeling himself away from the seat to better look out of the window. Familiar sand dunes were zipping out of sight as soon as they appeared; he now knew what could be found past Konar’s expansive desert. Despite being such a small craft it's lights reached hundreds of feet ahead; the only way he could see anything at this speed.

  It wasn't long until the city came into view, rearing up from the desert and reaching up towards the clouds above. The pilot eased off the controls, allowing the craft to gradually slow down on the approach. The lights were killed and instantly darkness returned. The relief of pressure as they slowed was astonishing, and finally Ajax could sit up properly in his chair. The screen in front of the pilot flickered, replacing the darkness with a confusing overlay that outlined buildings in a bright silver light. They climbed, once more pushing Ajax back into his seat, skipping every sector border until the ship slowed enough that Ajax could see they were flying over an unfamiliar area.

  “Where exactly are we?” asked Ajax, raising his head away from the seat and trying to flex his aching neck.

  “Sector Three. I’m guessing that it is a little upmarket from what you are used to? The address that you gave me isn't far from where I will set down; I'll get as close as I can without alerting anyone of our presence, but then you are on your own. Your tablet has a direct line into my headset, so if you have any complications just call me. Good luck.”

  He hadn't realised that she had been bringing the ship down whilst talking, barely a whisper could be heard from the engines to either side of the ship. With the faintest clunk they touched down. The pilot flicked a switch on her right console and the ramp began to lower behind Ajax.

  Ajax thanked the woman and unclipped his straps, climbing out of the seat into a stoop to avoid braining himself on the ceiling. He stepped out into the night air, breathing in the familiar smell of Konar City. Ajax was surprised that the weather was mild and a lot warmer than stood on the military base, yet entirely thankful for it. He turned around and almost failed to see the ship he had just left.

  The ramp had closed noiselessly, completing the camouflage effect that almost perfectly disguised the ship. If Ajax concentrated enough he could make out the mirrored edges, but only because he now knew what it was he needed to look for. Ajax stepped back a dozen paces, almost backing into a low wall he had failed to notice. From here there was no subtle hint of the ship’s existence, and it left him wondering how he would find his way back to the ship when the first stage of his mission was complete.

  Ajax studied the map displayed on his tablet, first getting his bearings before setting off in the direction of the green triangular map marker that highlighted his destination. As he navigated through the streets of Sector Three Ajax could not help but focus on the pilot’s comment, I’m guessing that it is a little upmarket from what you are used to. How did this stranger, who should have been focusing on piloting the craft, manage to deduce that he was lowlier than the inhabitants of Three? Unless she had been briefed on Ajax prior to departure he struggled to understand how she could so easily assess him. Ajax did his best to push the thought aside; any distraction now could mean a more permanent end to his existence.

  From what little Ajax could make out under
the pale light of twin quarter moons it appeared as if, based on this area at least, Sector Three was far from a different part of the city; he could almost confuse it for the upmarket districts of Four. Ajax was surrounded entirely by tall buildings, pale lights shining inwards meant that little light leaked into the street. He could hear voices and machinery, though the lack of volume suggested that the night shift was not a busy one in these parts. He scanned each window and doorway, ensuring no person spotted him in transit.

  His clothes did well to disguise his presence whilst he smoothly darted between the sparsely distributed street lights. No mere onlooker would have seen Ajax, only those trained to recognise shadows would have spotted him as a near invisible creature of the night. Ajax was impressed by the outfit Major had fitted him with, high quality, well insulated and the deepest black you could find without weaving clothing from pure darkness itself. It clung close to his body, which prevented the gentle breeze from causing it to slap against his body.

  The beacon on his screen gradually grew bigger as Ajax neared his target, the marker beginning to pulse as he moved tantalisingly close to the location. He looked around at the buildings he walked past, seeing how they were drab, boxy, and lifeless. This was good; he did not want too many witnesses to his return.

  Ajax rounded a corner, stopping himself just in time before he stepped out into a guard’s line of sight. He slowly edged backwards until only his face peered around the corner at the lone building.

  This had to be his target, the reinforced fence and patrolling guard could only mean one thing; whatever was on the other side was very valuable to someone. Ajax stepped back before confirming with the map of his tablet, careful so as to not illuminate himself and alert the guard.

  The building was modest in size, not much bigger than the average house he had seen back in Four. If Henry was the owner then he had saved money on personnel, the guard was younger than Ajax and obviously lacked proper training.