The Future Is Closer Than You Think

by Zaslow Crane

  “We t’ink you no pay enuff to hang aroun’. You no buy no-ting.”

  The other moved to my side, gently tapping the bludgeon in his ham-like hand.

  Then he added: “We tink you should pay more. You pay right now!”

  I guess the brothers thought I was getting ready to run, because they moved fast to cover the space between us.

  At this, he raised the small tree in his hand, but Abbot had activated the “policeman’s friend” in his hand.

  The “string” froze into a diamond studded and very efficient cutting device four feet long!

  Abbot sliced diagonally shoulder to hip across the guy about to strike us, and when the other assailant saw what was happening, he swung at Abbot’s head.

  He neatly sliced through the wood and continued his swing carrying away the top of the second guy’s head.

  I stood there poleaxed by Abbot’s over-the-top reaction.

  “Feck….me!” I breathed in shock and awe. I expected him to cut the bludgeon and scare the piss outta them. I wasn’t expecting…this!

  I wondered at this overreaction. Does he have Loastacin? The spacer’s disease? That would explain…this. I looked for an escape from this crazy dek.

  I saw him press the small orange third stud, which vibrated the blood off the line and retracted it. He turned off the tiny sabre and pocketed it as we made to leave.

  “Come on!”

  The people having sex were otherwise engaged, but the drug vendors looked to be armed.

  I was no longer sure I wanted what Abbot was selling, but I followed, such was my desperation.

  “Come on, damn you!! Time to leave here, it is!”

  As we ran, I considered what I’d just seen. Simple weapons…small weapons aren’t that difficult to obtain, But how, I wondered, How are there any weapons at all on a world where they are so illegal? Who is this guy?

  The grove was well behind us, but we didn’t stop, instead we walked briskly, not talking, but glancing behind every few steps to see if there was anyone pursuing.

  With a weapon like that against a damn cudgel, I guess not, I thought.

  lll Kino wasn’t big, but the walk to the other side of town and halfway back to see if we were being followed took the better part of a deci-hour.

  Eventually, and without any other speaking on Abbot’s part, we arrived at a grimy looking hotel. He gestured up the stairs and then to the right.

  The door looked to be some sort of metal. Not that surprising when you consider that this place is covered in trees but the lumber from those trees isn’t worth a tinker’s cuss in a snowstorm.

  He knocked three times, then two, then four. The door opened a crack, then wider to admit me and Abbot.

  Inside, seated around a dingy room were two women and two men.

  Abbot pointed to each in turn, the two guys: “Deacon, Priest” and then the two females: “Pope, Saint…Meet Bishop. I believe that we have our quorum. Have a seat, get a drink if you want one….”

  He looked at Pope, “Swept the room recently?”

  She nodded confidently, “We good…”

  “Excellent, thank you.”

  She nodded in acknowledgement, as if it was her due.

  Pope was lithe, thin…looked to be in good shape and literally about half my size. She wasn’t pretty in the conventional sense, but she had a look that made me want to look more. Sexy…independent.

  Deacon was very tall and very thin; balding with long fingers and a long face; Priest was big, a bit bigger than me, and with muscles that strained his clothing.

  Saint was stocky, with short-cropped dark hair, and a no-nonsense look about her.

  All wore more or less what Abbot and me wore. Not a uniform, just the same colors and styles.

  “No servo for the drinks?” I asked.

  “Not in a hotel this cheap. You’ll need to go get a beer yourself, or you’ll die of thirst.”

  Saint, Deacon and Priest thought this was funny and laughed at Abbot’s joke; Pope just watched everything.

  I got my drink and saluted the others before taking a swig from the small squareish container. I resolved to find out if the others were recruited in the same manner I was, but figured that could wait. Instead, I sat and waited to be told what the gig was.

  Abbot sized everyone up and then started. “Specialists we are. Each of you will fulfill a valuable and essential function. And if you do so, then, there is a chance, just a chance that we will all make it out of here and off world, wealthy people.”

  He paused and looked pointedly at each of us in turn before continuing.

  “The leader I am. What I say goes. Any insubordination will be met instantly with a minigun. Clear?”

  Nods all around.

  “That’s blest. This is my score, but I brought all of you along to do what you do best: Saint, here, is our ordnance and explosives expert.”

  “Deacon is our marksman. He can shoot any gun and hit almost anything anywhere. If it can be shot, Deacon can kill it.”

  “Priest will handle the ongoing logistics, planning, subject to my approval, of course, and will be second-in-command.”

  “Bishop, you’re our workhorse. After your experiences dealing with the fiasco and fallout of the Taranga incident. That proves to me that you can handle yourself in a tight situation.”

  I tensed at that mention of my latest failure again.

  “What about Pope?” I asked, missing out the only person not introduced.

  Priest said, “Oh, she’s coming along as eye candy, the randy little doxy….”

  Pope said nothing but saluted with but one finger.

  Abbot interjected, “She’s an expert finding, diffusing and developing countermeasures for traps…Booby and otherwise. Good with a scanner, too. Supposed to be the best hereabouts.”

  Let’s hope so, I thought.

  Saint plopped down next to Pope and hugged her.

  “She’s gonna keep us safe!”

  “Uh, excuse me,” I started. “I understand that this will not be a normal para-military operation, but what are we doing… To worry about bombs and booby traps?”

  Abbot sat down and looked at each of us in turn.

  “Once I tell you the beginning you have to decide if you’re in or out. After I tell you everything…You’re in. Understand?”

  Everyone nodded.

  “All right, first, the good news: Extraordinary is the amount of money that comes to all of us if we are successful, and I wouldn’t even consider going if I didn’t think we’d succeed. It will split seven ways – one for each of us and one to fund this little vacation jaunt. Since this is all on my shoulders and since I will be paying for everything, and since I have the map…I get the extra share. Any objections?”

  Pope languidly put her hand up. “I got no problum, but I gotta know whut I’m agreein’ to.”

  Abbot’s face clouded over with a brief flash of anger at her impatience.

  “Patience…”

  She made a gesture with her eyes and hands that said: “Go ahead.”

  “Fair enough. Anyone ever heard of the Roc of Petra?”

  “The mythical bird, out in the scrub?”

  “I hear it’s ten times the size of a man and ferocious!”

  Abbot held up a hand.

  “No…The idol. Thousands of years old…Made from a fortune in terranium with precious stones inset all along the base and with two serra-diamonds, diamonds as big as your head, inset as its eyes!”

  “Terranium?”

  “Just how big would this Roc thing be?” I asked. “And, where are the people who worship this idol? Won’t they object?”

  I spoke up above the general babble.

  “And why, for frake’s sake, has no one ever gone to steal it, that’s what we’re talking about, right? Stealin’ this precious idol? Why hasn’t anyone done it yet?”

  Abbot stopped and smiled.

  “Again. Now you know. Before I say anything else…In or out?�
��

  He pointed to Pope: “In,” she replied.

  Then Deacon: “In.” In one sylable Deacon’s basso filled the room.

  Then, me: “Aw…In…I got nothin’ more promisin’…”

  Then Priest: “In, baby! Waaay in!”

  “Saint?”

  “I’m with him. Waaaay in, too!”

  Abbot smiled.

  “Well, then. Congratulations. That’s blest! Blest it is! We are bound together until we succeed or we die.”

  He got up to get a bottle of local wine that had been chilling in the refrig unit. He poured a bit in each glass, holding his aloft.

  “To success and all of us enjoying it!”

  “To success!”

  Then I choked a bit on the wine.

  “Oh gods, this is bad wine!”

  “Yeah, Abbot, where did you get this swill?”

  He grinned. “It was the best the bodega at the corner had. Imagine if I’d cheaped out!”

  lll Pope and I inspected the gear.

  “All terrain quad and Corvini six-wheelers, cases of guns: slug and energized pulse tech, bombs and bomb making stuff, the biggest block and tackle I’ve ever seen…field dampers? Why do we need field dampers? Special blades and saws for clean-cutting terranium, rebreathers, gas masks, oxy: in, one, two, three…uh, five forms for our use…Night vision, IR vision goggles, radiation detection and protection, radiation scanners, shoulder mount lasers, mini rail-guns…gods! Plus enough food for a month of feasts, all outfitted onto this flat bottomed boat, with a crane built onto the stern, no less!”

  She smiled at me.

  “Im’pressed?”

  “Yes, and more than a little scared that he thinks we’ll need half this stuff.”

  “Scared, too?” she toyed with me.

  “Shit, lady. With all this stuff, the six of us could hold off a division of troopers.”

  She looked at me as if to say: “Don’t exaggerate.”

  “Think about it. What are we strolling into that we need all this firepower?”

  I suddenly found Abbot behind me.

  Damn! The man moved so quietly!

  “I believe in going in…what was the old Earther expression? ‘Loaded for bear?’ Yes, I believe that was it, though I confess I’ve no idea what ‘loaded for bear’ actually means. Nor any idea of what a ‘bear’ might be…or might have been. However, in this sense it means taking everything to cover every contingency. I’m paying, so why worry? Think of all this as a cautious man’s insurance.”

  “Not none of us are…cautious men…or women.”

  “Too true. Indeed,” A slight indulgent laugh, “Too true, but humor me.”

  “Yeah…Okay…Where did you find all this stuff on a planet where even owning a little popgun is illegal?”

  “Special orders.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Very special orders, they were.”

  I guess…

  Pope laughed a bit at my concerned face, before she slinked away.

  I watched her perfect and beckoning ass hungrily, and I’m certain she knew it.

  lll The Kinotal River took us in the right general direction, according to Abbot. It was seldom more than a man’s height deep, but it was usually over a hundred meters wide. Hence the flat-bottomed boat was invaluable.

  I was struck, I supposed at the river’s bright aqua color that became more pronounced in the middle where it was deepest. The contrast with the tan-green of most of the vegetation was remarkable.

  I wondered how much that much terranium weighed and if bringing it back on the boat would swamp it or worse. I looked over the side watching the foam flecked blue-green water lazily flow past.

  How will we ever unload all that cargo of valuable minerals anyway? Will we melt it down into ingots? Just cut it up? Can I even carry one seventh of our score?

  All these things were floating through my mind when I noticed a commotion approaching.

  Abbot was pushing Priest in front of him, Priest’s arms magna-lock’d behind him. For all his size, he looked helpless, but still defiant.

  Then I noticed the pulsegun in Abbot’s hand.

  “What’s goin’ on?” Pope demanded. She’d been eyeing Priest during the meeting and smiling that ‘I’ll see you later’ smile. Things didn’t look so good for Priest now.

  “I found this, and this, in his tackle.” He tossed out what looked to be a MirrenGov ID and what might have been a tracking module, onto the scuffed deck.

  Then, he hit Priest on the back of his head, forcing him to his knees.

  “Somebody give me a second opinion. Is that ID legit?” Deacon picked up both items and presently whistled in awe.

  “He a big deal in Cape City coppers.” Then, Deacon put his face in Priest’s, “You a fuckin copperhead?”

  Deacon suddenly had a small pistol in his hand held up against Priest’s jawline.

  Priest clenched his jaw and looked defiant.

  Look tough all you want, bitch. But you should also be prayin’ to your diety!, I thought. That’s bad luck, bad planning, bad everything….

  Abbot shoved Deacon out of the way and dragged Priest to his feet, standing him at the edge of the boat.

  “Anything? Skinny bitch? You send the fucking skinny to the gov on me? Bitch!”

  “What you’re doing is illeg-”

  Abbot shot twice into the air then shoved the superheated barrel of the gun roughly between Priest’s legs.

  Priest screamed in pain and alarm.

  Abbot stomped down on Priest’s feet and Priest’s eyes went wide.

  “You’re being tracked! I’m your only hope!”

  Abbot shot him in the forehead, and a small hole opened up in the back. Then Abbot lifted his foot and pitched Priest overboard. Priest leaked the red, red that flows in us all and the aqua waters briefly turned a ruddy brown, quickly left behind.

  Abbot stood up, trying to collect himself. He grimaced as if unhappy with himself. He positively vibrated with displeasure.

  “Checked, I did. I tried to be as thorough as I could…Still, I end up with this undercover scum. Damn.”

  He shook his head. Then he looked at each of us in turn. His gaze made me want to tremble. I stifled it, but I knew the burst of violence that he was capable of, wondering if, this time I’d really ‘stepped in it.’

  Abbot shook his head sadly, seeming mystified. “I was so careful. But not enough…Do better next time, I will.”

  He then turned to us, smiling again.

  “Well, we’ll have to do without him. More for all of us, eh?”

  “Blest! Blest! Instead of one seventh, now you’re all in for One sixth! That difference will buy you a second island on Jondirira, for when you get tired of the main island!”

  He tried to sound jolly, but we all were quiet, considering how fast we’d just been whittled down to a party of five instead of six.

  Just then, I caught the scent of something impossible. I turned to Saint, “Is anyone cooking something?”

  She grinned derisively. “On this tub? Where would we even try, hey?”

  “Umm hmmm. I guess…”

  I could swear that I smelled garlic. Just a whiff carried on the breezes and then gone. It can’t be. Not way out here, so far from Earth. I’ve not had garlic in ages…

  Then I remembered stories I’d heard, rechecked my weapons, and I began watching the skies more as we moved on.

  lll “Well, any loofa salesman can look at the river and track us, eh?” Abbot looked at a map tacked out on a gunwale. Deacon and Pope looked over his shoulder. Saint sat nearby, but was quiet. The murder disturbed her, as it did me. At the moment, I was as far away from Abbot as possible; at the stern, watching the water swirl in our wake.

  “So, now we fool ‘em, we will. We go to land sooner than we were gonna. Then we approach from more South-like. The tracker is in the drink with the traitor so all’s they know is where we were; not where we gonna be. ‘Sides, they got spy satellites. Now
they lookin’ for us, track us they won’t be able to – not if’n we go inland…’Kay?” He looked around briefly.

  “‘Kay!” He’d answered for all of us.

  lll We found a suitable spot to beach our whale and set up a ping’a’pong to alert us to where we’d left it. It changed freqs every second, so no worries on unwanted ears listening in…

  When we were finished pulling the flatboat ashore I began taking off my clothes.

  We’ll need the boat to ferry us back if the score is as big as Abbot says…We’ll need to find this damned thing for the return trip, and hope that the MirrenGov types aren’t so patient as to wait for us. I was thinking about the equipment we stowed ashore. I tried to guess what would be the most valuable things to bring; what we’d be forced to leave.

  Not much chance of backin’ out now…I thought. He’s serious enough to murder someone in front of us all. A Gov’ment someone, too. He made his point…and now I’ve begun to wonder if that was all planned: Get rid of a troublesome hitchiker and make us all afraid; afraid to question him.

  Deacon strode over to the area where equipment was being off-loaded.

  “What are you doing?” He articulated carefully, as if Earther wasn’t his first language.

  I looked up. I was stripped to the waist and the ties on my shoes had gotten knotted.

  “I figure if we’re going into the forest, this is my last chance to wash off. I figure to take it.”

  The shoe finally came off, then did my pants.

  I noticed Pope and Saint watching with interest. So what?

  I dove into the water and then stood up. The water was up to my chest.

  Saint called out to me. “You wanna be real careful-like. I hear they got those little chiggers in these waters that go up your willy and make a nest.”

  “Aw, I won’t be in here long enough for them to find me. Just a few deci-mins washin’, swimmin’ and then out and dry,” I replied.

  Pope stripped hurriedly and dove in off the boat. Her supple form sliding by me, almost touching. I wanted to reach out for her, but something told me not to.

  Saint jumped in a moment later with the air of a chaperone at a party.

  Eventually Deacon and Abbotstripped and washed off as well.

  When me and the others emerged, we dried off. I changed into clothing better suited for a lot of walking: heavier pants, shirt, hat, special boots and gloves.