‘Four scans,’ June said. ‘Front, back, and sides. The software converts it into a three-D model with precise measurements which the fabricators can work with.’
Bianca was grinning. ‘You’re enjoying the workshop then?’
‘Oh… God, yes. I mean, my toolkit at home is fairly good, but this has a full design suite, automated cutting machines, assembly robots, three-D printers… I’m having to hold myself back. Some of the thoughts I had when I saw what I could do would have been entirely impractical.’
‘So you’re not planning something impractical,’ Cygnus said. ‘That’s good.’
‘No talking. You’ll mess up the measurements.’
‘That’s you told,’ Andrea said.
‘Um,’ Bianca began, which sounded like the start of something difficult, ‘this Professor Blutadler, or Kopf, or whatever… What did he do? He sounds like a thoroughly nasty person, but this seems personal.’
‘It is,’ Andrea stated flatly. She glanced at Cygnus and then sagged a little. ‘I guess I have to tell it for now since Cygnus is muted. Back when Cygnus first got her powers, Blutadler was working with Ghostfire who was trying to take over all the organised crime in New Millennium. Blutadler was the backroom guy. I assume Hugh mentioned Blutadler’s work on Ultrahuman genetics? He was assisting Ghostfire so he could continue his experiments.’
‘Like what happened to the agent? Suzman?’
‘Yes, though that’s a new one. Anyway, they’d been working on their takeover project for a few years, and I was trying to avenge my brother. I blamed his death on a gangster, David Tonaldo, and I was determined to take him and his family down. Then I met Cygnus and she… broadened my scope a little. We hit some of Ghostfire’s operations and they decided to get rid of us. The first step was framing Cygnus for her boyfriend’s murder, and then capturing her. Blutadler wanted to study her because of her unusual power characteristics.’
‘Done,’ June said. ‘You can talk now.’
‘And get dressed?’ Cygnus asked.
‘No. You have to stay naked for the rest of the evening.’
Cygnus rolled her eyes and walked over to the sofa to grab her jeans. ‘So, I get gassed and wake up in this chamber, in supposedly unbreakable bonds. Seriously, fifties B-movie horror stuff.’
‘Naked, obviously,’ Bianca said.
‘No. Blutadler’s many things, but he’s not in the least perverted. His scans didn’t need me nude, so he didn’t bother stripping me. On the other hand, his scans work differently from Hugh’s. He tortured me for… Not sure, but it felt like days. So he had Bobby murdered and then tortured me. That’s why I want him.’
‘I can see why you might, sure.’
‘Meanwhile,’ Andrea went on, ‘I was out looking for her. Red Huntress helped. I found Ghostfire’s base and went in to rescue Cygnus, only to find she was breaking out. We figured the only way to prove her innocent, however, was to break back in and find evidence. So we did.’
‘And I killed Ghostfire,’ Cygnus said. ‘Not my finest moment, but also not something I’m going to regret for the rest of my life. He was pretty determined to kill me.’
‘Blutadler got away, but he left me a present to slow me down. I’m actually fairly sure he didn’t know just how… appropriate his tactic was because I don’t think he knew who I am. I didn’t have the black eyes back then. He sent one of his Blood Zombies after me and… when it was alive, it was my brother, Andy.’
‘Oh,’ Bianca said.
‘Turned out Blutadler had stolen the body after Andy died and turned him into one of those things. It was him who actually arranged for Andy to die, along with Ghostfire. So, yeah, it’s personal. He had my brother killed and then he couldn’t even let him rest.’
‘You’re going to kill him?’
Andrea looked away. ‘I… I’m not sure. I want to. I really want to. But my partner there isn’t so keen on that kind of justice.’
‘I’m not, no,’ Cygnus said. ‘But for Professor Blutadler, I could possibly make an exception.’
14th October.
‘Either of you kept awake by snoring?’ Cygnus asked.
‘I don’t snore,’ Andrea replied with a sniff, ‘and if I did, I would do it stealthily.’
‘I don’t snore either,’ Bianca said. ‘Unless I get a cold when, apparently, I sound like heavy machinery that needs maintenance really soon.’
‘But thanks for sharing a bed, Bianca. I’d have taken one of the sofas.’
‘Nonsense. We’re adults. Plans for today? You said something about making some enquiries.’
‘Uh-huh. I’m going to go visit… Let’s just say I know some people who are very good at uncovering secrets. If they don’t already know what Blutadler is doing, and where, they’ll be able to find out.’
‘I guess I’m on computer translation duty again,’ Cygnus said.
‘And I’ll be in the workshop,’ June added, grinning.
‘Making something practical.’
‘Uh-huh. Well, mostly practical.’
~~~
The law firm Shaftsbury, Greene, and Burket had a moderately large office taking up the third floor of a building at Battery and Jackson. They had a good reputation for handling their clients’ affairs, whatever affairs those clients might have. They had, in fact, something of a reputation for extricating their clients from situations which seemed hopeless.
Andrea, walking into their reception area in T-shirt, jeans, and a pair of sunglasses, knew why they had such a miraculous reputation. When it came right down to it, if normal lines of negotiation failed, there was always something in someone’s life which could be used for leverage.
According to the little plate in front of the woman at the desk, the receptionist was named Miss T. Blake. She looked up at Andrea and yet still managed to look down her nose to do it. This despite a fairly attractive face, pale-blonde hair tied up in a bun, and sharp blue eyes. ‘Can I help you… Miss?’ Blake asked.
‘I need to see one of the senior partners,’ Andrea replied. ‘Urgently. Shaftsbury would be preferable.’
‘Mister Shaftsbury is extremely busy, perhaps–’
Andrea reached up and lifted her glasses off. ‘Did I give the impression that I was making a request? My apologies, I should be more explicit.’
Blake’s eyes widened. ‘Oh! You’re… I’ll call Mister Shaftsbury immediately.’
Five minutes later, Andrea was sitting in Shaftsbury’s large, rather modern corner office with a cup of coffee and a nervous member of the Shadow Court. Shaftsbury had been in the Court for more than thirty years, from what Mia had told Andrea. He was in his fifties with greying, dark-brown hair and a lined face featuring slightly watery hazel eyes. Andrea got the feeling he had seen one too many shadow demons.
‘You’ll have to forgive Tanya,’ Shaftsbury said. ‘She’s–’
Andrea waved the excuses away. ‘I’d be more concerned about her attitude to potential customers than about what I might do to her, and that would be your problem. I’m looking for someone who has apparently come to San Francisco fairly recently. Herman Kopf, also known as Professor Blutadler. German with US citizenship. Brought over under Operation Paperclip after the war.’
‘We have a list of all the known scientists inducted under that project. I’ll have someone look up any current data we have on Mister Kopf immediately.’
‘Doctor Kopf, I think. I’m not positive about that. I know he was working for the SS during the war. Super-soldier experiments. If you could get someone to get me a summary of the local organised crime situation, that would also be welcome.’
Shaftsbury pursed his lips. ‘One second, Grand Master.’ He reached for the phone on his desk and then paused. ‘Do you prefer Grand Mistress? No one sent out a notice, but–’
‘Stick with master for now. I’ve been neglecting details like that and I should be paying more attention to them. I’ll organise things with Mia and Lena, and send out a memo.’
&
nbsp; Inside Andrea’s head, Twilight giggled. ‘The idea that a millennia-old, mystic secret society needs memos is really funny to me.’
‘Hush,’ Andrea replied, trying to avoid smirking.
Shaftsbury was picking up the phone and punching some buttons. ‘Epps? Good. My office, now.’ He put the phone down without further word. ‘Epps is the best adept we have, if you want research done. He’ll have your information as soon as it’s possible to get it. As for the organised crime briefing… Well, there really is only one group in the city. The Jiu Wang, or Nine Kings, tong. They were nothing special until their current Lingdao took over in nineteen ninety-six. He’s a minor Ultra known as Jade Flame, Yu Huoyan, but his talents seem to lie more in creating a successful criminal business empire than in great power.’
There was a knock on the door, followed by it opening and a tall, thin, nerdy-looking man in his late twenties stepping through. His blonde hair appeared to have a life of its own and his skin was so pale it was doubtful it ever saw sunlight, but there were a pair of very sharp, blue eyes behind his spectacles. He saw Andrea sitting there, looking around at him, and his eyes widened much as Blake’s had done.
‘Epps,’ Shaftsbury said before Epps could make any form of comment. ‘Come in, shut the door. I note that you’ve recognised our new Grand Master.’
‘Uh, yes, sir,’ Epps said. ‘Morning, ma’am.’ His voice cracked a little on the last word.
‘It’s the eyes, isn’t it?’ Andrea said, smiling. ‘They’re a bit of a giveaway.’
‘They, uh, do make you easier to recognise, ma’am.’
‘Pleasantries aside,’ Shaftsbury said, ‘the Grand Master needs to know everything we have concerning an ex-Nazi scientist named Herman Kopf, aka Professor Blutadler.’
Epps frowned. ‘Blutadler… I know that name. Something with it on went through my hands recently.’
‘How recently?’ Andrea asked, her tone urgent.
The frown deepened, and then Epps shook his head. ‘Sorry, ma’am. My memory’s good, but if I’m not specifically trying to remember… It was recent. Probably within the last month. It’s a place to start. It’ll take me… maybe a couple of hours to get everything we have.’
Andrea nodded. ‘Fine. I was expecting to have to wait longer.’ Epps nodded and then, much to Andrea’s embarrassment, bowed, before leaving the room. ‘You were telling me about the Nine Kings,’ Andrea said.
‘Yes. Jade Flame really pulled them together. He either assassinated or inducted more or less all of the other gangs in San Francisco, and then he moved on. The Nine Kings owns San Jose and San Diego, and they’re busy trying to take over as much of Los Angeles as they can, though the situation there is more complex.’
‘And no one’s tried to stop them?’
‘The SFPD created a task force, the TAATF, to deal with tong-related organised crime. The Nine Kings have, essentially, bought it and none of the other divisions are allowed to mount operations against the tongs. The TAATF has created a smoke screen, claiming that a fictitious group known as the Red Flag tong is operating in the city. The Nine Kings are known to exist, but they are viewed by most as a minor social society.’
‘What about the local Ultras?’
Shaftsbury smiled. ‘The San Francisco Stars simply do not have the talents for defeating organised crime. There is another Ultra, Mink, who has been a thorn in the Nine Kings’ side for years, but they’ve taken action against her recently which has, at least temporarily, neutralised her.’
‘Okay. Thank you, Mister Shaftsbury. A couple of hours… I’ll go take in a few sights and come back around eleven thirty. I’ve never been to San Francisco before now.’
Shaftsbury smiled. ‘Might I suggest the Chinatown area, Grand Master? Aside from anything else, it’s the home base of the Nine Kings. It might pay you to get a view of it in daylight since you may be visiting it at night sometime soon.’
~~~
Cygnus looked at the replicator control panel and frowned. ‘Okay, so from what I remember… Uh, from what Rho remembered… That is going to get confusing. Anyway, basically there’s a menu system here.’ She tapped at the screen and watched a bank of options come up. ‘Yeah, and then you work through the options…’ More tapping, more lists. ‘And initiate…’ The screen displayed a new message after a second or so and the hatch opened.
‘And it comes out there,’ Elaine said, looking in through the hatch.
‘Uh-huh.’ Cygnus reached in and removed a plastic mug of purple fluid which steamed gently. ‘This was one of Rho’s favourite beverages.’ Without thinking, she lifted it to her mouth and took a sip.
‘You know that could be toxic to a human, right?’
‘Relatively unlikely,’ Ultimate’s voice said over their headsets. ‘Something fatal to a human would likely be fatal to Rho. His biochemistry is sufficiently dissimilar that the drink probably has a different effect on us, but toxicity seems unlikely.’
Cygnus gave a shrug. ‘Tastes like cranberry juice. The mouth-feel is more like coffee.’ She placed the mug back in the hole in the machine and tapped a few times on the screen. The hatch slid shut. ‘Recycled it back to its constituents. This thing gives a whole new meaning to recycling.’
‘It has a very interesting, and quite significant, energy signature,’ Ultimate stated. ‘It is using a huge amount of energy to generate objects. The energy for destruction is less, but substantial. If we could replicate that device, it would revolutionise manufacturing.’
‘Yeah, if. I don’t think Rho knew how it worked, so I’m no help on that one.’
‘It’s something to research,’ Elaine said. ‘Not for me to research, but it’ll keep someone busy for years. Longer. What about the teleporter?’
Cygnus turned around. ‘That… I know what to do to make it work. I also know that if I get it wrong, it could make a real mess.’
‘We’ll try that at another time,’ Ultimate said. ‘Perhaps we could try the mid-section?’
‘The computer says that the radiation in there is a little higher than in here. That’s outside the reactor compartment where it’s a lot hotter. Is Elaine’s suit up to it?’
‘We’ll check the readings to be sure, but it should be.’
‘Okay.’ Cygnus walked out of the room and headed for the aft door.
There was a fairly obvious rise in radiation level as the bulkhead door slid aside, but neither Ultimate nor Elaine seemed concerned. Like the forward section, there was a corridor here, but this one had a single door in it, set off to the right. On the left side there were access panels bolted to the walls, and at the end was another bulkhead door.
‘Any idea what’s behind the panels?’ Elaine asked.
Cygnus paused, looking down the wall. ‘Uh, you’ve got limited access to the reactor chamber, the force field generator, and the cargo hold. The hold is unpressurised, so opening that panel up in space isn’t recommended.’
‘Right.’ Elaine turned and hit the ‘open’ button on the door. Beyond it was a sort of T-shaped room. An inner door was set into a wall on the right. On the left, a short corridor went toward the back. Elaine stepped a little way down the side corridor and frowned. ‘What are these?’
Cygnus stepped up beside her and looked around. There were four small rooms, each the same. Not much bigger than a large man, each cell was fitted with various metal restraints along with a number of tubes with odd fittings on the ends. ‘Not obvious? Guardians are basically police officers. These are the cells.’
‘And the tubes?’
‘Food in, waste out. Once someone goes in there, they don’t come out until the ship gets to its destination. Oh, and there’s a power suppression field in each cell. The other room’s a medical facility. Automated.’
‘One of you people needs an automated medical system?’
Cygnus frowned. ‘I don’t feel like one of “you people,” Elaine.’
‘Sorry. Turn of phrase, but I don’t see you needing medical attent
ion very often.’
‘No, but maybe someone else does. Maybe someone they’ve caught.’ Cygnus turned and walked over to open the medical bay door. It was a fairly small room largely occupied by a machine built like a sarcophagus. ‘And that’s the medical unit. Basically you just climb in, or put someone in, and it starts working.’
‘You think it would work on a human?’
Grinning, Cygnus turned and looked at Elaine. ‘Well, I’m not going to be the one to try it out. Are you?’
~~~
The bullpen area where most of the legal team worked fell silent as Andrea strutted through it trying her best to look authoritative. She spotted Epps’s head appearing around the side of a partition, noted the widening of his eyes before he hid again, and allowed herself to smile.
Twilight was not helping. ‘It’s like someone dropped a goddess in front of them.’
‘Not quite. Just their Grand Master,’ Andrea replied silently.
‘I definitely prefer Grand Mistress. Next time we come to one of these places, you’re dressing in a corset and heels.’
‘Just a corset and heels?’
‘Well, that would be great, but I think they’d arrest us before we got to the office.’
Trying hard to keep the smirk off her face, Andrea stopped and turned to look into Epps’s cubicle. ‘Mister Epps, what do you have for me?’
‘Uh… Not as much as I’d hoped, ma’am,’ Epps replied. ‘I think you’ll find what we have, uh, interesting. Mister Shaftsbury suggested we use conference room three.’
‘Lead on,’ Andrea said, feeling her heart sinking.
Epps took a laptop with him so he had his notes and took Andrea to a small conference room which seemed like it was designed for smaller meetings. Since it was just the two of them, that seemed fine. Andrea took a seat and Epps looked like he was going to do the same, but then he chickened out and remained standing. He looked like he was about to start pacing.
‘The first thing you should know, Grand Master,’ Epps began, ‘is that Herman Kopf used to be an initiate of the Shadow Court.’
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