Star Realms: Rescue Run

by Jon Del Arroz

  His lack of surprise didn’t follow to the others. Mr. Anazao created a stir of panic among his employees. The air became thick with nerves.

  “I wonder who he’s here to arrest today,” someone said from behind Dario.

  “Good, everyone’s here,” Mr. Anazao said, smoothing down his coat.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Anazao,” Dario said as respectfully as he could, cutting through the background chatter among his team.

  Mr. Anazao gave Dario a small nod of respect in response. Someone stepped through the door behind him, a thin man with ocular implants similar to Dario’s, curly black hair and a thick beard. The man stepped off to the side and clasped his hands in front of him, quiet, watching everyone. What was he, some kind of auditor? Had his father finally lost faith in Dario’s ability to man the department? He couldn’t have heard about the underlevel liaison idea, yet. Dario had made no report. He didn’t want to alert his father until he had something firm in place.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting, but I have a new member of the team who needs an introduction,” Mr. Anazao said, stepping to the side and motioning toward the other man.

  The curly-haired man waved to the room. “Hello, my name is Shawn Treiger,” he said.

  “Shawn here is going to be the younger Mr. Anazao’s new assistant,” Dario’s father said.

  Dario’s eyes went wide, suddenly scrutinizing this man far more than he had when he first entered the room. Shawn was somewhat soft-spoken, but in a calculated way. His eyes scanned everything, taking things in. Recording, no doubt, with those ocular implants. He was there to monitor this team, and most importantly, Dario.

  Shawn extended a hand to Dario. “A pleasure to meet you. I look forward to working with you.”

  Dario took the hand, not showing any hesitancy, putting on a fake smile. “Yes, it’ll certainly be interesting.” I can promise that, Dario thought. Unlike Jake, there were no question who Shawn was loyal to.

  “If you wouldn’t mind making room for Shawn here, I’m sure he’d love to listen and learn what’s going on in the department for the rest of this meeting,” Mr. Anazao said with a nod. With that, he excused himself from the room, the door shutting behind him.

  Antonio scooted to the side to reveal a chair by him, which Shawn took without further word.

  The new arrival had happened so fast everyone stayed silent another moment. Dario cleared his throat “You heard the man, let’s get the meeting back rolling. Where were we, Daniella?”

  “We were discussion the potential candidate for the underlevel liaison position,” she said cautiously.

  “Very well. Let’s review his bio again, for the sake of our new visitor?”

  Daniella pulled up the holodisplay of the man’s bio once more. “Of course. As we just discussed—”

  Shawn cleared his throat and raised his hand. “Pardon me, perhaps I should stop you right there.”

  Dario’s hand clenched into a fist at his side at the interruption. Listen and learn? Shawn’s first move had halted the agenda. He clamped his lips tightly so he wouldn’t say something embarrassing.

  Daniella raised a brow, her own irritation written all over her face. “Yes, Mr. Treiger?”

  “You mention a new position for the underlevels, but I’ve recently been briefed by board. There’s been no discussion about adding any responsibility to the underlevelers. That’s part of what I’m actually supposed to present to you today. With the riots so persistent, a broader solution was needed. Corporate computer analysis has found the best one.”

  Angry eyes fixed on Shawn throughout the room. At least Dario knew that his team was with him, something he’d worried about in the past. This insertion, however, meant that corporate, or at the very least his father, didn’t trust any of them. Couldn’t his father see how insulting this was? How could he manage a company like this and be so well respected?

  “Present, huh?” Antonio asked, crossing his arms.

  “That’s right,” Shawn said, holding his ground with that cool tone, not even looking to the man at the side of him, but rather Dario, to see if he’d challenge.

  Dario met his gaze, not wavering. His father had set this up and thrown this man out the airlock. But at least Dario had some authority still? “All right, say what you’re going to say,” Dario said.

  “A solution has been proposed by corporate security and upper management with the assistance of the Trade Federation security. The problem is overpopulation. There simply aren’t enough corporate jobs to give this many people a sense of purpose that will keep them pacified. The Trade Federation is revamping its fleet, which produces a one time opportunity as well.”

  “The fleet isn’t going to attack the underlevels, is it? That’s our infrastructure too,” Daniella said. If she didn’t sound so serious, Dario might have thought it was a joke. No one laughed.

  “Nothing so crude, surely,” Shawn said with a smug uptick of his lips. “No, the recommendation is that we have approximately two thirds of the underlevelers gathered, moved onto these ships with a destination of the Hyrades Cluster colonies. It will alleviate the population pressure below, and also show the currently employed population just how fortunate they are to be granted fruitful labor.”

  “Those are people,” Dario protested, shocked by the suggestion.

  “Don’t worry,” Shawn continued as if expecting the concern. “We’ll ensure that idents are checked via lottery, and that families are kept together as much as possible. Signals will of course be broadcast to them so they understand this isn’t a military invasion.”

  “Like that’ll stop them from shooting a bunch of Trade Federation ships on sight,” Daniella said.

  “Agreed,” Dario said. “I overheard at the RetroSilver unveiling that the last time a Trade Federation fleet went out there, they feigned a retreat and kidnapped the Star Empire’s top strategist. Our ships won’t be well met.”

  The room rumbled with talk over that.

  “Is that so?” Shawn asked, his expression flat. He clearly knew more than he was letting on.

  “Yes,” Dario said. “I’m not sure that information has circulated through the news yet, but some people are proudly talking about it. We can’t just send these people off to die. It wouldn’t be right.”

  “As I said,” Shawn said, “the plan is to give them a fair shot. We aren’t inhumane.”

  “This proposal gives us a lot to think about. I still think we should go forward with a liaison to the underlevels,” Dario said. “I don’t see a reason to stop just because there could potentially be less people down there. Daniella, set up a formal interview time with this fellow we all seemed to agree upon. For now, I think it’s best if we get back to work, talk about theoretical directions of the planet’s population later on. Call this meeting adjourned.”

  People nodded their assents, talking amongst one another as his team left the conference room in a file. Daniella looked back at Dario, who waited as everyone left.

  One other person waited as well, still in his seat. Shawn. He stared right at Dario, hands folded over the table.

  “You may go, Daniella,” Dario said, noticing the look of concern on her face. He tried his best to broadcast calm back to her.

  “You sure?” She hesitated as she stood.

  “Of course,” Dario said, nodding.

  Dario waited until the she cleared the room and met Shawn’s gaze. The tension held thick in the air for a moment, but Dario wasn’t going to be afraid of this man. “You’re supposed to be my assistant,” he said.

  “Mr. Anazao told me that I would be assisting you in matters in which you lack experience or don’t show a breadth of competence. Your assistant is my technical designation, but better to think of me as an extension of you.”

  “Extension of me? You came in here and undermined my authority.” Anger welled within Dario, and he instinctively stepped toward Shawn. He tried to remember that this person in front of him was only a messenger, that the rea
l person he had a problem with was his father, who tried to control him like a child even now.

  “The direction of the meeting was going somewhere which, given circumstances, were utterly unnecessary. I voiced the reason by which you were not privy. That’s all,” Shawn said with a smug uptick of the corner of his lip and a twinkle in his eye.

  Dario had never wanted to hit a man before, but he came near ready to smack that look right off Shawn’s face. “Your idea is rather out there. Or my father’s idea that is.”

  “It was mine. Your father thought it was an excellent one.”

  Disgusting. But it confirmed his anger. This wasn’t a mere messenger, but someone who pulled strings as much as his strings were pulled upon. “Mass murder is what it is. At the very least uprooting the poor who already have hard enough lives. This isn’t to help them, it’s to rid the corporation of a problem and give the Star Empire a bigger one.”

  “I thought it was beautiful in its symmetry. If they shoot the refugees, they commit mass murder themselves. If they don’t, they have to find a way to sustain them, taxing their resources. Either way, so many lives and credits will be saved from this war that’s gone on for far too long. But the odds are that they’ll take the underlevelers in, and they’ll have much better lives than they ever would in the dome below. Don’t you agree?”

  “You know I don’t. Well, I’ll just not approve the concept,” Dario said, but that threat felt hollow as it was. If his father was already on board, Dario had little authority he could flex.

  “It’s already being ratified by the board, I’m sorry to say.” He lost his smirk, tilting his head slightly to the side. “Look, I’m not here to fight you. This position is an opportunity for me to show my worth to the board as much as yours is to you. I’m hoping we can have a long-term alliance, grow together. Perhaps we should move onto other matters?”

  Dario turned his back on the man, something he didn’t feel safe doing, but he wasn’t about to stand here and listen to these toxic plans and ideas any further. “I’m not going to keep you here. I’m going to find out where they’re keeping Jake, and I’m going to get him back.” Another stupid thing to say, something that would be reported back to his father, surely. But it was the only way he could strike at Shawn for now. Childish, but it made him feel somewhat better.

  “I’m afraid you’ll not find him,” Shawn said, sounding unfazed by Dario’s anger.

  Dario spun around to face Shawn again. “Why not?”

  “Haven’t you heard? Jake Dylan was convicted for his crimes of corporate treason. He’s been disintegrated.” Shawn blinked a couple of times.

  Dario’s stomach tightened. Jake? Dead? It couldn’t be. He needed to verify this information. Why hadn’t anyone told him? He did his best to compose himself. “Thank you for the information.”

  “You’re welcome,” Shawn said, inclining his head.

  Without further word, Dario stormed out of the conference room. He couldn’t work now, with thoughts whirring in his head. His one friend, broken down into mere molecules. He picked up his pace once in the main office.

  “Dario,” Daniella said, leaving a conversation at one of the cubicles and jogging to catch up with him. “What happened in there? Hey, Dario?”

  He burst into a run, leaving Daniella and the office behind.

  Chapter 25

  Opening Moves

  Regency BioTech Central Office—Mid-Level Quarters, Mars

  Local Date February 14th, 2464

  Joan once again found herself standing at Dario Anazao’s door. She’d already rang the chime and been waiting for a while. He was probably working. Though, it was getting a bit late for higher management people to be on the clock from what she’d observed of the behavioral habits of the Central Office’s personnel.

  She slumped, leaning against the corridor wall out of weariness. She and Trian had slept in that container in the cargo bay they had found, and the cold metallic floor was worse to sleep on than the cot she had to endure in prison. She’d spent all day with a crick in her neck. She stretched it, tilting her head to the side while waiting.

  The door opened just before Joan decided to give up. This time, Dario didn’t greet her. The lights were low, not quite pitch dark inside, but close to it.

  Joan carefully stepped inside. “Dario? Is everything all right?” she asked.

  “It’s been a long day,” Dario said. He had his back to the door, facing the window, leaning back in one of his table chairs.

  “Is now a bad time? I don’t want to disturb,” Joan said, not exactly sure what she’d be disturbing, but the atmosphere wasn’t the most welcoming.

  “It’s always a bad time. Well, that’s not true. Now’s about as bad as it gets, but not because you’re here,” he said. His voice cracked a couple of times when he spoke.

  Had he been crying? Joan moved forward cautiously. “Want to talk about it?” she offered, stepping toward his chair and to the side of him. She stared out his window at the stars just as he did for a long moment. The apartment did have a good view, the perks of corporate management. It couldn’t beat the view of the stars from her ship’s cockpit, however.

  The thought made her pine for the days when it was just her and G.O.D. travelling alone. That life held tough situations from time to time, never knowing where her next meal would come from, Joan could handle that. It made her squirm to depend on the whims of one depressed corporate manager. These last couple days frightened her far more than any time she’d salvaged ships, broken into sensitive areas or stolen from powerful people.

  “I don’t know,” Dario said.

  At least he sounded honest, but then, he always did. Joan tried to lighten the tone. “Can I steal some of your food while you think about it?” she asked, brandishing a small smile for him.

  He motioned a hand, but didn’t move, still staring out into space. “Refrigerator’s over there,” he said.

  Joan stepped away from him, not ungrateful by any means. She rounded the countertop and opened his fridge to take a look inside. Like most people who didn’t have a lot of time, he had several pre-prepared “heat and eat” meals from the promenade. Her team would have bought several of these yesterday if they hadn’t been taken by security.

  Her stomach rumbled.

  Joan grabbed one that had a meat flavored protein square along with real potatoes. Vegetables were easier to come by than real meat in most places, but she couldn’t tell the difference between the flavored squares and the real thing anyway. She placed the package in Dario’s microwave and pulled it out a moment later, instantly heated. The scent of rich steak steamed from the package. It’d been over a day since she’d eaten. Her mouth watered.

  Dario still didn’t move.

  Joan opened up the package on the counter, scanning a couple of drawers for utensils. She finally found a fork and knife and dug in, lobbing the food into her mouth, unable to satiate her ravenous stomach. Eating felt so good.

  “Jake Dylan’s been executed,” Dario said.

  Joan held a bite of the protein square out on a fork, about to chew, but stopped herself with his words. Her shoulders tensed inadvertently. “He what?”

  “He’s dead,” Dario said, his voice sounding as if it were his own fault.

  Mid-bite, Joan swallowed as fast as she could, still talking with mouth-half full when she replied. “This is terrible news.”

  She almost told him there would be no way for them to get new idents, but she could tell that Jake’s death cut in a much more personal way for Dario. Even though news of death didn’t faze her much, she had enough tact to know not to say anything that could diminish that for him.

  “Yeah, yeah it is,” Dario said. He sighed deeply and buried his face in his hands.

  Joan swallowed again, finishing off most of the protein square before setting her fork down. She rounded the counter toward Dario, extending an arm out. Should she touch him? The decision came more difficult than it should have, having spen
t so much time alone. How was she supposed to react to people, especially a person in grief? She mustered the courage and placed her hand on his shoulder.

  Dario tensed, as if not expecting the touch, but soon relaxed, leaning back into her hand. “The corporation saddled me with a new assistant, one they deem to have ‘less potential for troublemaking,’” he said. “I should have never let Jake talk me into going down to the underlevels. If I didn’t do that, he’d still be here.”

  “It’s not your fault. His choices were his own. We’re all adults and responsible for our own actions,” Joan said, though trying to keep from sounding too chastising. What she needed was for him to calm down. That would be best for him as well.

  “I know. I mean, I intuitively know it, but I can’t help but feel wrong about it.”

  “It’s okay, I’m not judging you.” She gave his shoulder a little squeeze, and then let her arm fall back to her side.

  “This new guy is a real problem for me. He’s set back almost everything I’ve started in one swoop, and he’s got powerful people on board with his ideas.” Dario looked over his shoulder at her.

  The way his eyes caught her stopped her breath. Goosebumps raised on her arms. What was that? Joan felt herself step backward reflexively, uncomfortable to say the least. Not necessarily in a bad way, however. “Yeah? Want to talk about it?” Joan asked.

  Dario considered, and then stood from his chair to pace across the length of his apartment window. “I really don’t know how much to tell you, or what I’m supposed to do about you at all, really. After what you told me, and what they’ve done to Jake, it’s dangerous to even be talking to you here. Even though I’m in a more protected situation than most people are.”

  Joan bit her lip, watching him. She stayed quiet. Any arguing she did at this point could further his doubts.

  “At the same time,” he said, turning back around to face her, “I trust you for some reason. I don’t know why, call it intuition.” He cast his eyes downward. “I trusted Jake, too.”