Twin white towers stood in the distance, a constant reminder of the changes. They had been built by a company called OmniLab before the war began. Entry into the fully self-sustaining towers had been permitted to several thousand individuals that met specific criteria. Rumors indicated the price tag had been steep.
But even those self-sustaining towers had their weaknesses. The inhabitants craved the lost memorabilia that had once been commonplace in their society. These relics were considered luxury items and people like Carl were appointed by OmniLab to obtain artifacts from the ruins. In exchange, they provided necessary equipment, food, and other supplies critical for survival outside of the towers.
The Omnis, as they were called, had little to do with the outsiders. Carl and a few others were the only ones permitted to trade directly with the elusive Omnis. This relationship granted them exclusive rights to certain ruined areas. Only once an area was abandoned by the traders were the ruin rats permitted to scavenge and sell any additional findings to the traders. If a ruin rat scavenged in an area actively controlled by an Omni trader, the trader could essentially blacklist them from selling their findings.
Leo and other ruin rats had tried to approach the Omnis directly over the years, but they refused to acknowledge them. As a result, they were forced to work with an intermediary, usually Carl or another trader named Henkel. These traders usually took a cut off the top for negotiating with the Omnis, which could be significant depending on the item.
Leo was going to be pissed when he found out about the incident with Carl. He was already ticked off that they’d been in a different sector, but she knew he’d fly through the roof when he found out Carl had caught them.
She shifted into a higher gear and felt a slight thrill as the bike tore across the landscape. Veridian’s voice came over her headset. “Are you trying to kill us? Slow it down a bit.”
With a disappointed sigh, she downshifted. The adrenaline junkie in her would have to wait. They were approaching their base and she didn’t need to set Leo off any more than she already had.
As they pulled up, Kayla slowed the speeder until it came to a stop. She shut off the engine and went over to Veridian’s bike to help him unload the gear. They carried the equipment into the temporary base they’d set up a few weeks earlier.
Their lifestyle required them to move around periodically to locate new areas to scavenge. Usually, they stayed in a place for several months or even a year before they needed to move. The farther they were able to travel, the more they were able to scavenge without interference from the OmniLab traders. But they wouldn’t be able to trade for supplies as frequently. It was a delicate balance, but it seemed to work.
Kayla pulled off her helmet as Leo approached them. He was a tall, thin, balding man in his early forties and had been leading the camp for the past ten years. He was cantankerous and his mouth seemed to be permanently fixed in a frown. The years hadn’t been kind to him but Kayla supposed he hadn’t been kind to them either. He wasn’t a bad man. They just had different styles and Kayla preferred her independence.
“Where the hell do you two get off scavenging in an unmapped sector? If you know Carl’s crew is headed to the planned sector, you pull out and contact me. You don’t just decide to do whatever the hell you want.”
She rolled her eyes as she shrugged off her jacket, knowing the tirade was only temporary. Once he got a good look at their daily take, he'd be salivating. “Maybe you should wait to see what we found before jumping down our throats.”
Veridian put down a box of equipment with more force than necessary.
“You mean, what Carl let us keep,” he reminded her.
Kayla elbowed Veridian in the ribs, earning her a grunt in response. Leo looked back and forth between them. “What do you mean? Did something happen with Carl?”
She didn’t bother to reply. Instead, she pulled out her frequency detector, unscrewed the base and dumped the contents out on a nearby table. Leo’s eyes widened at the sight of the jewelry and the carving.
“Mmmm,” he murmured as he examined some of the pieces more closely. “These are excellent.”
Pleased with his praise, she pulled out the ruby necklace from her pocket and put it on the table with the rest of the jewelry. Leo frowned when he realized she had kept that piece separate from the rest of the stash.
“Why the diversion piece? What happened?”
She waved a dismissive hand. “Carl showed up. But the situation was handled.”
“Handled how? Dammit. We can’t afford any problems with him.”
Veridian folded his arms across his chest. “He’s trying to recruit her. She agreed to meet him at his base tomorrow to hear his offer in exchange for keeping what she scavenged today.”
Leo’s eyes narrowed on her.
“What’s the harm?” she asked with a shrug. “I go, pretend to listen, nod my head at the appropriate times, and leave. I think we ended up ahead in this arrangement.”
Leo threw up his hands. “What’s the harm? Everything! Kayla, you know how these traders work. They’ll screw over every single one of us to get what they want. We’re trash to them. I don’t like it and I don’t trust him.”
“I don't either but I already agreed to meet with him, Leo. Do you want me to break a deal with a trader?” Kayla gestured toward the back of the camp. “The auxiliary cooler is shot and needs to be repaired. If our main one goes down, we're in trouble. You're down one scavenger already from Johnny's accident last week. We need the credits and you know it.”
“Fine,” Leo relented with a scowl. “At least take Veridian with you. Hopefully he can keep you out of trouble.”
“That'll be a first,” Veridian muttered, staring up at the ceiling as though seeking divine intervention.
Kayla gave him a playful shove. “I was planning on taking V anyway. But this visit isn't anything to worry about. I can handle Carl. I’m more concerned he’s somehow managed to put a sniffer on our communication system.”
Leo scratched his head. “I thought you said your coms were clean.”
“Mine are,” Kayla insisted. “I can’t say the same for yours, though. I’m heading to the tech room now to run a scan.”
Leo grunted an affirmative answer and turned back to fully inventory the items Kayla had scavenged. She smiled inwardly at his eagerness. Motioning to Veridian, the two of them headed back toward the tech room.
The tech room was a small room filled with computers, both working and non-working. Machines disassembled for parts were pushed up against the walls. Kayla pulled up a crate to use as a makeshift chair and took a seat in front of the communication system’s interface.
Veridian stood over her shoulder while she started the system scan. “Kristin ran a scan yesterday. She didn’t notice anything unusual.”
Kayla didn’t look away from the data flashing on the screen in front of her. “Just for basic maintenance. She probably wasn’t looking for a sniffer.”
Veridian leaned forward to study the screen. “How could Carl have gotten one on this system?”
“With a little bit of skill and a whole lot of luck.” She tapped in a few commands. A new set of data appeared on the screen.
“Wait a second,” Kayla exclaimed. She grabbed Veridian's arm and pulled him down next to her. “Here we go. Gotcha, you bastard. Sneaky son-of-a-bitch.”
“You found it?”
Kayla nodded, drumming her fingers on the side console. “Yeah, but I may have to rethink my earlier assessment of him. The guy is an absolute genius or he’s got geniuses working with him.”
She pointed at the screen. “Check it out. This couldn’t have been done remotely. We would have picked up on it otherwise. That jerk managed to get one of his crew close enough to our physical system to install this. From the look of it, he's been monitoring Leo’s com system for weeks.”
He gaped at the screen. “Can you remove it?”
“I could,” she said with a wicked smile. “B
ut I have a better idea. I’m going to reroute the sniffer to link with another file.”
“What file?”
Kayla’s eyes glinted mischievously. “Remember that clip we snagged last week of Leo singing that old Elvis song, Love Me Tender?”
Veridian laughed. “Brilliant!”
She was silent for a few minutes while she finished redirecting the file. When it was completed, she turned back to him. “I have another idea, if you’re up for it.”
He ran his hand through his hair, a nervous trait he seemed to use when he was worried. “Uh oh. I know that look. This isn’t going to be good, is it?”
“I want to turn his own idea back on him,” she explained. “If we put together a bug or two to plant in Carl’s base tomorrow, we could get a jump on him and know which areas to avoid.”
Veridian frowned. “That’s pretty risky. You got lucky today, but if he catches you, it won’t go well.”
“Then I won't get caught.” She grinned, stood up and began sorting through some of the boxes of old equipment. “I think we have what we need to put something together. I’ll need your help though.”
Veridian hesitated for a moment as though debating whether she would go through with it even if he refused. He finally shrugged in resignation. “Fine, I’ll help. But planting a bug in his base is going to be difficult. He’ll probably suspect something like this.”
“Don’t worry about that. Carl will be watching me most of the time. He doesn’t trust me. I doubt he’ll be expecting you to do anything. You’ve got that wholesome, innocent thing going on. I’ll distract him while you plant a bug near his communications room. If I get a chance, I’ll plant another one in his office.”
Veridian picked up the soldering gun and magnification goggles. He handed them to her and said, “I hope you know what you’re doing. This could end badly if he catches us.”
Kayla slipped the goggles over her head and grinned. “What’s life without a little excitement?”
Chapter Two
The coordinate navigation system flashed on Kayla’s bike monitor to indicate they were nearing their destination. She let Veridian know of their approach through her headset and slowed down.
Carl's facility was substantially larger than the largest ruin rat camp. It was also a permanent fixture, built with specially treated building materials designed to withstand some of the climate effects. There were more than half a dozen bikes parked at the front overhang. Even though they appeared much nicer, she doubted they could keep up with her retrofitted transport. She disengaged her engine and climbed off, careful not to damage any of the scavenged items stored in her backpack.
Veridian pulled up beside her, hesitating before dismounting. She knew he was apprehensive about this visit. Hoping to lighten the mood, she gestured to the size of the base.
“Think he’s compensating for something?” she asked him through her headset.
Veridian groaned and shook his head. “Kayla, that's awful.”
Pleased she had managed to cut through some of his nervousness, she laughed and stepped through the UV Guard at the front entry. The sight of Carl and Cruncher waiting to greet them made it obvious Carl's crew had been tracking them since they approached the facility. Unsurprised, Kayla pulled off her helmet and jacket and hung them on the rack by the entry. Veridian followed her lead.
“Glad you decided to join us,” Carl said and extended his hand in greeting.
“Yeah, yeah,” Veridian muttered but took the proffered hand.
She stepped forward, placing her hands on her hips. “Let’s get this moving. I’m a busy girl. Business first, or the tour?”
Carl's mouth twitched into a slight smile. “And that’s one of the many things I like about you. You get right to it. Let’s go to my office. You can show me what you’ve brought to sell.”
“Suit yourself,” she replied and followed Carl down a long hallway. She noticed Cruncher followed a few steps behind her and Veridian, careful to make sure they didn’t stray. She’d have to find an opportune moment to distract both of them so Veridian could plant the bug. The other bug rested in her pocket. Although it was smaller than her fingernail, her awareness of it made it feel more like a large speeder.
Electronic dividers with the capability of blocking out light and sound surrounded Carl’s office. The costly technology gave the occupants a large measure of privacy. In spite of herself, Kayla was impressed with the extravagance.
Carl stepped over to his desk and waited while she opened her backpack. She spread out the jewelry and carving on the desk.
Cruncher let out a low whistle. “Holy shit, girl. How the hell did you manage to smuggle all of that out of there yesterday?”
She sat on the corner of the desk and feigned innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Cruncher. These trinkets have been in my family for generations. I told you I was just taking in the sights yesterday.”
Carl gave Kayla a hard look before turning to assess the merchandise. He studied each piece carefully before moving on to the next one.
“I may have underestimated you,” Carl admitted. He pointed to the collection. “I’ll give you twenty-five hundred for the lot. That’s a final offer. There’s no negotiation on this one.”
“Done.” She smiled sweetly. “I wouldn’t dream of trying to take advantage of your generosity.”
“Hmm.” Carl turned on his comlink and initiated the instructions to wire the credits to her account. When the transaction was completed, he scooped up the jewelry and put it into a lockbox located behind his desk.
Kayla verified the transaction had completed and hopped off the desk. “So, are we still on for the tour? Or have I worn out my welcome?”
Carl’s mouth twitched slightly as though he were suppressing a smile. “You’re not getting out of here quite so easily. You just cost me a few thousand credits and I intend to make sure you hold up your end of the deal.”
He slipped his hand behind the small of her back to lead her out of the office. She stiffened slightly at the gesture but allowed the contact. Veridian sighed and followed them with Cruncher trailing behind.
Carl took her into a large open room they used as a common area. A dozen chairs surrounded a large conference-style table. Cabinets covered most of one wall with a large countertop. A state-of-the-art food preparation and storage machine sat in the corner.
Two people turned to look at them when they entered. Kayla recognized Corsin from yesterday and a young woman she hadn’t seen before.
“Kayla and Veridian,” Carl introduced them. “This is Corsin and Arlisia. You met Corsin briefly yesterday. He’s one of our scavengers and Arlisia’s one of our crew techs.”
Corsin smiled warmly. “Nice to see you guys again. I’ve heard some wild stories about you, Kayla. You both have impressed the hell out of some of the other guys here.”
Arlisia, a tall, thin girl with a mass of blonde curls on top of her head, looked at Carl and Kayla with open hostility. “I’ve got stuff to do,” she announced, pushing away from the table. “I’ll catch you later, Corsin.”
Without another glance, she headed out of the room. Surprised by the rude departure, Kayla peeked up at Carl for an explanation. His jaw was set and he stared at the door where the young woman had disappeared. Corsin cleared his throat and offered weakly, “Uh, Arlisia’s somewhat temperamental. Ignore her.”
“She’s a good tech, but Corsin’s right,” Carl elaborated on an exhale, rubbing the back of his neck. “She’ll warm up once you get to know her.”
Kayla shrugged. She wasn’t there to make any friends or get caught up in camp drama. There was more than enough in Leo's camp to keep her busy. Carl continued the tour by saying, “Through here we have the crew’s quarters and the tech room.”
The crew’s quarters consisted of a large room separated into individual personal areas. Each personal area had a cot, a small desk, and a storage locker. It was much larger than Leo’s camp where the bunks
were sandwiched together in an open room.
Kayla ran her fingers along the wall, admiring the privacy dividers installed in this area. She wondered what it would be like to have a place of her own where she could shut out the world. The only place she ever felt a few moments of peace was down in the ruins. If nothing else, she had to give Carl credit for providing his people with some rather expensive comforts.
They moved to the tech room next. Carl paused outside the door, an expectant look on his face. “I think you’re going to enjoy this room.”
Puzzled, Kayla moved past him and stepped inside. Realization dawned and her eyes grew wide in excitement as she stared at the equipment Carl recently acquired from OmniLab.
“No fucking way.”
Forgetting her plan to act nonchalant, she moved across the room to pick up one of the underground sensors designed to detect rare metals. She ran her fingers across it with reverence, recalling what she'd read about it. Not only was it one of the prototypes unavailable to ruin rats, but it was capable of locating specific rare metals housed within other metals. It had the potential to detect artifacts hidden miles below the surface.
She looked up at Carl in disbelief. A knowing smile flitted across his face. “I picked it up a few days ago. There are some other prototypes in there too. OmniLab developed a new chemical monitoring kit and some other UV protective gear. We were asked to test it out.”
“Oh man. I read about these, but to actually see them…” Her voice trailed off as she began rifling through some of the other equipment, incredulous at the playground of toys around her. Veridian crossed the room to study some of the monitors mapping the topography of the area.
“This is amazing.” He gestured to the monitors. “You’re able to track all of this from here?”
Carl nodded and pointed to one of the screens. “That’s the IM-XL system. It uses our current geographical location to generate some basic topographic maps of the underground ruins. It uses the old world maps as a basis for comparison and updates to provide new potential ruin locations.”
Beneath the Fallen City Page 2