Lasers, Lies and Money

by Alex Kings

  Outside, the landscape whipped past, while the sun and its heavy orange glow remained a constant, sitting just below the horizon and casting long shadows across everything.

  The sun gave no hint of the time. According to the train's displays, it was approaching midnight.

  The display changed suddenly, text scrolling across in four different languages, accompanied by images of spaceports and ships waiting in the outer system.

  A news bulletin.

  Rurthk leaned forward to read it.

  Volpone was locked down. All traffic on and off the planet had been stopped. The planetary administration assured the citizens that there was no outbreak of infection, but refused to explain the decision further. They strenuously denied being leant on by powerful interest groups.

  A wave of soft muttering arose from the passengers. Rurthk frowned and sat back. This wasn't the best news.

  He took out his tablet and tried to contact the Outsider. The result was as he'd expected. Communications were blocked too.

  When the train arrived, Rurthk hired a cab to the newly-arranged rendezvous point. In his backpack he kept the hard drives, well hidden, and medical equipment. Angular mirrors atop buildings reflected extra sunlight on streets which would otherwise be in shadow. Cars glided past on effector fields. Crowds of people gathered around small cafes, watching the news together and muttering in worried tones about the blockade.

  He reached an ugly prefab hotel, all dull grey carbide plates and tacky neon signage. At the front desk, a nearly asleep Varanid beneath a heat lamp waved him inside without looking at him.

  He bounded up a flight of stairs and down a corridor with greasy, dark carpets, and knocked on a door. “It's me,” he said.

  Mero opened the door. “She's alive,” he said, seeming eager to assure Rurthk.

  Rurthk grunted an acknowledgement, then pushed past him into the room. Eloise was lying on the bed, her face glinting with sweat in the weak light. Olivia, who was sitting on a chair nearby, leapt off as soon as Rurthk arrived.

  Eloise looked at him and smiled faintly. “Rur,” she whispered.

  “Can't leave you alone for a second, can I?” muttered Rurthk, swinging the backpack off and opening it.

  “It's okay,” said Eloise. “I got out … can get by with a little help from my friends.” She tried to laugh, then winced.

  Rurthk took out a tube of medical gel, and a plaster. Both were smart matter – able to perform simple diagnostics, release painkillers, kill infections, knit together damaged tissues, and release hormones that promoted healing.

  They weren't perfect. Eloise would still need to see Dr. Wolff after all of this. But they were the best Rurthk had for now, and they should be able to keep her alive until then.

  Olivia helped Rurthk, cleaning the wound, putting the gel inside, and the plaster on top. Eloise grimaced, clenching her fists.

  The plaster became transparent. After a few moments, networking with the gel and performing its own diagnostic, it faded to a dark red, the word CRITICAL emblazoned on its surface in Isk.

  Even so, Eloise relaxed as the painkillers did their work.

  “How long did I keep you waiting?” Rurthk asked.

  “Not long,” said Olivia. “We got here ten minutes before you did.”

  “We need to move as soon as she can walk,” said Mero. “People tend to notice when you're dragging around an injured human.” He growled. “Egliante didn't try to stop us at the magtube, which says to me he has other plans.”

  “Have you been keeping track of the news?” Rurthk asked.

  Mero shook his head. “Why?”

  “All of Volpone is blockaded.”

  There was a pause.

  “You can't be serious,” Mero said. But he already had his tablet out and was connecting to the planetary net.

  Rurthk let him get on with that. Something more important caught his attention.

  The plaster was changing colour, from red to orange. The word CRITICAL faded away as he watched.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “Really, really good,” said Eloise, without opening her eyes.

  “I'm not surprised, the amount of painkiller this thing is putting out,” said Rurthk.

  “Also,” said Eloise. “Hungry.”

  Chapter 35: Allies

  A few minutes later, Eloise was sitting up, working her way through a collection of bars from the food synthesiser and vending machine in the hall outside. The plaster had reached a paler orange. Rurthk and Olivia sat on rickety old chairs, while Mero hung upside-down from an exposed pipe in the ceiling.

  “This is ridiculous,” he said. “I don't care if he's a billionaire. He can't blockade a whole planet!”

  “Try telling the planetary authority that,” said Rurthk, “see how far it gets you.”

  “How long can he keep it up, though?” said Olivia. “People might accept it for a while, but if it goes on, there'll be an outcry. The economy will collapse. Or something.”

  “Longer than you'd think,” said Eloise. “Volpone is home to a lot of the elite. The sort of people who were at the party tonight. I'd bet Egliante is willing to let them come and go as they please. And with them on his side, it doesn't matter much what the rest of the planet thinks.”

  They fell into silence.

  “The planetary authority wants this over,” said Mero. “They'll have all their people looking for us if it means ending the blockade.” He snarled to himself.

  “So what are we going to do?” said Olivia. “Become rich enough to leave?”

  Rurthk laughed and patted the backpack. “We are rich. That's the problem. Anyway – ”

  There was a knock at the door. Everyone turned to stare at it. Mero's tail flicked out to pick up a gun from the nightstand.

  “They've found us?” whispered Olivia. “Already?”

  “I told you, dragging an injured human about attracts attention,” Mero said.

  Rurthk went to Eloise's side. “Can you walk?”

  “I .. think so,” she said.

  “What about climb out a window?”

  She gave him a look.

  The door knocked again.

  Rurthk grabbed his chair as a weapon and stood beside the door. “Mero, other side,” he said. “Let's try and do this without gunshots.”

  The door knocked again. This time it was accompanied by a quick exchange.

  “Friends? It's only us”

  “Hey, Rayne?”

  “Yes, Ikki, my dear?”

  “Are you sure we're on the right floor this time?”

  “Absolutely!”

  All the tension went out of Mero's body. He closed his eyes and pressed his fist against the top of his muzzle. Eloise and Olivia seemed to relax too.

  “What?” said Rurthk. “What is it?”

  “We know these two,” said Olivia. “They're pretty harmless.” She walked over to the door and opened it.

  Two Petaurs scrambled inside. “So you are here, after all!” said the male.

  “After all!” said the female.

  They caught sight of Rurthk and stared at him.

  Rurthk realised the chair was still in his hands as if he were about to strike. He put it down slowly.

  The two Petaurs – Olivia introduced them as Ikki and Rayne – were bedecked in jewellery, worn with no rhyme or reasons. Ikki had a necklace looped around her tail, and Rayne had earrings clipped to a watch on his ankle.

  “So you found your loot, then?”

  “We did indeed!” said Rayne.

  “Except for the bits we liked!” said Ikki, then frowned. “No, that's not right .. Aha! We found it, and sold it.”

  “Except for the bits we liked,” finished Rayne.

  Mero glared at them. “Never mind that. Why did you come back here?”

  Ikki and Rayne paused to look at each other.

  “Because we're a team!” said Rayne.

  “We're not a team, we just shared an escape ro
ute,” said Mero.

  Rayne continued as if he hadn't heard: “And a good thief never leaves a teammate behind.”

  “Never!”

  Mero's tail flicked the pistol out of his hand and put it back on the nightstand. “And here I was thinking a good thief is one who steals stuff successfully,” he said. “Anyway, we need to leave, soon.”

  Eloise gingerly swung her legs over the side of the bed. “I agree. Give me that bag would you?” Rurthk gave her the bag, and she took out her normal clothes. Supporting herself with a chair, she stood up slowly. “I'll get changed, and then we can go.” She headed for the bathroom.

  “Go where?” said Rayne.

  “Anywhere but here,” growled Mero.

  “We're can't get off the planet,” Olivia explained to the Petaurs. “It's kind of a problem.”

  “I see,” said Rayne, rubbing his chin. “And why is that?”

  “Hey, Rayne?” said Ikki.

  “What is it, Ikki, my dear?” said Rayne.

  “There's a blockade. Remember what that news display said?”

  “I see,” said Rayne wisely. “Yes. A blockade would make it difficult to leave the planet. What are you going to do?”

  “Try and find a way past it,” said Rurthk.

  Eloise came out of the bathroom, now wearing one of her usual dresses. She walked cautiously, with small steps, and still had to support herself against the wall, but she was clearly doing a lot better than before. The medical gel was doing its job.

  Rurthk looked over his crew, then nodded. While they were gathering their weapons and goods, he closed the backpack and laid out the plan. “We'll head further south, round the far side of Volpone, find a place, and figure out our next move from there.”

  All this escaped Rayne, who was too lost in thought to notice. At last, out of nowhere, he announced, “My friends, this is a difficult conundrum indeed!”

  “Very difficult,” added Ikki.

  “Uh huh,” said Rurthk. “And do you have a solution?”

  “Having considered the problem in some detail,” said Rayne. “No.”

  “Well, thank you. You've been a great help,” said Rurthk. He opened the door.

  “However! I know of someone who might,” said Rayne.

  Rurthk closed the door slowly. “Who?”

  “The information brokers,” said Rayne.

  “They know lots of stuff!” Ikki confirmed.

  “The information brokers have helped with many of our great successes,” said Rayne. “It is thanks to their advice that we know the best safe Varanid cuisine on Volpone. If there is a way off this planet, they will be able to tell you.”

  Rurthk was silent for a few seconds.

  “And where can we find them?” he said.

  Chapter 36: Information Brokers

  The information brokers' office looked like an old, neglected multi-species bar. It was the sort of place that lacked both the comforts of the upper class haunts and the characters of local taverns.

  In other words, Rurthk thought as he looked at it, it was somewhere a lone Glaber wouldn't look out of place.

  He pushed open the door – there was no automation here – and entered. The light inside was dim, and a few patrons, Glaber, Varanid and human, were scattered about on some of the chairs. He ignored them, and they ignored him. At the back, he found the unmarked door, hidden in an alcove, which Rayne had told him about. He knocked once.

  “What do you want?” said a soft voice from the other side.

  “What do you think?” said Rurthk. “Information.”

  There was a clang, and the door swung open.

  An Albascene floated before him. “Please follow me,” it said in a synthesised voice, gliding away on a cushion of effector fields.

  It led him down a flight of stairs into a large, well-lit basement. A desk of steel divided the room in half. One side was Rurthk's, with a seat prepared for him. The other side held a large group of people working on computer terminals. Most of them were Petaurs, but there were humans and Albascene and Varanids and even a couple of Glaber in the mix.

  A Petaur sat at the far side of the desk, leaning forwards, dark eyes fixed intently on Rurthk.

  Rurthk looked at the Albascene, who had silently retreated to a corner of the room, then turned and took a seat opposite the Petaur.

  He didn't have time for niceties. “I want a way off Volpone for me and my crew. I was told you might know a way.”

  “Ah,” the Petaur said, with a charming but not entirely trustworthy smile. “Yes. You're the ones who emptied Mr. Egliante's vault, aren't you? I was hoping I'd get the chance to meet you. My name is Mr. Hand. And you are … Rurthk, the captain of the Outsider. Is that right?”

  Rurthk nodded. “Well, can you get us off the planet?”

  Mr. Hand offered a non-committal expression that suggested he might know something. But his reply was a clear yes: “Eleven thousand cryptcreds. And cryptcreds only. We don't deal in traceable money.”

  Eleven thousand. That was most of the money Rurthk had on him. Hell, he thought, Sukone said he'd pay expenses.

  “Agreed,” he said.

  Mr. Hand nodded and took out a tablet. “We'd also like to know a few things.”

  “Alright.”

  “Who hired you?”

  “Sukone.”

  Mr. Hand noted the information down on his tablet. “The Sweetblade boss. Where did you meet him? Who was with him?”

  Rurthk paused. “I'm not sure Sukone would like me sharing that.”

  There was a moment of silence. Mr. Hand looked up from his tablet. “I doubt you'll need to worry about that.”

  “Why?”

  “Ah … perhaps I've said too much.” Mr. Hand lowered the tablet.

  Rurthk stared at him. “Unfortunate, that,” he said. “An information broker like you, carelessly letting things slip like that. It's almost as if you have something else you want to sell to me.”

  “Well …” said Mr. Hand. His smile took on a slightly predatory air. “We are willing to sell all sorts of information, if we're asked the right question.”

  They sat watching one another. Eventually Rurthk said, “Is there anything Sukone isn't telling us about our deal with him? Might he betray us, or might some other harm come to me and my crew as a direct result of this job?”

  “A broad question,” said Mr. Hand, drumming his fingers on the dress. “But I think we can work with it. It's speculative – I only realised when you said you were working for Sukone – so the price is low. Another thousand cryptcreds.”

  “Fine.”

  “And my previous question. Where did you meet Sukone, and who was with him?”

  Rurthk sighed, and told Mr Hand about the base and its co-ordinates, and about meeting Felix Zino.

  “Good, good,” said Mr. Hand, noting it all down. “Now, I'd like to see the money.”

  Rurthk took out his tablet and connected it.

  Mr. Hand checked the balance. Then he leaned forward and looked Rurthk in the eye. “One of Mr. Egliante's people is, shall we say, a little less than honest in his dealings. We've seen him a few times. He knows how to handle Egliante, and he has a lot of control of the technical side of Egliante's affairs. If you give him the right incentive – and I'm sure you have plenty of incentive in those hard drives – he should be able to find you a route off Volpone. Here are his details.” Mr. Hand gestured at his tablet to transfer the details.

  “Thank you,” said Rurthk. “And what about the second part?”

  Mr. Hand leaned back and smiled. “Did you know Mr. Egliante and Sukone used to be associates? Of a sort, anyway. Mr. Egliante used to work for Sweetblade. That's the source of his wealth. Moreover, he used to work for Sukone.”

  “And?”

  “Well, do you think Sukone is only after the money? There are many people easier to steal from. Haven't you wondered what else might be in those hard drives that Sukone is eager to get his hands on?”

 
“And how does this affect me?” said Rurthk.

  “Well, when it comes to manoeuvres likes these, Sukone has a habit of clearing up loose ends.”

  Chapter 37: Making a Call

  Rurthk's crew, plus Ikki and Rayne, were waiting outside.

  “Any luck?” Mero asked.

  Eloise was the first to read Rurthk's expression. “You didn't get it.”

  Rurthk smiled joylessly. “I did, actually.”

  “But … ?” she said.

  “But, it looks like getting off this rock won't solve our problems.”

  “What do you mean?” Mero asked.

  “They sold an extra bit of information. There's something in the servers … and Sukone might just be willing to kill us to clear up loose ends.”

  Mero's tail went rigid for a second. He closed his eyes and put his hand to his muzzle. Then he started to laugh. “Of course he is!” he said.

  “You mean,” Olivia said slowly, “that a mob boss from one of the galaxy's biggest crime syndicates is a traitorous psychopath? That is a surprise.”

  Rurthk gave her a look. So did the rest of the crew.

  Olivia seemed to shrink into herself. “Sorry,” she said.

  Rurthk went on. “The information brokers also gave me a way to contact them. That might be standard practice, but if it's not, they expect to hear from us again. I don't know whether that's a good thing or not.” He sighed. “Well, I suppose we should concentrate on getting out of here first. When we're back on the Outsider, we'll be in a position to worry about Sukone.”

  With that decided, they headed back to another hotel room that was serving as their current base. There, Rurthk sat at the desk and extended his tablet. He connected to the local net, made sure to hide his location, and then put a call through.

  It was audio only. “Hello?” said a human male voice.

  “Hello,” said Rurthk. “Am I speaking to one of Tommy Egliante's senior technical operators?”

  There a brief pause, just long enough for Rurthk to see that he'd caught the man off-guard.

  “What?”

  “You might want to be alone for this,” said Rurthk.

  “I am. But really, I don't know what you're talking about.”