Merker's Outpost

by I. Christie

  Her mental map of the place did not tell her who occupied this room.

  "Are you sure you want to go into that room?" Guardian's voice whispered in her ear.

  "Why?" she whispered back.

  "It's Lord Chaney's room."

  A smirk appeared on her face. "Can you tell if he's in his room?"

  "He returned to his own private ship with Sheila. He is closing a deal before the transmission starts. He had changed his codes so I do not have access to his ship transmission…at the moment…but soon. I will let you know when he returns. Maud is busy attending to our guests, so she cannot join you at this moment." There was a pause and then, "What do you intend on doing?" Guardian asked curiously.

  "Mischief. Isn't that our business?" Let's see, what have we got here? Entering in through the service panel is too obvious and with my reputation at stake, I don't want to cause anyone to think I've gotten soft after all these years of inactivity. Smirking to herself, she flipped through the internal maps at her disposal. Hmmm. A service bot entrance to the bathing room. Well, it looks possible.

  She slid into the tight opening. Helgas Moon, it's as tight as a birth canal! Alright, Harriet, suck it up and get on yer belly like a reptile. Are there any T&Ts? She dragged her body further into the small tube. She suddenly realized that if she needed anything from her utility belt she was out of luck.

  "Guardian?" she whispered.

  "Stuck?" he whispered back.

  "How does the panel open? I don't have access to the directions."

  "There is a beam that the bot trips about two hands from the panel door."

  She continued moving toward the panel and as her fingers crossed the beam that her helmet could now pick up, the panel opened into a darkened area. Cautiously she looked around before getting out. The place looked clean.

  "Can you see any snoops?"

  "No. He has placed nothing in his quarters. He has them outside of the service panel you had seen and outside the door to his quarters. I tamper with them so they are unpredictable, making them unreliable for any real use."

  The lieutenant's attention was divided between her conversation and the collection of products lining a bathtub. It was not as nice as the one she had in her quarters. That gave her a smug feeling. Four people her size would fit comfortably in the bathing space. One bottle of blue dye caught her attention. Who dyes their hair? Lord Chaney or his metradame? Must be Lord Chaney. He could have had ordered his doll with blue hair…unless he likes changes. No. He's not interested in women's fashions and his sexual preference is young girls …unless …Sheila is young.

  Harriet remembered a prank in school of putting dye in the shower spout. She found a sponge. Goes to show ya, the pranks that are the best are the simplest to do and just with everyday stuff lying about.

  Finished, she shuffled his bathing room articles around, including what she labeled personal toys. She removed the black goop that covered the tiny camera eye, putting a hole in the goop so a casual glance would not detect the camera was back to being active. Finished she moved into the bedroom. Two beds. One placed in a corner as if the user was merely an overnight guest of little consequence.

  Bodyguard? Hmm. Well, I could short sheet both beds. She unfolded the bottom sheet and then folded it higher up. Finished with both beds she moved to the closet. Over three fourths of the closet had his clothing carefully arranged by color. She intermixed what was in the closet, pulling out what was in the drawers and dropping them in the shoe storage locker. She again uncovered the small dots of goop covering the bedroom cameras. Guardian certainly had his interlopers well covered. She would ask Guardian when she returned to his Lair if he had any in her quarters that she had not detected.

  She was feeling very satisfied with herself. Next was the sitting room.

  "You'll have to end your fun. Lord Chaney and Sheila have entered the city," Guardian's voice informed her. "They will be delayed about thirty stan moments. His habit is to check status of the city before he returns to his quarters and most likely ask about the progress on the search for you."

  As she squirmed into the bot tunnel and pulled herself back into the larger service tunnel, she decided to hit a few more rooms for good measure, notably Black Rose Spartans. She needed more information on them both for personal reasons as well as for strategic planning.

  "What about the Black Rose? Are they still outside the city?"

  "They always leave the city when a broadcast is being made. The smugglers get too edgy with the Black Rose around when they're doing their business," Guardian reminded her. "Usually the other Spartans guard the city while the Black Rose monitors the rest of the planet to make sure no surprise visitors are dropping in."

  Lieutenant, you better quell that need to prove you're better than them. This is not the best time to take the challenge. Just gather information, ruffle feathers…nothing complicated.

  "Guardian, where are the service bots?"

  "Stored safely away."

  "Ahh. Well, that's good. I would imagine it would have been really crowded in here with both of us."

  "It would have. I have not brought them out of storage and back on line in this city."

  So maybe that's why there are no traps set around the exits. I wouldn't know they were here myself if I didn't have Guardian's schematics.

  In each room she visited, cameras that had been smeared over with goop or tape, she either made a small hole in the hardened goop to uncover the lens or moved the camera. They must not have known that Guardian was also able to listen in to conversations because none of the voice systems had been tampered with according to Guardian. The first two Black Rose quarters had nothing inside that would bother an intruder. They were sparse, with no personal hangings on the walls or toilet articles laid out in the small bathing facilities…that they shared. The Lair's quarters were obviously for VIPs. However, the third room was a different matter.

  Harriet carefully deactivated all the motion trips and stunner traps set inside each of the three doorways so she would not be setting anything off while she was working. This room required a different approach. The obvious was not going to disturb this person. She undid the fastenings to a few shelves, switched the hot and cold tubes to her shower, which was too easy; however, she did not to touch the cameras, just to bother her. In the closet, she rigged the clothing pole to drop when any weight was shifted on it.

  Geeze, this woman is really a control freak. All her uniforms are hanging exactly two fingers width apart…hmm. Or maybe, this is her way of knowing when someone has looked through her stuff. Well, it certainly makes it easy to get the bar to drop when anything is moved on it.

  The sound of someone trying to open door into the sergeant's quarters had her frantically looking for a place to hide.

  "Guardian?" she whispered.

  "I cannot see who it is. However, it is not the occupant. The Black Rose squad has not returned to the city."

  Blasters! Can't go out the service panel. She has that rigged and I don't want her to know anyone has been in here until something drops on her. The bot exit is too small for a fast escape.

  Her first place to hide was the obvious, the closet.

  Great. I'm going to be the proverbial recipient of what I sowed. Helgas Moon, I think I may be in trouble here. Try as she might, she could not ignore the scent of the owner that clung to the cloths next to her. It was distracting on different levels…the foremost…why was it bothering her?

  Harriet Montran, your hormones are going to need tending to right soon. You have got to get a woman to work off this energy when this is over or give yourself a hand job real soon.

  The intruder did not waste any time in the frontroom but came directly into the bedroom. She could hear breathing. Somebody with sinus problems. Whoever was in the room knew exactly where he or she was going. Then again, all the quarters she had visited so far, had the same layout. Either this person was not familiar with the owner's traps or not worried. Was this person ex
pected and welcomed? Or, were the traps new and just for this visitor?

  Hmm. Instead of capturing the metradame, why not this person? Anyone snooping around and in Black Rose quarters has to know more than most or is incredibly stupid.

  Harriet's back was getting tired from her bent position trying not to touch the clothes that would move the pole that was set precariously. Shifting her weight slightly caused the clothes pole to drop, just as she had it planned. She leaned forward to avoid being entangled in the mess and inadvertently knocked the closet door open. There was no way to dignify her surprise entry and roll free of the clothes but she did get herself to one knee as a white haired figure was pointing something toward her. She was already changing direction when the shot fired went too wide. He did not get a second chance to shoot before she knocked his weapon from his hand with a roll forward, using one foot to kick his wrist and the other to his midsection. She jumped on him to render him unconscious, but it became more involved, with both rolling around on the floor, trying to get a grip on the other.

  Breaking, they quickly arose. The white haired adversary got his hands around her neck, but she broke his grip easily and kneed him in his midsection bringing him to his knees. She stepped back to kick him in the shoulder but he had a stunner in his hand. Obviously, he had a wrist harness that kept an extra small weapon close on hand. Montran kicked the hand away; however, the stunner was strapped tightly to his hand. She followed her kick by grabbing his wrist attempting to snap the spring that held the weapon in place, at the same time bringing her knee into his leg, intending on giving a cramp. He pulled her off balance, as well. From his knees, he sprang towards her, using his shoulder to slam her against the wall. Both of them fell, with the white haired intruder wrapping one arm across his chest as if she had injured him; however, it could be a ploy. The second skin and suit absorbed the blows she had sustained with her feeling nothing to slow her down. Another point for Guardian's suit. She reminded herself that she had to end this wrestling match soon, before they attracted spectators.

  The man bunted her again knocking them both back, but with the momentum, Harriet flipped them both. Landing on top of him, she knocked the wind out of his lungs with two knees slamming onto his chest. Rolling free, she grabbed up a short ceremonial saber that had come loose from the sheath on his utility belt. He was awkwardly bringing up his side arm again, when she tossed the saber towards his head. She was following the toss, expecting to hit him when he ducked the sword. Instead, the man gave a yell, moving sideways and bringing up his arms in swinging movements as if to ward off a swarm of flies…and the sword blade followed him hitting him between the eyes. With a groan, he sank to his knees, and then fell sideways, looking all of dead.

  Shit! "What the bloody hell happened! Bloody moon! I wanted a prisoner!" she breathed out explosively. "Shit!" She slapped her legs in frustration. This was not supposed to end this way. She wanted a prisoner to find out more of what was going on in the city. "Bloody moon! I should have used the stunner Guardian gave me!" She slapped her sidearm that was still secure on her hip. For a moment, she thought she was going to throw up. "You are not going to up chuck! Geeze! You've seen plenty of killings," she coached herself angrily.

  "The blade is new on the market. It can be programmed to target a vital point on whom it is pointed at. Apparently, he had it programmed for between the eyes. It appears to be a newly purchased weapon, for I had not seen him wear this before. Lieutenant," Guardian's voice sounded surprised in her ear, "you've just eliminated a key player. That was Lord Chaney."

  "Oh, Helgas Bloody Moon!" One of the people she had concentrated hard on not seeking retaliation against and here she had nailed him…and right between the eyes! She could not have done better if she had planned it…and in a sergeant major of the Black Rose's quarters. She rubbed her forehead where she was sure a headache would be forming if she were not wearing Guardian's clothing.

  "I've never seen one before. I hope they're banned. That's all we need to have added to an assassins arsenal." She slapped her leg again to keep her mind off her stomach that wanted to protest the taking of a life and the anger at the weapon's existence.

  "On the other hand; we can look at the bright side of this," Guardian started.

  "What, that here we have Lord Chaney's dead body in the quarters of a Sgt. Major of the Black Rose? Nothing like spreading suspicion and conflict among the troops. However, everyone knows he likes, err…liked girls not women. Maybe his partner will dump his body in space and let some unfortunate trawler find him," she muttered.

  "Not so. I have activated the mortician's robot. It will pick him up and prepare him for delivery to his next of kin. He will be kept in a freezer until we are notified."

  Like most careful law enforcement officers, Harriet went over Lord Chaney's body, removing his other weapons, concentrating on what needed to be done to avoid feeling guilty, because then she would become more attuned to her guilt than what was going on around her. In his utility belt, she found a lot of small deadly toys that recon specialists liked to use. Stars, tenja's and some buzzers. Handy to have. She found his identity card and a small device attached to it. She put them in her utility belt to study later. Maybe later she would really push her luck and pull a recon mission to his ship.

  Harriet, in your dreams. You are getting way ahead of yourself here. Let's not get suicidal because you made a mistake. Bloody moon. But then again, what if I need to get off this planet real quick. It would be handy to have a ship at my disposal…and maybe to transport the captives.

  The mortician's robot came in followed by small utility bots to clean up the mess.

  "I see you've reactivated the small cleaning bots too," she mentioned to Guardian.

  "To help you clean up the evidence."

  "Evidence. Bloody moon, but I feel like a criminal here."

  "You should not. He should have read the directions, which specifically warn the owner to set the parameters of the sword. He obviously did not. I do not like killing, especially on my outpost, however, I do know the difference between murder and an accidental killing. You need to refocus, Lt. Montran. Most likely it was given as a gift from his new associate…"

  "Oh," two voices stated simultaneously. "So, maybe it was intentionally set to him…"

  "I will check that out myself," Guardian affirmed. "Frankly, if someone had given me a weapon of such deadly purpose, I would make certain I would not be on the receiving end."

  The bots seemed to know that the clothes pole was not supposed to be balancing precariously in its slot and set it up correctly with the clothes separated by color and spaced exactly two fingers width apart. Exactly as it had been before she tampered with it.

  The mortician bot was a gurney with arms. It searched the corpse, removing the body jewelry and leaving the pile on the floor alongside of the corpse. Lord Chaney was hoisted up onto the gurney with the knife protruding between the open eyes.

  Hell, I'm gonna have another nightmare and replay of this incident trying to figure out how I could have not had it end this way. This was supposed to be a well-earned vacation home.

  She shook her head feeling discouraged and then reprimanded herself. Stop beating yourself, Montran and concentrate on the present!

  Harriet went over to the jewelry the bot added to the small pile of Lord Chaney's things and inspected them. His ring of authority as a committee member was familiar. Hadrie had one. Harriet, however found one ring that appeared interesting. She picked it up and looked at it closely. A horse with a horn between its dull black eyes. Odd. This was added to her pouch. She rose and turned her attention to the dresser drawer that was left opened by Lord Chaney.

  Under clothing? He was interested in a Spartan's knickers? Correction…in a woman's knickers, she reminded herself. This is not his style…doesn't fit his profile. So, what is here that would be interesting to him? Hmm. Leather thong with small triangular leather spot? Ohhh, I like these. I wonder what she looks like in them.


  In her mind's eye she brought up the subliminal on the face of the Sgt. Major Gari. The Spartan's features were hard, but other mug shots showed a plain face that would be easy to forget. Her boot kicked something. Leaning down, she picked up a small spray vial. No label to identify what it was. She knew better than to smell it. It was added to her plunder in her utility belt and she resumed looking in the drawer, no closer to figuring out what may have interested Lord Chaney. This Spartan obviously had another life that required little fabric with strings attached. Harriet held up another garment, letting it dangle between her fingers as she regarded it. Turning it, the fabric brushed against her skin, eliciting a sensuous feeling.

  Harriet's attention was so focused on the contents of the drawer she did not hear anyone enter the room, but she did sense a presence that had the hairs at the nape of her neck standing up. Turning towards the doorway she found herself looking into the pale green eyes of a tall athletic woman, probably a jlish mixed with human descendants, leaning languidly against the door jam watching her. She had dark brown hair that was fashionably interwoven with colorful cloth ribbons reaching past her shoulders. Her stylish suit spoke volumes of quality and credits to purchase it. It was the product of one of Orion's better clothiers.