Ep.#11 - A Rock and a Hard Place (The Frontiers Saga - Part 2: Rogue Castes)

by Ryk Brown

  He had followed the man through three of Sanctuary’s four tech market bays and was halfway through the last cavern when the odd-looking fellow suddenly turned around to face Marcus.

  “Are you an evaluator?” the odd-looking man asked Marcus directly.

  “A what?”

  “An evaluator.”

  “I don’t even know what that is,” Marcus replied gruffly.

  “You’ve been following me for some time. Either you are secretly evaluating my performance for my employer or you intend to rob me. If the latter, I should warn you that I carry no credits, nor anything else of value, and that I am well able to defend myself.”

  “I ain’t a thug lookin’ to rob you,” Marcus grumbled. “If I was, I would’ve done it already.”

  “Perhaps you are also a scout?” the man surmised, one eyebrow raised.

  “I guess you could say that,” Marcus admitted.

  “Who is your employer?”

  “I can’t say,” Marcus replied. “Low profile, and all that.”

  “Of course.”

  “And you?” Marcus asked.

  “I work for SilTek,” the odd-looking fellow stated proudly.

  “Never heard of them.”

  The man cast a cockeyed look at Marcus, unsure of whether to believe him.

  “Sorry,” Marcus added, noticing the odd-looking man’s disbelief. “Should I have?”

  “SilTek is the largest tech company in the Poron quadrant.”

  “Never heard of the Poron quadrant, either.”

  “You don’t leave this station much, do you?” the man laughed.

  “I’m not from here,” Marcus told him. “I’m just visiting.”

  “How long have you been here?” the man wondered.

  “A few weeks, I think. On assignment, you might say.”

  “Then perhaps we can help one another. I am newly assigned to this post. My employer has only recently been welcomed into this facility. I would appreciate any insight you might be able to give me into the culture and protocols of these markets.”

  “You might start by getting the right clothing,” Marcus said, fighting back a laugh. “And don’t walk with your hands locked behind your back. It makes you look like an easy target for a punch n’ pick.”

  “A punch and pick?”

  Marcus rolled his eyes and sighed. “Buy me lunch, and I’ll help you out.”

  “Deal,” the odd-looking fellow agreed. “Lead the way.”

  * * *

  “What’s the word?” Nathan asked as he entered the Aurora’s intelligence shack.

  “We received a confirmation message,” Lieutenant Commander Shinoda replied.

  “Hesson has agreed to meet on Takara, at a place and time of our choosing,” Jessica reported.

  “Any ideas?” Nathan wondered.

  “There is a lake a few kilometers east of Answari,” General Telles said. “Its western shores are dotted with resorts. Egress and ingress should be easy, and the water is warm year-round, due to volcanic activity at its deepest point. It is quite common for residents of Answari to spend time there and should not raise any suspicions if the general does so, as well.”

  Nathan looked at the map on the view screen. “Is it big enough?”

  “I’d prefer a larger target, to be honest,” Jessica admitted, “but the jump sub should be able to get us in safely.”

  “Why don’t we jump into the same place you guys did last time?” Nathan wondered.

  “It was a considerable distance from Answari,” General Telles explained. “It would be safer if your escape was nearby and quick, just in case things don’t go as expected.”

  “Nice way of putting it,” Nathan commented. “When?”

  “The sooner the better,” Jessica insisted. “Don’t give him any time to prepare.”

  “I would suggest that you meet him first thing in the morning,” General Telles said.

  “Theirs or ours?”

  “Theirs,” the general replied. “We can time the return message so he has just enough time to reach the rendezvous point, further restricting his preparation time.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Cameron asked, looking to Nathan.

  “Want or need?” Nathan replied. “When do we leave, then?”

  “Now,” Jessica said.

  “Very well,” Nathan sighed.

  “Keep him out of trouble,” Cameron told Jessica.

  “Always.”

  “Shouldn’t you be telling me to keep her out of trouble?” Nathan asked Cameron.

  “That was coming next,” Cameron replied. “Good luck.”

  * * *

  “This place makes the best haiga sandwiches on the entire station,” Marcus bragged as they took their seats on the patio.

  “I’m not familiar with ‘haiga,’” the odd-looking man admitted. “What exactly is it?”

  “You don’t want to know.”

  The man looked troubled. “Maybe I should look at the menu, first.”

  “Trust me,” Marcus insisted.

  “I don’t even know your name.”

  “Marcus Taggart.”

  “Gunwant Vout,” the man replied, offering his hand.

  “Gunwant?” Marcus replied, shaking the man’s hand.

  “My friends call me Gunwy. I assume your friends call you Marki?”

  “Not if they wanna live,” Marcus grumbled.

  “Marcus it is, then,” Gunwy agreed, picking up the menu.

  “I’m telling you, you’re gonna love haiga,” Marcus said, taking the menu away from Gunwy. “I’ve yet to meet a man who didn’t.”

  “As a general rule, I prefer to know what I’m eating. I’m funny that way.”

  “If I tell you what it is, you won’t want to try it, and you’ll be missing out on a real treat; one that you can’t find anywhere else in the galaxy, as far as I know.”

  “It is a tempting offer, but…”

  “I tell you what,” Marcus said, “if you agree to try the haiga, I’ll tell you what it is after your first bite. I’ll even order you a backup, in case you don’t like it.”

  “Do I get to keep the backup order, even if I eat the haiga?” Gunwy asked.

  “A slick negotiator, huh?” Marcus chuckled. “You gotta deal, Gunwy.” Marcus rotated the order pad on the table toward him and tapped the screen several times. “I’m kinda surprised that you haven’t heard of haiga yet.”

  “I’ve only been on station for a few days. I’ve been eating the food I brought with me until I become accustomed to local cuisine.”

  “Sensitive gut?”

  “A bit.”

  “Then you might want to drink a lot of water with the haiga.”

  “Oh, my.”

  “You’ll be fine,” Marcus assured him. “Where you stayin’?”

  “SilTek maintains a suite on level eight.”

  “Pricey. SilTek must be doin’ pretty good.”

  “It’s the largest corporation in the Poron quadrant.”

  “Where exactly is the Poron quadrant?” Marcus asked.

  “Technically, we’re in the Poron quadrant,” Gunwy explained. “Albeit, on the outer fringe.”

  “I thought this was the Parre sector.”

  “Probably just a different name for the same area. It happens a lot. The SilTek system is just over seven hundred light years from here.”

  “I thought SilTek was a company, not a system.”

  “It is both. The star’s original name was Kromov Four Eight Seven, after the astronomer who first charted the system. SilTek was formed on Kromov Three, which was then called Ellenson. When SilTek took over control of the system from Ellenson’s failed government, they renamed the system.”

  “So, SilTek
, the company, is located on Ellenson in the SilTek system.”

  “Yes,” Gunwy replied. “Except that Ellenson was later renamed Chaym, to honor Ian Chaym, the former CEO of SilTek who masterminded the takeover that saved Ellenson from its own corrupt leaders.”

  “I think I’ve got it,” Marcus said unconvincingly. “What does SilTek do, other than run the system?”

  “Primarily, SilTek is a technology company. When the system was first colonized, a virus native to the planet wiped out three quarters of the population. Two young women, Silvia Wilkie and Tekka Lin, successfully resurrected several of the colony’s original, long-defunct labor bots and set them to perform tasks that helped save the colony. They later reprogrammed the artificial intelligence algorithms of the labor bots so they could learn and make decisions on their own, within certain guidelines and restrictions. They managed to fabricate additional labor bots over the years, which helped the fledgling colony grow and thrive again. From those humble beginnings, the company grew.”

  “So SilTek is basically a robotics company,” Marcus surmised.

  “Robotics, software, AI, transportation, weapons…anything that can be automated.”

  “Weapons, you say?” Marcus said, trying to hide his curiosity from the man.

  “Yes, but they are a very small part of SilTek’s business. They only make defensive systems. AI is SilTek’s biggest market. Now that the jump drive has opened up the galaxy to us, we hope to spread our AI division to neighboring quadrants, perhaps even across the galaxy.”

  “Lofty ambitions,” Marcus decided.

  A disheveled-looking, young man in a dirty, white apron arrived carrying three plastic plates of food and two bottles of water, all of which he unceremoniously plopped down on the table in front of them. “Two haiga and pera.”

  Gunwy examined his food with suspicion, lifting the bun to peer at the meat patty below. “Some kind of animal, I’m guessing.”

  Marcus just smiled as he picked up his own haiga sandwich and took a hearty bite. “Dig in,” he said with a full mouth.

  Gunwy replaced the bun top and picked up the sandwich with both hands, mimicking Marcus’s style. He sniffed the sandwich, paused for a moment, and then took a modest bite, his face slightly contorted with apprehension. He chewed for a few seconds, trying not to taste what was in his mouth. As his saliva began to mix with the food, his taste buds were hit with a flavor he could not describe. “Wow,” was the only word that came to him at the moment. He swallowed his first bite, eagerly taking a second.

  “Uh-huh,” Marcus said, pleased with himself. “I told ya.”

  “This is amazing,” Gunwy exclaimed after swallowing his second bite. “So many flavors and textures, all melding together, and the meat… I can’t even begin to classify it. Maybe poultry mixed with some type of red meat, perhaps?”

  “Not even close,” Marcus chuckled.

  “What then?”

  “Ground beetles. Big problem on the lower levels.”

  Gunwy suddenly stopped chewing, a wad of food still in his mouth.

  “I don’t rightly know which ones, but they grind them up and mix them with some other fillers and binders, and such, add spices, and then make patties out of it, and fry it up nice. It’s the bun that makes it, though. That, and the dressing.”

  Gunwy forced himself to swallow, and then placed his half-eaten sandwich back on his plate. “I’m afraid to ask what’s in the pera sandwich.”

  “Water snake meat,” Marcus replied. “Tastes like chicken. Imported from Dygon, I hear.”

  “Maybe later,” Gunwy decided, pushing both plates away from him.

  “Should I have them wrapped to go?” Marcus wondered.

  “Yes, that would be fine.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  Gunwy took a long drink of water. “So, you never told me what you are scouting for.”

  “Neither did you,” Marcus pointed out.

  “I’m assigned here to scout for technologies that SilTek can incorporate into its own lines.”

  “I thought SilTek was mostly into AIs,” Marcus commented between bites.

  “It is their primary focus, but as I said, we make many things. SilTek has grown exponentially over the last three years, thanks to the introduction of the jump drive. So many markets are opening up to us; we have to be ready to jump on opportunities as they present themselves.”

  “I don’t get it,” Marcus admitted. “If someone has tech for sale here, then someone is already making it somewhere else, right?”

  “Yes, but more often than not, their method of production is inefficient, their scale of operation is too small, and their access to markets are limited. We often buy out their interests, make modest improvements, and then release it to much broader markets. Economies of scale, and all that.”

  “Well, this place is crawling with tech. I’m kinda keeping an eye out for useful tech, as well.”

  “For your employer,” Gunwy surmised. “The one who shall remain nameless.”

  “Yup.”

  “What type of tech are you keeping an eye out for?”

  “Power generation, computer systems, medical technology, propulsion systems, a bit of everything, really.” Marcus looked around briefly, and then leaned closer. “But mostly for weapons.”

  “Personal weapons?” Gunwy asked under his breath.

  “Naw,” Marcus replied dismissively. “We got lots of them. Bigger stuff, mostly. Ship to ship, ordnance…that kind of thing.”

  “Are you fighting a war?”

  “I’m not really at liberty to say.” Marcus looked at Gunwy for a moment. “Unless, of course, you might know of something like that.”

  “SilTek doesn’t make any offensive weapons, but as I said, we do make defensive systems.”

  “What kind of defensive systems?” Marcus wondered.

  “Everything from shuttle defenses up to planetary defenses,” Gunwy explained. “We even upgraded the detection and targeting systems for this station’s defenses. That’s how we got our transponders.”

  Marcus smiled. “We’re going to be spending more time together, you and I.”

  “That would be fine with me,” Gunwy replied. “However, I will bring my own food next time, if you don’t mind.”

  * * *

  “Four of our Reapers are out on recon, one crew is helping to train the Orochi pilots, and one crew is out with the flu,” Cameron explained as they left the intelligence shack.

  Nathan spied Josh and Loki coming around the corner, carrying sandwiches. “What are they doing?”

  “They have helm duty in a couple hours,” Cameron replied.

  “Extend the current helm crew a few more hours,” Nathan suggested.

  “They’re already working twelve-hour shifts,” Cameron warned.

  “The Aurora is stuck in orbit. Let them take a nap in the break room, or something.”

  “Round trip to Takara is going to be six hours,” Jessica reminded Nathan.

  “They can take a long nap, then.” Nathan turned toward Josh and Loki. “Hayes! Sheehan! With me!” he instructed, turning to head down the ramp.

  “Uh, we were gonna ask Captain Taylor for a flight assignment,” Josh replied.

  “You just got one,” Cameron told Josh, pointing toward Nathan and Jessica as they disappeared down the ramp. “If you hurry.”

  “Hot damn!” Josh declared, quickening his pace. “Adventures!”

  CHAPTER TWO

  “We are now in Dusahn-controlled space,” Loki announced. “Four more jumps to the insertion point.” Loki looked over at Josh, who was smiling.

  “Pretty cool, huh?” Josh commented.

  “Remind me to run away the next time you cheer for ‘adventures’,” Loki moaned.

  “Come on, Lok, it’s not like it’s our first time
going into enemy space and, you’ve got to admit, it beats the hell out of chauffeuring the princess from one business meeting to another.”

  “I much preferred being a corporate pilot,” Loki insisted. “Good ship, good hours, good pay…and I was home with the family every night.”

  “Sounds boring as hell to me.”

  “Did I mention that no one was shooting at me?” Loki added.

  “Like I said, boring as hell.”

  “I suppose hauling cargo and passengers in the Seiiki was so much better?”

  “At least we had a few skirmishes here and there,” Josh replied. “Hey, did I tell you about the time we had to break the Seiiki out of the Inklen spaceport?”

  “Three times,” Loki groaned.

  “What about the bar fight we got into on Kaladossa?”

  “When you got your ass kicked by a teenage girl?”

  “That teenage girl was fucking huge,” Josh defended. “She even knocked Marcus down.” He laughed to himself. “Good times.”

  “Three jumps to insertion point,” Loki reported.

  Josh sighed. “The Seiiki was a good ship.”

  “That she was,” Loki agreed.

  “You guys ready back there?” Josh called through the hatchway to their Reaper’s payload bay.

  “We’re ready,” Nathan replied. He looked at Jessica. “Are you sure we’re dressed appropriately?” he asked, looking at her revealing swimsuit, as well as his own.

  “We’re jumping into a warm-weather, warm-water resort,” Jessica told him as she climbed up onto the jump sub. “This is what most people will be wearing. We want to blend in, remember?”

  “It just seems wrong,” Nathan stated, watching her drop down through the jump sub’s hatch. He climbed up onto the sub and dropped down through the hatch, himself, taking the seat behind her. “Jumping into enemy territory, half-naked, with no weapons.”

  “Not like you haven’t seen me naked before,” Jessica joked as she checked the jump sub’s systems.

  Nathan reached up and pulled the hatch closed. “That’s one of my memories that’s still a little fuzzy,” he admitted. “Plus, it was a long time ago.”

  Jessica placed her comm-set on her head. “We’re good to go,” she reported.