by Melissa Good
“You asked for a bio alt.” Kurok’s lips twitched. “I come with the territory, Alex.”
“Ah huh,” Bain mused, then shook his head. “Bricker, what’s going on here?”
Bricker recovered. “Sir, that person requested dismissal. We followed procedure and processed the request.” He pointed at Jess. “She was supposed to leave on the shuttle.”
“I see.” Bain regarded him. “And you allowed this without intervention?”
Bricker shrugged. “I don’t need quitters or lone wolves,” he said. “I saw no reason to intervene or even ask.”
“I see. Hm.” Bain half turned and regarded Dev, who was standing as far back as she could on the platform. “And you, my dear?”
“This is Dev,” Kurok said. “The resource requested.”
“Ah.” Bain strolled over and regarded Dev. “What a charming young lady,” he said. “My name is Alexander Bain, my dear.”
“NM-Dev-1,” Dev said quietly, extending a hand in greeting. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
“And I, you.” Bain shook her hand. “Now.” He released her and turned back to Bricker. “I received reports your other agents refused assignment. Is that true?”
“They tried,” Bricker answered grimly. “I persuaded them otherwise. I have two teams out now, about to make a grab for the new photo synth technology.” He tried, somewhat unsuccessfully to keep the triumph out of his voice. He turned and pointed at Jess, who was waiting silently in the shadows. “She tried to make the whole team a bunch of refusers. But I put them against the wall and told them they’d end up in point Alaska without envirosuits if they tried.”
Jess took a half step forward and stiffened. Bock put a hand on her arm.
“I see.” Bain nodded. “So you felt this was the best way to motivate them?” He tilted his head in a calm, almost quizzical manner.
“It worked.” Bricker turned back to the display. “Excuse me. Tac two, report.”
One of the techs standing at console spoke up. “Sir, I tracked them. They’re in shadow right now, due in position one hundred ninety seconds.”
“Sir,” Jess said, her low voice echoing softly in the chamber. She fell silent when Bain held a hand up in her direction.
“Commander Bricker, please turn around and face me, “Alexander Bain said.
“Sir, I’m sorry, I’m in the middle of something here.” Bricker glanced up. “Can it wait?”
“No, I’m afraid it cannot.”
Bricker straightened up and turned. “Yes?”
The room swirled into motion. Bain lifted his hand from his side and there was a weapon in it. Both Stephan and Jess stiffened, then Jess made a sign and they both froze. Kurok spun Dev around and put his body between her and Bain and—
The projectile caught Bricker in the throat and exploded, sending blood and skin out to either side with a splattering sound as it hit the consoles to the right and left of him. His head lolled and dropped off to the floor, and his body collapsed to the ground, thumping and twitching as the techs jumped out of the way.
Absolute shocked silence fell, until Bain replaced the weapon into its hidden holster and dusted his hands off. “I never have approved of shooting anyone in the back,” he said. “Now.” He turned. “Bock, please take charge, and have this unpleasantness cleaned up.”
He looked at all of them. “Any questions for me?” He glanced at Jess. “Drake, I suggest you take a look at what those colleagues of yours are into. I suspect it’s not good.”
Jess stirred out of her shock and jumped up onto the platform, shoving aside the tech as she stepped over Bricker’s body, muttering curses under her breath.
Bain clapped his hands. “Come on, people. We’re in some trouble here. Let’s think our way out of it, shall we? Start moving.”
Bock went to the comms panel and started speaking into it, as the other men on the platform went to consoles, giving Jess an uneasy look.
“Oh.” Bain noticed that. “Please don’t do anything unpleasant to Agent Drake. She’s kindly agreed to rejoin our service and I’m most grateful for that.”
The ops staff relaxed and resumed their stations, a few of them giving Jess a nod.
Dev stood as still as she could, her mind on overload trying to absorb all the data she’d just been given. She tried to make sense of it, but found her focus irresistibly turning to the ops console, where the woman Bain had called Drake was sitting, finding it much easier to think about her than about the man she’d just seen made dead.
She no longer looked sad, or depressed. There was energy crackling from every inch of her as her eyes flicked through the screens with intense concentration.
She was so interesting. Dev could see her eyes reflected in the vid screen, surprised at how pale and clear they were, a light crystal blue.
“Dev.” Kurok stirred her from her focus. “Are you doing okay?”
Dev started, then looked at him. “I’m all right. I just don’t really know what’s going on.”
Kurok looked around, then shook his head a little. “I’m not really sure either. But we’ll find out, don’t you worry.” He did, in fact, look worried himself. “I won’t leave you here otherwise.”
Dev nodded. Then she glanced past Doctor Dan to the platform, to find the woman Drake looking back at her, with wary curiosity.
“We’ll find out.” Kurok patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry.”
Dev looked down at the ground, surprised to see spatters of blood on the steel only a few inches from her boots. “I’m not worried, Doctor Dan. I’m sure it will be okay.”
She looked back up, back at the agent’s profile, and wondered.
JESS WAS AWARE of the security team behind her and the medical techs bundling up Bricker’s body. She could hear their breathing, a little faster than normal, and sense the insecurity around her as everyone tried to adjust to what had just happened.
She focused past that. She had her elbows on the console and her eyes flicking from status readout to predictors, listening for the incoming bursts from the two teams out there.
Two teams of two people—agent and tech—in armored personnel carriers whose flight characteristics were roughly those of the ancient and mythic sperm whale. Only thing going for them were two engines powerful enough to launch the damn things into space and a lot of strap webbing that kept you from killing yourself inside one.
Jess sighed and flicked a few settings.
Running the boards wasn’t her favorite task. She hated being here, and not there, able only to react to what was going on, but she’d done her share of this. Every agent had, in training and in the times they couldn’t be out in the field for any number of reasons.
But she was glad she was here now, and able to concentrate on those signals because otherwise she’d have to think about how her life had gone into a radical tailspin in the last hour, and what the hell she was going to do next.
Less time to think about the quiet figure seated near the far wall, hands clasped, eyes absorbing everything around her. NM-Dev-1 wasn’t anything like what she’d expected. She’d figured they’d taken one of the pilot duffs, and tweaked him for this gig.
This wasn’t a pilot. This wasn’t any of the types they’d gotten before. She glanced to one side, watching the bio alt’s serious face as she studied the console next to her. This was unknown.
A bleep caught her attention, and she looked back at the screens.
Bricker had screwed it. Jess checked the position of the two teams, seeing them on the very edge of the dark side. “Tac one, Tac two, base,” she said into the comms. He’d sent the two in without full intel and they’d gotten their asses chomped by a big armed patrol with long range guns.
There was only crackling for answer. The two teams, in their armored carriers, had gone in over sea and tried to penetrate a small research station. They were caught now on the flats, the edgy cross-lines of laser cannons pinning them down.
“What’s the game?” St
ephan slid into the seat next to her. “This is crazy.”
“I can’t get to them.” Jess pointed at the scan link. “They’re blocking comms. Only thing I can tell is they’re intact. I can see the outline.”
“Shit.”
A blast of antiseptic made them both turn to see a medic with a tank on his back washing down the floor. He glanced at them, then went back to his task.
Jess glanced at Stephan. “Wasn’t how I figured this day to go.”
Stephan snorted and shook his head. Then he leaned a little closer. “Glad?”
Jess’s face tensed into a faint smile.
“All right, people.” Alexander Bain came back into the comms center. “Report.”
Stephan swiveled in his seat. “No new status, sir. The two carriers are pinned down under tracer fire, no comms.”
“Well.” Bain strolled over. “Then suppose you go to the briefing center and join me for a strategy meeting. I think we need some strategy. Been sadly lacking here for a while, I believe.” He considered. “Drake, please take our new recruit here and have them kit her out. Get her creds. My orders.”
Jess stood. “Do I have creds?” She asked. “Hate to walk into security and get shot.”
Bain’s face shifted into a somewhat piratical smile. “I appreciate a sense of humor, Drake,” he said. “I believe my presence has been advertised sufficiently that you should be safe walking the halls. Once that’s settled, join us in the briefing center.” He glanced at Kurok, then crooked a finger at him. “You come with me.”
Kurok regarded him. Then he got up and patted Dev on the shoulder. “Go with the agent, Dev. I’ll see you shortly.”
They all shifted and moved. Jess walked over to where the bio alt was standing, and gestured. “This way.” She waited for the silent figure to join her and they walked down the ramp and out the door.
The halls were very quiet. Jess was glad, not wanting to run into a hundred people all asking her questions. She hadn’t decided yet what to tell anyone, so it was good to just walk down the familiar floors passing from the enforcement area into the circling boundaries of security.
She’d passed through the first scan gate before she realized it, her body jerking in reaction at the tickle then relaxing as only a sedate bong reacted to her presence. “Guess he was right,” she muttered.
“Pardon?” The bio alt asked.
Jess looked at her. She was relatively short, her head only reaching to Jess’s shoulder. She had a slim body presently encased in a standard space jumpsuit. “Talking to myself,” she said. “That scanner we just passed could have boiled my brain.”
Dev looked behind them, a startled expression on her face. “Oh.”
Jess paused as they reached the security center. “Sorry.” She eyed the bio alt. “My name’s Jess.” She extended a hand. “I won’t say welcome. You probably don’t really want to be here.”
Dev reached over and took the offered hand, closing her fingers around Jess’s and giving them a firm pressure. “Thank you,” she said. “I don’t have much say in it. But so far it’s been interesting”
Jess cocked her head a little, not expecting so self aware a response. “Right.” She turned and keyed the door open. “Let’s see how much more interesting it’s going to be.” She walked inside the center and went to the ops desk. “Jackson.”
The security captain had straightened when she entered, and was now waiting for them, his hands resting on the desk. He was big, taller than Jess and about twice her weight, with a very muscular body and the typical security buzz cut. “Drake.”
“Bain sent me down,” Jess said, briefly. “She needs creds.” She indicated Dev. “And I guess I need reissued ones.”
“We heard.” Jackson said. “He really plug Bricker?”
Jess nodded. “Yup.”
“Good. Jackass.” Jackson turned and motioned to a sergeant. “Open up Drake’s access,” he ordered, then turned to Jess. “What level is this one?” He indicated Dev. “Staff? Support?”
“Enforcement ops tech,” Jess replied, dryly.
Jackson’s jaw dropped a little, and he stared openly at Dev. “Thought that was bullshit rumor.”
“Apparently not,” Jess said. “Since here she is.”
Jackson shook his head. “Jackass,” he muttered. “Place is going to hell.” He keyed in something, continually shaking his head as he worked. “Go stand in that.” He pointed to the genetiscan, waiting for Dev to comply before he continued coding.
Jess didn’t respond to the muttering. She nodded at the sergeant when the woman came over to her, running a hand wand over her. She held out her left hand and the wand touched it, making her flinch a little as she felt the chips embedded there react. “Thanks.”
“Agent,” the sergeant responded. “All clear.”
Jess flexed her hand, glancing over to see Dev standing quietly in the scanner, traces blinking in the collar she wore around her neck. Their eyes met and she managed a brief smile she hoped was reassuring.
It was something. The bio alt smiled back.
“They assigned her quarters yet?” Jackson asked. “None coded here.”
“Heading to supply next,” Jess said. “I guess they’ll do that there.” She looked up, her face going a little blank. “We’ve got plenty of space at the moment.”
Jackson nodded. “Heard that,” he said. “All right, done.” He motioned the sergeant forward. “Cred for ops.”
The sergeant went over to Dev and scanned her. They were more or less the same height, but the sergeant had the powerful muscularity typical of security and would have had dark red curly hair if it hadn’t been shorn close to her skull. “Done.” She handed Dev a set of clip on creds. “Wear that for the biology based systems. The mechanicals don’t need it.”
“Thank you.” Dev took the creds and applied them to her jumpsuit.
“Good luck,” the woman said unexpectedly, extending a hand. “I’m Boston.”
Dev returned the shake. “Thank you.”
The sergeant turned and made her way back behind the desk and Jess motioned to the door. “Next.” She let Dev go ahead of her, and they exited the security center. “You can expect that kind of reaction,” Jess said, after a moment’s walking. “Pretty much everyone thinks your being here is asinine.”
Dev gave her a sideways look. “Do you?” She asked, in a mild tone.
Jess took a breath to answer, then paused.
“It doesn’t offend me.” Dev said. “There’s not much I can do about it since I’m here and I didn’t have a choice about it.”
Jess felt very off-balance. This bio alt was turning out to be more of a surprise than she needed at the moment. “I don’t know,” she finally answered. “I thought it was a bad idea when I heard about it.”
“Why?”
Why. Jess was glad to see the supply hallway at her left. She turned and swiped the door controls, leading Dev inside to the big processing center. “Hold that question a minute.”
Here there were more bio alts. She watched them catch sight of Dev and react, then go back to their tasks, a little distracted and intrigued by the wary expressions on their faces. She stepped up to the counter, manned by an older man with a scar across his face and one destroyed eye. “Hey Buddy.”
The man gazed gravely at her. “Jess. Welcome back,” he said. “That was the shortest outprocess in the history of Interforce, I’m guessing. I heard the Old Man himself talked you down, then blew Bricker’s head off. Been quite the morning.” He glanced to one side. “Who’s this?”
“This is Dev,” she said. “She’s Bricker’s experiment. Bain asked me to get her kitted out. He wants to continue it, I guess.”
Dev regarded the man and noted he had a somewhat kinder eye than most she’d encountered so far in this new place. She also noted he and her escort called each other by common names, and that Jess also seemed more relaxed here.
The security place had been stern and a little hostile, e
ven though the people there had done what they’d been asked to. “Hello,” Dev said.
“Hello, Dev,” Buddy replied. “So we need to give you all the crank you need to be a tech, huh?” He keyed in something on the console. “Sure hope they know what they’re doing.” He looked up. “Plenty of berths available, unfortunately. Preference?” He directed the question at Jess.
Jess took a mental step back and thought about the question. There were a lot of empty berths. Aside from the recent deaths, they’d already been six teams short. Dev could be given any of them, since all of the bunks were more or less the same.
She looked up and found Dev watching her. She knew what Bricker’s intent was, and felt the truth in her own rejection of that. Nothing had really changed and yet, in the small space of the morning, everything had changed.
Had she changed? “Put her in Joshua’s berth. Bain asked me to get her settled.”
Buddy didn’t blink an eye. “Done,” he said. “I’ll have the bulk of it sent there.” He glanced at Dev. “Could you please go stand on that other platform there?” He pointed to the outfitting console. “Thanks.”
Dev obediently went over and stood in the box, which scanned her with a completely different type of signal. It felt a little warm, not at all tickly, and it took only a moment. Then she stepped out and returned to Jess’s side.
Buddy turned and removed a green sack, which he handed over to her. “Basics.” He said, as she took it. “Everything else will be sent. Okay?”
Having once again no choice in the matter, Dev nodded.
“Let’s go.” Jess said. “I’ll drop you at your bunk, then go see what the bad news is.” She glanced at Buddy. “I guess I need resupply too.”
“Already done.” Buddy waved her off. “We saw it come active again from security.”
“Thanks.” Jess led the way again. They went through the doors and turned right. “You got kit on the shuttle?”
Dev touched the small bag hanging at her belt. “Just this,” she said. “They told me I would get everything here.”
“Well, at least they got something right.” Jess produced a brief smile. They continued down the hall and then into the centrum, passing through two scanners, then a third as they entered a blue shaded hallway.