Shadow Agents: The Benevolency Universe (Outworld Ranger Book 2)

by David Alastair Hayden

  “Proposals?” Siv asked.

  “I’ve got nothing as far as navigating the station without getting recognized,” Mitsuki replied. “But it shouldn’t be too hard to find a spot to hide while we wait for the shuttle’s departure time.”

  “If we both had refractor fields, we’d be set,” Siv said. “But we don't. So I've got nothing either.”

  “I have a plan,” Silky said in a mischievous tone. “It’s crazy, but—”

  “It just might work?” Mitsuki suggested sarcastically.

  “Might?” Silky said. “Might? Madam, my plans are practically guaranteed. Even the crazy ones.”

  “Well, let’s hear it then,” Siv said with a sigh.

  “Before I explain everything, we need to purchase an environmental hazard suit from the miners.”

  “We’re running very low on funds,” Mitsuki cautioned.

  “We’ll be fine,” Silky said. “I’ve got a plan for that too. And the hazard suit is essential.”

  20

  Siv Gendin

  Siv only had one chameleon veil with him, and it wasn’t a good one. It was only capable of shaping into two halfway decent identities, neither of which would hold up to close observation and thorough scanning. And every criminal organization pursuing them probably knew about them.

  He pulled the veil out of his pack and set it to the identity he thought would be the least well known. Then he disconnected the thin electronic strip and the inner layer responsible for reshaping the mask and handed the outer layer to Mitsuki.

  “Do your worst.”

  Mitsuki tacked the outer layer of the mask to the wall in the tiny bedroom on the freighter, extended her claws, and slashed it. Her claws scratched the surface leaving a trail of snags and puckers in the malleable plastic without actually tearing it. Silky thought this “scarring” would make the mask persona less identifiable.

  “Should I hit it again?” Mitsuki asked.

  “Probably not,” Siv replied. “We don’t want to draw too much attention to the face.”

  “I think any scarring will make people notice. But if it’s nasty enough, people will look away.”

  “She has a good point, sir,” Silky said. “If you look truly hideous, people might look away. Plus, the face will be even less recognizable. And if it gets flagged for further examination both individuals and AI’s will assume that recent scarring is what’s causing the face not to show up in a database. At that point, if the ID behind the face is solid, they will stop investigating.”

  Siv shrugged. “I guess it can’t hurt to try. But do you think another slash will make that much difference?”

  Mitsuki suddenly smiled wide, revealing her sharp, pinkish teeth. Siv knew that smile and usually hated it. But they could use some patented Mitsuki craziness right now.

  She darted toward the door. “I’ll be right back.”

  Siv chuckled, shaking his head. “You know, I used to dread seeing her more than a few times a year.”

  “Cause you thought she was annoying, crazy, and kind of nuts.”

  “Exactly.”

  “And yet we saw her about once a month on average.”

  “I’m all too aware of that, Silky.”

  “Is she growing on you, sir?”

  “Kind of. But maybe it’s just because we need her.”

  “Maybe you never gave her much of a chance, sir. Because maybe you and Mitsuki are a lot alike, and that bothers you.”

  “You think we’re alike?”

  “Mad schemes…unusual pasts…always running from the things you can’t escape. Sound familiar, sir?”

  “Sounds like a load of crap.”

  "If you say so, sir. But I've always liked Mitsuki, and I've got impeccable tastes."

  Mitsuki returned carrying a glass vial with a bit of liquid sloshing around in it. She held it up and winked. “Acid.”

  Siv took a step back as Mitsuki unstopped the vial and slung the contents against the mask. The acid stripped grime from the wall and melted portions of the chameleon veil. In a couple of spots, it melted all the way through the mask's advanced plastic material. Once they reassembled it, some of the inner layer's ribbing would show through. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as too much of it didn't show.

  “I’d wait a few minutes before putting it on,” Mitsuki cautioned.

  “You think?”

  “You need to get it into a base solution and fast,” Silky said. “Otherwise too much of it will melt away, and it won’t work at all.”

  “Shit,” Mitsuki said. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “Why didn’t you consult me on which acid to use or how to go about it is the better question,” Silky replied.

  Mitsuki ripped the case off their pillow and used it to grab the edge of the mask. As she rushed out of the room, Captain Alois contacted them over the comm.

  “Docking ETA thirty minutes.”

  “We’ll be ready by then,” Siv replied.

  At least he hoped so.

  As the mining freighter docked with the station orbiting Zayer Prime, they joined Captain Alois in the loading bay.

  “Don’t be a hero,” Siv told him. “If someone tracks you down because of us, tell them everything they want to know. Everything.”

  The captain laughed and patted him on the shoulder. “That’s exactly what I plan to do, but I appreciate you saying it. Keeps my conscience clear. For a criminal, you seem like a good man.”

  Siv smiled. “Oh, I’m not being pursued because I’m a criminal.”

  He flinched. “But you are one, right?”

  “The both of us,” Mitsuki said. “Without question.”

  “Well, I don’t want to know any more than that,” Alois said. “Now, you’ve got the name of my cousin, right?”

  “My chippy received your message,” Siv said.

  “I’m not sure whether he can help you, but he does have some dubious connections.”

  “It’s a good lead, and very much appreciated,” Siv said. “I’ll send you additional money for your trouble, as soon as I’m able to.”

  The captain nodded. “I appreciate that.”

  The docking tube extended and connected, then the freighter signaled that the procedure was complete and the passageway secure.

  “We need to get moving,” Alois said. “They keep a tight schedule here.”

  “Time for me to vanish,” Mitsuki said.

  A moment later, she was invisible, though Siv could see a hazy outline of her if he squinted hard. But that was only because he knew where to look. They had used a belt to strap Siv's RC-4 refractor cloak and a makeshift power pack around her waist. Thanks to the maintenance Octavian had performed on Siv's equipment, the RC-4 was behaving more reliably than usual.

  Siv put on the helmet of his hazard suit and nodded to Captain Alois. Together they walked down the tube to the station. Mitsuki padded stealthily along behind them.

  The suit was old, scarred, and busted. Alois had only kept it around for scrap parts, which had made it perfect for what they needed, especially since the captain had been willing to part with it for cheap.

  After rescuing the mask from complete destruction, Mitsuki had tossed a bit of acid onto the hazard suit as well. They also damaged the helmet’s faceplate using a blowtorch. That way the station wouldn’t be able to get a scan of his face on his arrival.

  The only problem was that, as usual, Mitsuki had overdone things and he could hardly see anything. Which was why he should really be the one to implement her ideas.

  As they made their way across, Silky actively jammed all the station’s scanners so that Mitsuki wouldn’t be picked up by infrared or other conventional detection methods. Fortunately, security wasn’t thorough on this station. They obviously didn’t expect refraction-cloaked individuals to sneak in off mining freighters.

  “Everything’s going well so far, sir. The cloak seems stable, and the power drain’s steady and predictable. Now at ninety-five perce
nt.”

  “Good. Be sure to keep Mitsuki up-to-date.”

  “Obviously, I’m doing that, sir. You’re the one getting the unnecessary updates.”

  “Sorry, Silkster. I didn’t intend to micromanage you. I’m just nervous.”

  “It’s understandable, sir. Just remember, too much tension means you’re more likely to make a mistake and draw attention to yourself. And tension itself is a giveaway to the wary. You must remain relaxed. Take some deep breaths. Get into character. And count…escape pods or something.”

  Siv was an excellent procurement specialist because he had a knack for it and because he had Silky and a host of high-tech gear. But in addition to Shadowslip training, he'd gotten training in the arts of stealth and infiltration from Silky. And Silky's expertise wasn't solely based on knowledge downloaded from a database. Silky had firsthand experience from having served with a special forces agent for forty years.

  Siv routinely used every technique Silky had taught him, except for counting up or down using the Fibonacci sequence. Running through those numbers mentally, even after he’d carefully memorized many of them, only distracted him. So instead, whenever he had to, he counted escape pods, which was rare these days.

  Silky had taught him to count escape pods in those early days after he’d been defrosted and forced into the Shadowslip Guild. When Siv couldn’t sleep, or couldn’t stop crying over having lost his dad and everything he knew, Silky would tell him stories and play ancient 2D movies for him. And when that wasn’t enough they would count escape pods.

  With each deep breath, Siv would imagine ejecting each worry, each sad thought, each problem he had, until finally, on the last pod, he jettisoned himself to safety.

  Without the Silkster, he never would’ve made it.

  So he began counting the escape pods, jettisoning each worry about what could go wrong.

  A customs agent with an expanded c|slate in hand stood just inside the loading bay of the station. He wore a black business suit, a warm smile, and a holstered neural disruptor.

  Beside the customs agent stood a bearded deck officer in a security uniform. He had the wary expression of a man who knew what he was about, and tiredness in his eyes that suggested he'd served for too long. Siv knew from experience that officers like him weren't easily fooled. However, because they'd seen it all a million times before and just wanted it to end, they would quickly tire of anything routine.

  Unfortunately, they couldn’t play the routine card on this one.

  The deck officer wore two sidearms: one a plasma pistol, the other a neural disruptor. The two guards behind him had plasma carbines and shock-clubs.

  Captain Alois greeted the customs agent and the deck officer warmly. The officer flashed him a smile then glared suspiciously at Siv. His guards raised their carbines a little higher and took broad steps to each side, so they'd have clear firing angles on Siv.

  “Silkster?”

  “Elevated heart rates, sir. Obviously. I’m not picking up any alarm broadcasts or detecting any additional security heading this way. I think it’s just precaution—for now.”

  Captain Alois presented an ID card, which the customs agent scanned. Predictably, Silky muttered a string of curses. Identification cards had never been needed before the fall of the Benevolence. But now unreliable scanning systems and galactic net access sometimes necessitated them in backwater planetary systems.

  “Welcome back, Captain Alois. You are cleared for cargo unloading, and you have been assigned Storage Bay 47.”

  “Sir,” the deck officer said, approaching Siv, “I will need you to remove your helmet and present your credentials.”

  Siv intentionally mumbled his reply.

  “Officer, I’m afraid he’s a bit self-conscious about his appearance,” Captain Alois said.

  The deck officer cocked an eyebrow, and one of his security guards suppressed a nervous chuckle.

  “Explain.”

  “There was an accident aboard the ship,” Alois told them, dutifully following the script Siv had given him. “Crewman Alec Sevran was badly injured. We saved his life, but he suffered significant scarring.”

  Sevran had been the crewman that had betrayed the captain. Siv reached out Sevran’s ID card. The officer took the card and scanned it.

  “Mr. Sevran, your ID checks out, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist that you remove the helmet so that I can confirm your identity.”

  21

  Siv Gendin

  Siv had hoped they’d let him pass based on the ID card alone, but with an experienced deck officer in charge, there was no way that was happening.

  He unlocked the helmet and pulled it off.

  The guards rocked back on their heels, their eyes widening. And he couldn’t blame them for the reaction. His face was a terrifying mess. And not just because of the acid scarring and the gouges from Mitsuki’s claws. The extensive damage she’d done to the inner layer’s reshaping function had made the outer layer pucker, bulge, and stretch in random places. So, it looked as if his face had melted and nearly sloughed off.

  As the shock wore off, the guards lowered their eyes to stare at Siv’s feet. He noted with relief that their carbines also dropped several centimeters.

  The most significant risk now would be encountering someone with medical training. Or an astute observer who applied a bit of logic. Because there was a significant flaw in the design: his eyes. Any accident that could mess up his face that badly would have also blinded him.

  The deck officer bravely met Siv’s eyes. Shit! He was going to figure it out. Siv caught his breath.

  The man’s face paled, and he swallowed hard. He glanced at the data card then looked back to Siv as he returned it.

  "Everything appears to be in order, sir. But…my apologies, of course…you're going to have to keep the helmet off while you're on the station…for security purposes."

  Siv mumbled his reply, scraping his words on the back of his throat to disguise his voice as best as possible. "No need to apologize. I understand."

  “Do you need an escort to the infirmary?”

  “No need,” Siv replied. “I’m stable. And I’m leaving right away to see a surgeon on the planet.”

  The officer stepped aside, and his guards moved away too. “Well, I wish you luck. You may be on your way.”

  Siv turned to Captain Alois. “I’ll be in touch, Captain.”

  “Sevran,” Alois said. “Be well.”

  Siv checked his locator, noting that Mitsuki had already moved ten meters into the bay, having worked her way around the guards while they were distracted. Unfortunately, that was as far as she could go. Silky needed her to remain nearby so that he could manage the refraction cloak if something went wrong.

  Siv counted escape pods as he walked through the bay toward the exit leading to the center of the space station.

  “Silkster?”

  “You know I hate that name, sir. So much.”

  “I take it things are fine since you’re complaining.”

  “It all seems fine, sir. And the refraction cloak is at seventy-eight percent power. I’d estimate an hour left. Thanks to Octavian and Bishop. Otherwise, it would have already failed by now.”

  “How long until the passenger shuttle departs?”

  “Two and a half hours, sir. It was delayed.”

  “So we need somewhere we can go where Mitsuki can drop the cloaking field until we have to leave.”

  “I’ve already got a place picked out, sir. And you’re going to hate it.”

  Siv hated the place as soon as he saw the blinking red neon sign that read Downtimes. As he approached, a burly, flat-faced bouncer wearing a Downtimes emblazoned jacket stepped out from an alcove to meet him at the door. A sheathed shock-club swung from his belt.

  The bouncer scanned him over then locked his eyes on Siv’s face. He swallowed and rocked back ever so slightly, but he didn’t look away. He was the first person in the station to more than glance at
Siv. Advanced plastic surgery wasn’t one of the technologies that had disappeared with the fall of the Benevolence, so seeing someone with catastrophic deformity was highly unusual.

  The bouncer stood in front of the door. “Pay at the terminal.”

  Siv stepped up to an interactive display. He selected the most basic package available, chose a time of two hours, and then deposited fifty hard credits he could hardly afford to lose into a slot. All the while, he felt the bouncer staring at him.

  “Is he watching me?”

  “Hasn’t taken his eyes off you, sir. Maybe he thinks you’re cute.”

  A buzzer sounded, and the bouncer stepped aside. As the door opened, Siv fumbled his ID card, allowing it to drop onto the floor. He muttered a complaint about how clumsy the hazard suit made him. While he picked up his ID, Mitsuki slipped past him, taking the side opposite to that of the bouncer.

  As Siv eased his way into the opium den, the bouncer patted him on the back.

  “I don’t blame you, buddy. If I were you, I’d be in here getting high too. Hell, I don’t think I’d ever leave.”

  “Um…thanks,” Siv said.

  The door closed behind him, and Siv checked his locator, watching the bouncer return to his nook.

  “Do you think he was on to me?”

  “Not that I can tell, sir.”

  “Monitor his communications.”

  “I’ll do my best, sir.”

  “I think,” Mitsuki replied over their shared channel, “that he’s a guy that’s maybe seen it all and a bit more and you didn’t faze him.”

  “I’ve got a bad feeling about him,” Siv said. “We shouldn’t stay here.”

  “Unless you want to rent a room, sir, there’s nowhere else to go where you can get some privacy.”

  “I think a room would be just fine,” Siv replied.

  “‘Nevolence, Siv, we’ve been over this already,” Mitsuki snapped. “Renting a room for yourself then leaving two hours later could arouse suspicion.”