by RJ Johnson
Suresh shrugged. "Perhaps you are right sir. I make no claim on being an authority on love and what people feel for each other. Perhaps her feelings are purely platonic. The point I'm trying to make is I don't know and neither will you unless you deign to take a chance."
Meade grinned and held his arms up in surrender. "Fine, I'll see what she says when we get back to Mars."
Suresh nodded, taking the victory. "I would do so if I were you. Delaying love is delaying life."
Meade laughed and it felt good. "You're one helluva kid Suresh."
Suresh tilted his head in acknowledgment. "I am only as the universe has made me."
"Perhaps the universe will give us some answers in Downtown." Meade said grinning as the train continued its journey to Downtown.
Chapter Seventeen
The Rampet train slowed as it entered the station for Downtown. The crush of people exited the train and spilled into the center. Meade exited along with Suresh trying to stay close to his guide, but even through the crush of people, that made it difficult.
"Suresh!" Meade shouted, "Stay close!"
"Sir!" Suresh cried out as they were being separated. "I will meet you at the wall!"
But Meade soon found himself overwhelmed by the crush of people moving to their homes. The crowd of people was like a river, rushing and carrying him wherever they wanted to go. Soon, he couldn't see Suresh, lost as he was in the sea of humanity. Meade grumbled and allowed himself to be carried towards the main section of Downtown.
Soon as the crowd eased Meade found himself alone without Suresh by his side. Meade searched, but he saw no sign of his young assistant. Meade shrugged and decided the kid would be fine on his own. He probably fit in here better than he did.
Meade looked over Downtown as it sloped downward even further into the Asteroid's interior. Neon lighting announced various shops and stores offering prepared SUMP at reduced prices as well as exotic spices and hydro vegetables at exorbitant prices. Meade stopped by one stand that was selling fruit and he gasped at the pricing. A dozen apples would cost him a day's wages if he was a mole back on Mars. He had no idea what the moles on Rosetta earned, but he imagined it was closely related if not much less.
"You move on!" A Chinese man snapped. "You buy! Or you move on!" Meade raised his arms backing away slowly and continued down the boardwalk weaving between the weary shoppers buying the food for their dinner.
"Onions! Chicken dumplings!" A vendor hawked next to him. "Best in Downtown! No one beats our prices! You sir!" He grabbed Meade's arm and dragged him to his stall, "You hungry? I feed you quick for fifteen credits!"
"Uhh, no, thank you." Meade wrested his arm away from the pushy vendor and continued down the retail park dodging various men and women still shopping.
He approached a neon sign that promised nude women and was stopped by the hawker outside the door. "You like the women Señor?" The man's accent was thick and Meade struggled to place it. Argentina most likely, they had been taken over by the Consortium at the end of the Last War.
"I'm looking for someone actually." Meade began.
"Aren't we all?" The man grinned displaying his yellowing and crooked teeth. "What do you like? Brunette? Redhead?" He cocked his head, "You like men?"
Meade shook his head. "I'm looking for someone in particular. Her name is Vicktoria Vlachenko and..."
The hawker's face fell as he looked away and moved on to another man wandering down the retail park shouting at him to come enjoy the women inside.
"Hey," Meade shouted grabbing the Hawker's arm, "What's the deal?"
"I don't want trouble Señor." The man now looked panicked. "I'm an honest man."
"No one said you weren't. Do you know her?"
His eyes narrowed looking at Meade suspicious. "I know Vlachenko. She part of Rincon's network." He moved away again shouting at a man wandering down the park who entered, even as he ignored the Hawker.
"Who do I talk to so I can find her?" Meade insisted.
"You don't get to talk to her, she finds you." The Hawker said. "You don't want none of that trouble, I tell you this for free."
"What's the information cost if I want to find the trouble?"
The Hawker looked up at Meade and squinted. "Five hundred credits."
"Five hundred is steep." Meade protested. The Hawker shrugged.
"It gets back to Rincon I help you find her, trouble finds me."
"Who's Rincon?" Meade demanded.
"He her man, and a dangerous one at that." The Hawker admitted.
"I'll give you three hundred and make sure no one finds out you're the one who pointed me in her direction." Meade negotiated.
"Four hundred." The Hawker stared Meade down and offered his ArmBar out. "Otherwise, I go back to work."
Meade knew he was getting ripped off, but what did he care? He wasn't paying for it. "Four hundred it is." He transferred the credits to the Hawker's ArmBar and he pointed Meade towards a bright yellow neon sign emblazoned with the words "The Bitters." Meade nodded his thanks and made his way over to the pub across the street.
Entering the bar, Meade felt instantly at home. It was a rough and tumble place, filled with tough looking men bent over their drinks not saying anything. Loud music blasted from a barely working sound system from across the room and the inside smelled like moldy bread.
Meade made his way over to the bar and signaled the bald bartender who ignored him. He was too busy with his game of chess with a patron at the end of the bar.
"Keep!" Meade shouted over the din and waved again. The Bartender looked up, sighed and then moved towards the end of the bar.
"What do you want?" The bartender's tone wasn't friendly exactly, but he wasn't exactly the pinnacle of customer service either.
"Nice scar." Meade offered. The Bartender had a large scar that ran from the top of his forehead over his eye to his cheek. It was ugly, purple and hard to miss. The Bartender's eyes narrowed and flexed his knuckles. Meade immediately regretted it.
"Whiskey, neat." Meade ordered.
The Bartender snorted. "Where the hell do you think you are? Uptown?" He laughed. "This boy thinks he's in Uptown fellas!" The crowd laughed, mocking Meade from their seats. "Go back to wherever you came from friend." The Bartender leaned forward, menacingly. "Upper class or not, we don't answer to your kind in here." He removed a bat from under the bar and set it on the counter. The message was clear.
Meade's eyes narrowed and figured a more direct approach was needed. He nodded, surveyed the crowd and then spun back grabbing the bartender's head and slammed it violently on the counter. The bartender's head bounced off the counter and he got back up holding his nose as it bled and the sound of a hundred ArmBars arming came from behind Meade.
Meade smiled and turned looking at the crowd. "Gents." He had stared down a hundred armed men before, "What's good here?"
A man rushed him and the bar fight began. Meade dodged the initial punch and took the man's arm and slammed it down on his shoulder breaking it as he swept his legs out from under him. Raising up, Meade ducked under a punch thrown by a second and moved behind him kicking the man in the face with the bottom of his foot. The man stumbled back clutching his nose in pain as he collapsed in a group of men who caught him before he hit the ground. The men threw him back in the fight and he caught Meade with a lucky shot smacking him in the nose. Meade shook it off and threw a series of punches to the man's midsection before wrenching his arm, dislocating it from his shoulder socket.
A third man rushed Meade from behind and grabbed him in a bear hug. Meade groaned in pain. His broken ribs still hadn't healed completely and the pain was incredible. He stuck his thumb in the man clutching him in his eye and the man howled in pain. Another rushed him and Meade used his momentum to flip him up and over on the bar. Meade grabbed a bottle and brained him keeping him down for the count.
"Enough!" A voice thundered through the crowd and the men with blood lust in their eyes drew back, stopping thei
r attack on Meade.
A man emerged from the crowd and Meade realized it was the man the Bartender had been playing chess with. He was tall, bald and older than most of the men in the bar. Meade was breathing heavily and stood up straight, his ribs still smarting from the fight.
"You're quite the fighter." The man commented as he sized Meade up. "You're not from around here."
Meade wiped some blood off his cheek and shook his head. "Jim Meade, I'm a private investigator."
The bald man raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? What pray tell are you investigating?"
"Sanjay Sinjakama’s murder." Meade said challenging him. The bald man slowly blinked and a slight smile trickled over his face.
"Is that so? Scuttlebutt says he committed suicide."
"Scuttlebutt is known to get things wrong on occasion." Meade shot back.
"True enough." The bald man's eyes never stopped moving as he examined Meade.
"You know who I am, who the hell are you?" Meade challenged.
The bald man pursed his lips. "Lazarus Rincon. I own The Bitters."
"Just the man I'm looking for." Meade replied. "Nice to meet you."
"What can I do for you Mr. Meade?"
"I'm looking for Vicktoria Vlachenko. I was told she was in your employ."
"At times." Lazarus replied. "I find that she believes herself more self-employed."
"Do you know where she is?" Meade asked. "I have some questions about Sinjakama's death. From what I've been able to gather, she was the last one to see him alive."
"Is that so?" Lazarus asked amused. "I am afraid she is not here."
"Know where I can find her?"
"What makes you believe I'd tell you even if I knew?
Meade shrugged. "Self-preservation mostly. I've got credits if that's what you need."
Lazarus barked out a laugh. "Self-preservation? Upper class don't bother coming down here. I don't fear the Consortium security. They leave me to my own devices."
"I might be able to make things easier for ya." Meade added. "Easier access to high shelf liquors and better food rations."
Lazarus shook his head. "Impossible. Koschei has us as he wants us."
"I've got influence." Meade persuaded. "I can guarantee a weekly shipment of fresh meat and vegetables from Koschei's private reserve."
Lazarus cocked his head. "You don't have that kind of power."
"Give me your ArmBar." Meade ordered. He could tell he had Lazarus on the hook. The bald man offered his ArmBar to Meade. Meade transferred a thousand credits into his account.
"And there's a lot more where that came from." Meade promised. "All I need is to talk to Vicktoria."
Lazarus slyly smiled. "All right Mr. Meade. Let's say I believe you. What do you want from her?"
"Just a few questions about what they talked about during their ahh..." Meade searched for a delicate way to put it, "sessions."
Lazarus snapped his fingers and a man rushed off. "She will be brought to you. Please have a seat at the bar and enjoy our home brew. It may not have the same sort of kick you are used to on Mars, but, I assure you our moonshine is up to par."
Meade nodded gratefully and sat down to wait at the bar. The Bartender scowled at him still wiping blood off his face as he served him his drink. The bartender spit in his drink and set it down in front of Meade. Meade smiled and threw it down in one gulp. They'd have to do a lot more to keep him from drinking.
Meade didn't have to wait long as Vicktoria was escorted into The Bitters by a group of men and forced to sit down next to him. Her hair was a brilliant shade of blue and green streaks and looked sexy as ever. Vicktoria was protesting her rough treatment until she spotted Meade.
"I suppose I have you to thank for interrupting my session with my client?" Vicktoria asked as she waved to the bartender who quickly fetched her a drink.
"Just wanted to follow up on our previous conversation and ask you a few more questions." Meade said waiting for the bartender to depart.
"You'd better pay the man." Vicktoria purred.
Meade rolls his eyes and paid for the drink. Vicktoria picked it up and tasted the alcohol. "You've got however long it takes me to finish this drink. Then I've got to get back to work. Girl's gotta make a living after all."
"Then I'll get right to it." Meade replied, all business. "What did you and Sinjakama talk about during your sessions?" He watched every move she made watching for the slightest reaction.
She shrugged and took another sip of her drink. "A little of this, a little of that. We were mostly distracted by our physical activities."
"He never mentioned the projects he was working on?"
"He was a private man." Vicktoria touched her face and looked around the bar. "We rarely discussed his work." She tossed her hair, "It bored me, but I would sometimes indulge him."
"He ever mention the engines he was working on?"
Vicktoria wet her lips and hesitated. "He mentioned a special project a time or two yes."
"But no specifics?"
"He liked to discuss how brilliant he was and how he was about to change the course of history and with it remake the world into a Consortium utopia, but I never paid much attention to his propaganda blathering. Plus, I never really understood what he was saying."
"He never discussed moving Rosetta to a different orbit?" Meade questioned and he watched her. She was entirely too uncomfortable for the relatively bland line of questioning he was submitting her to. She knew much more than she wanted to let on. He had to find a way through her wall and decided on a different tack. He lowered his ArmBar beneath the bar and typed on it quickly.
"Oh now, I don't believe that. If there's anything I've learned about you, it's that you're a lot smarter than you like to appear to people." Meade flattered her. "It takes a certain kind of smarts to do what you do."
She shrugged. "I suppose so. I never thought on it much." She tossed back her drink and stared at him. "Was there anything else? Your one drink is up."
Meade looked at his ArmBar on which the readout read 100%.
"I'm sorry I wasted your time." Meade apologized. "But it would seem my investigation has hit a wall."
She touched his face with her fingernail letting it drag along his face, down his chest and into his crotch. "You could always pay for a bit more time."
"I'm sure it'd be worth every penny, but I have to get back to Uptown and figure out how to break to Sinjakama that his father likely committed suicide. You were my last lead." Meade replied.
She clucked in sympathy. "It's too bad. You look like you'd be a lot of fun."
Meade grinned. "No complaints yet. 'Preciate your time."
"Try and call ahead next time you're looking for me. I'll clear my schedule for you." She said seductively as she rose off the bar stool and made her way out of the bar.
Meade turned back to the bar and signaled the bartender for another. He smiled to himself. The download had gone so quickly, he doubted she had time to spot it. During his many conversations with Roxanne at Lover's Lot, he had learned quite a bit about prostitution in the Consortium. In exchange for being allowed to sell their body, the men and women were required to get tested on a weekly basis and record their every encounter for safety. Their encounters were usually encrypted, but Meade had faith in his fancy new ArmBar and its capability to decode the encryption using a set of black market keys that were freely available on the wireless. Meade had no doubt such a thing already existed on his ArmBar and wasn't worried about decrypting the information.
"Mr. Meade!" A voice shouted at him from across the bar. Meade looked up and spotted Suresh moving towards him with relief on his face. "I've been searching for you everywhere!"
"Smart move checking the bars first, kid." Meade remarked dryly.
"Did you find who you were looking for?" Suresh asked.
"I did, but it remains to be seen how much help she was." Meade tossed back the rest of his drink and stood up from the bar. "Come on, we've got to
get back to Sinjakama's quarters."
"What for?"
Meade smiled, "Why to return to the scene of the crime of course."
Chapter Eighteen
Meade and Suresh arrived outside Sanjay Sinjakama quarters and Meade pushed the door open and entered. Meade's ArmBar had been decoding the video recordings the entire way back and were nearly complete.
"I do love this new ArmBar." Meade said as he lovingly caressed the piece of hardware on his arm. "Most powerful thing I've ever had."
"How much was it?" Suresh asked.