by Clay Moore
A set the folder down on the table in front of him. He spun the folder around to face John and pushed the folder towards him.
John read the code name for the file. The file was called Fallen Angels. John had a little trouble with the name. Most of the genetic robots that were female were mainly being produced for the sex trade. They had fallen indeed, but he rather doubted that they were ever angels. They had never been given a chance to be angels.
John opened the folder. The first document was a photograph. It was a woman. Pretty good-looking except for the rot that was settling in. He set that photo somewhat beside and pick up the next photo. When he looked at that picture, he knew what the whole mission was. John looked at A.
“This is about Faraway?" "The planetary director of Faraway came up with the same idea as you. He knew that the toleration of the planets when it came to genetic robots is the lowest it has ever been. We’re talking about an attack on a world to get rid of one product."
"You have not been involved when genetic concepts had genetic robots, called super soldiers."
"You were a Sergeant Major of the EHG Marine. Were you involved with the last planetary bombardment?" "Yes, I'm thankful that you cannot see my face when I am wearing a battle suit. In fact, the Marines got their battle suit as a way of dealing with super soldiers."
“You've made friends on Faraway?" "Yes, Vivana and I were sent to Faraway so that we could get a lock on where that battle cruiser was. To carry off our mission we made friends, The owner of the star port and his family. We also made acquaintances with the planetary director."
"You'll be happy to know that the planetary director of Faraway is the same gentleman like the one you met. It was he who asked for you and Vivana. I had to tell about Vivana, and that is never the fun thing to do."
“What is it that he wants me to do?"
"What is the only way that they could avoid having the Starfleet of the planets overhead?" * * *
"They would have to destroy the location where these genetic robots are being made. I don't know where they're being made, neither does the planetary director."
"Are we sure these are genetic robots? I have seen real twins that were virtually indistinguishable." "I am sending you on spec. When you are satis fied that someone is making genetic robots on Faraway, you will be permitted to utilize anything short of a nuclear device."
"Then I will move some cargo. We tell the armorer I would like to have approximately 225 pounds of that new plastic explosive. I would also like to have four cartons of ammo for my 7mm. And I also like the blackout gear for myself and two others. I'm going to need enough mad money in case I need to buy cooperation. “
“Apparently you have an idea of what kind of plan of action." "The last time that we were there Vivana paid little attention to some factory buildings in the old genetic concepts. We had nowhere near the explosive capability, so we decided that we would strafe the factory with the Rose. The 30 mm naval gun that we had made short work of building not designed to stand an attack from a starship."
"How will you know if the genetic concept area has anything to do with genetic robots?" * * *
"I will drive the boundaries on a grav-Rod if I can find one. This is going to be simply a reconnaissance. When I get a feeling for how the security arrangement is, then I will proceed more calmly. The thing I am worried about is that super soldiers are protecting that building."
"I figured they were powerful." “Yes, they were powerful. I didn't feel like I have blasted everybody, so when I had gotten close enough to the bodies of the super soldiers. I let my assault rifle be reeled in while I got out my combat suit knife. One of those super soldiers got close to me, and we traded hugs. I could hear the servos in my battle suit whine as they overloaded to prevent the super soldier from squeezing me to death. As I've got a grip on the super soldier, I was able to use the strength of my suit to kill him.”
"Okay, I have your entire shopping list. Is there anything that you want to include in that?” "I've been looking at the chemicals our chemists have been coming up with. One that I'm interested in is the one that put somebody asleep for an hour.”
"Yes, I've heard about that, and I have seen it used. How do you want to deploy it? Do you want to utilize the needle pistol, or do you want to use a collection of needles? If you use that, you'll have to jab the needle end into your target."
* * * "I read where the toxin does not penetrate the skin. You have to break the skin with a needle to get it to work. I like the almost instantaneous sleep."
"Anything else?" “I would like for the explosives to arrive at the same time I do. I thought that we could modify a golf bag case. We have to make this case able to hold the plastic explosives and the rounds of ammunition. If they could install wheels at the bottom of the case."
A let out a hearty guffaw. A had heard from others where John was an excellent planner. Where he excelled was when the plan went south and John had to come up with another plan.
“Okay, I'm going to go ahead and get Miss Dixon going on your passage."
“What passage?" "You have to arrive on planet utilizing public transportation that your cover requires. The reason you can't use the Rose is your popularity on Faraway. Everybody on that planet knows the Rose. That's what it means to be a secret agent you can't arrive at something that's going to say John Hardesty is here. There may be a mission somewhere that will allow you to take the Rose out. When I find it, I will give it to" you."
"Then how do I get there. I always assumed that I would fly." "So do your enemies. They would be looking for the northern DB-40 a. You have so fixed up that particular craft that you can repaint your craft, and it will be still recognizable as your light freighter.”
"Alright, then how am I getting to Faraway?" "There's a new kind of liner that is an economic one. There is a lounge where you will sit during takeoff and landing. Then there are what the Navy people call racks. When you pack, pack for three days, and then pack for the rest of the days. We also have put you onto the only fivestar Hotel on Faraway. That information will be on your itinerary. My suggestion is that you get everything together and put in some time at the armorer."
"I'm riding the equivalent of steerage."
“When I can get more funding then I will put you on liners that have state rooms.”
"I'll believe that when I see it." "Go home. You have a couple of days until the flight. You might need a few more items that we can provide. Call transportation when you need to get to the airport."
John nervously adjusted his tie. Then he nodded to A and walked out of the office. Transport would bring the golf club case full of explosives and ammo for his weapon. If it looked like he was getting ready to go to war, that's because he thought it was. There was something about Faraway that the other worlds just would not look aside. It wasn't Faraway that was growing genetic robots. That was one corporation or the remnants of that company, that was developing the genetic robots. John rather thought that if anyone from genetic concepts were making genetic robots, they would not construct the super soldiers. It is those genetic robots that everybody gets their panties in a wad.
John got in his super sporty new grav-car. The car was about as sporty as you can get. John, as he drove back to his apartment, started thinking about his plans for Faraway. As far as he knew he needed to do nothing. All that he saw was two twins and a garbage pile. That does not mean that they were genetic robots. Until he got to Faraway, he really could make no assumptions. A might be jumping the gun, or he could be mildly prescient. John drove his sports grav-car into his parking lot of his apartment building. He turned into the number four slot. He turned off his grav-car. Then John got out of the car and went to his trunk. He pulled out his attaché case. He walked into the building itself. John didn't have much idea if the housekeeper would make dinner for him this late. He did get to his apartment he was about to find out.
He walked down the corridor and stopped at the door with the number plaque four
. He opened the door to his apartment as he opened the door he heard the tri-D set playing some sort of silly comedy. He burst through the door and rolled to a kneeling position pointing his blaster at Kandi Kane.
“Kandi, how did you ever get inside my apartment?" Kandi held up John's card. John figured that she used his card to tell the housekeeper. She was expected. She wanted John to start having more interesting relations. So, she decided to let Kandi into his apartment.
What Kandi wanted was hope. She just wore her shirt, the one she wore in the golf course. She wore her golf cleats because they were the one that that did not damage the healthy carpet. She moved around in the shirt. He got a pretty good idea what was underneath that white shirt.
"Why are you here?" "We spent nine holes sparking. At least I thought that's what we were doing. If you're not ready for this, I can always maybe come back.”
"That's one thing that my father taught me on Corrigan. When a woman shows up, stop and drink in her loveliness."
Kandi let John put his arm around her. He snuck a feel which elicited a giggle from Kandi. Suddenly she stopped and looked at the Housekeeper’s apartment door.
"You don't have to worry about that. There's one thing that my housekeeper knows, and that's how to keep counsel. If you want we can stick to the living room. We can divide part of it and put it in the bedroom, or we can do both."
"What makes you think that we are going to do anything together."
"The fact that you are in my apartment. The fact that you invited yourself into my apartment.”
"I thought you said you had to go see your boss."
“I did, he stipulated though that he had me to do this job," he said nuzzling her ear.
"Well, what is the verdict?"
"I got to go on the road again. This time it's a straight new customer trip."
“If you are traveling by Starship, don't you have to catch that craft?" "I would if the Starship was leaving today. It's leaving two days from now. Now I know that you have to get up in the morning so let me introduce you to my favorite thing the world."
CHAPTER THREE GET ON THE SHIP
The day of his traveling the space lanes arrived. He thought that when he was going to do the traveling again, he would fly his own vessel. Right now A really didn't want for John to travel on the Rose. What he was flying today was a mid level transport. It was better than steerage, His original complaint. He was wrong when he told A, his boss, it was steerage. However, he assumed that this flight was mostly men.
John knew that these mid-level flights were nothing more than a way for someone to take advantage of their vices. There would be gambling of all sorts. Gambling would be mostly on computer terminals. He could just about guess what the hostesses would do. Some would allow themselves to be touched, while others will negotiate a price and then take them to their beds.
The driver unloaded the transport on the roller frame to hold luggage. It just happens that golf clubs are considered to be luggage. John wondered just how many kinds of heart attacks the gate attendant would have if he knew that those golf clubs contained about 125 pounds of a highly explosive. This was a class of explosive that really wasn't dangerous until you put the detonator in. So, it could actually be checked into the baggage handling part of the vessel. John watched his golf clubs and his large suitcase disappear into the cargo hold. John still had a change of clothes. That was why he had the shoulder satchel in which there were two changes of underwear and two changes of knit shirts and two changes of golf pants.
This medium liner was de finitely larger than the Rose. The main housing was a sphere. The control room was at the top of the area, and the passenger space was inside the sphere. This gave the passenger space enough to feel like they had some room. John did not doubt that underneath the passenger space was the hostess area. John wondered if they had two kinds of entertainers. The kind of host that did other types of services for the male customers, and the hostess that actually was one of the flight stewards. Obviously, they would know by the uniform as to what they were.
The captain of the medium liner announced boarding for all passengers. John stepped up to the line. He showed his electronic ticket on his slate. The gate agent confirmed that he had a ticket on that ship. John was allowed John to board. According to most people who travel you're supposed to be pretty excited about flying in space. John had been there and done that. What he was really excited to see were the people he knew on Faraway. These are the people that he knew with Vivana, and they would think that the pain was still fresh for him. John hoped that they would understand that it had been over a year for him.
John was escorted by one of the white wearing hostesses. They were referred to as flight officers. He understood why that had to be and he would give those ladies what was due to an officer. This flight officer showed him to a bunk and a locker. He took off his suit. He took one of the suit hangers and hung in the large locker. Then he put his case into the what in the Navy was called the coffin locker. John then puts on his knit shirt and a comfortable pair of loafers The Golf pants were always worn. He connected the hasp of the lock to his coffin locker. John then used another block to link that lock. Now with just the bare minimum that someone needs to live in a modern society, he went to his lounge chair.
The flight was nowhere near packed. John often wondered why people would find it interesting to be recreating at Faraway. He sat back in his chair and looked at the way the passengers sort of congregated together. Whoever designed the lounge chair area did a fantastic job. There were people able to find some lounge chairs that work with their group be at two or 10. Unfortunately for some of the families John's desire to be at the large window to watch the ship go through the various evolutions that a ship goes through to take off, achieve orbit, and go into hyperspace.
A woman was bothering him while he was watching the ground crew do the last little bit to ensure that the ship would reach its destination. John turned around to take a look at the woman. He saw a woman of medium height, brown hair, and Brown eyes. Her costume was a silly version of a Polynesian dress. There was a plastic grass skirt with a white and red bikini top. That was when John realized that this woman had asked him a question.
"what did you say?"
For her part, the cocktail waitress had seen this all before. She repeated her request."
"Would you like a cocktail?"
"Yes, I would like a scotch."
"Would you like the bar scotch or would you like one of the call varieties?"
"Put it on the rocks, and I will have a bar whiskey." The call type was a reason for the liner to triple the price. "I get your order in as quickly as possible. There is a little shaking during takeoff, so we are going to suspend serving for the duration of takeoff."
John made an af firmative grunt and gave her a nod. He sat back down in his comfortable chair. With the next cocktail, he knew what the pockets were on the arms of both sides of his seat. When the cocktail waitress arrived, she had on her serving tray a highball glass. She handed the cocktail glass to John who took it and started playing a weird game of putting his glass in each one of the six pockets on the arm of the chair.
One saying that John could not sting was a business trial. If you are traveling to broaden your horizons or to have fun, you do not spend your time making it an agony to be a tourist hostess. Most business travelers are also very crass. He could see three or four of them in the lounge area. These are the idiots that would be moving around during takeoff and ascension phase of flight. The reason for this attitude on their part is that they have flown thousands of times. They knew that nothing usually happens during that phase flunked. When you buy a newspaper in a particular world, you read about the idiot who stood up during takeoff and ascension. That person is now in traction in the hospital, which is what John wishes on all of these idiots.
John suddenly felt his inner ear pop. Most liners keep their atmosphere slightly less than earth standard. The reason is it is less gas
to maintain. If they could eke out an extra five credits by keeping the pressure down in the cabinet, John would not say no to them. Personally, John kept the interior of the Rose at one standard atmosphere. Since John did not usually carry passengers, he could maintain the environment however he wished. I think the last time he looked at his gas bill it was something like 5 to 10 credits more for full atmospheric pressure and a threeday flight. John stopped his reverie over the cost of the operation of this Passenger liner. He stood up to take his glass over to the bar. It was the least that John could do to help the waitstaff. But as he started to walk towards the bar one of the idiot men ran into him nearly upending the remaining water in John's drink.
"Watch where you going, dumb ass." There was a particular organization to how fights between males. There is usually one insult that cannot be borne. Calling another man a dumb ass could be considered an insult that could not be retracted. The other man stood in front of John and looked up. The other man was not much more than 1.67 m in height. John was 1.9 m in height. Part of the rule was that if you offered battle, you had to take a fight. The other man had literally painted himself into a corner. He took notice of John's indiscretion, but John was not backing down. Both men put down their glasses. The other man got into a position to fight, fists up and his left foot forward. The classic boxing stance. John just stood there apparently flat-footed. They stood in front of each other trying to psych each other out. John was actually doing that while the other man sweated. Finally, the other man had enough and rushed John. With a quick jab of the right fist, John hit the man as he came up on John. John's fist had a trajectory, and so did the other man. Add those two trajectories up, and you had the man on the ground knocked out.
The shipboard master at arms was late as usual. He took enough statements to understand what was happening. He took the smaller man and tossed him off the ship. The Master-at-arms issued an apology to John, who only inclined his head thanking the master at arms for the apology.