The Kota

by Sunshine Somerville

  Trok paused in thought.

  I doubt that which he believes in most, she thought. I shouldn’t be dumping this on him. But if anyone can give me answers about my life’s purpose, shouldn’t it be him?

  Finally, Trok said in a soft voice, “I don’t know how to convince you that your life’s path was for the best, Bulls. But, there were good choices made along the way. Don’t those make everything else worth it? We both agreed once that your breaking point was Monaco. Remember?”

  Now she understood why Trok had come on this night, of all nights, but she wasn’t happy about it. “Of course I remember. I have an excellent memory.” She looked away.

  “You’re not so sure killing Galcon is the right thing, are you?”

  There it is, she thought. Well, might as well tell him.

  She sighed. “You’re right; letting Galcon live back then should be a good memory to counter all the bad. But, Trok, it now looks like my one good deed wasn’t so great after all.” She let out a huff. “I’ve always told myself that no matter what horrible reminders I might see of my old life, there’s always been one good reminder floating around out there – Galcon. But, now I have to slay him, and isn’t that like undoing the one thing I did right?”

  “Are you certain you have to kill him?”

  “Galcon’s a threat to the Warriors, Trok. He knows who I am. He knows who Tigris is. If Galcon reports anything he knows, the Dominion will link all kinds of things together. I have to stop that from happening. Whatever self-interest I have in his life can’t cancel out the all-important fact that Galcon willingly joined the Dominion. He’s the enemy now. I have no choice in this, no matter how flushed it leaves me.” She finished her drink and tossed the empty container aside.

  Trok sighed. “Bulls, please make sure Galcon’s a threat before you do anything. Maybe he’s also living in a gray area, and in that case it’s not fair to kill him. I understand now why you’re so rattled, but maybe there’s still a way to deal with Galcon and not regret it for the rest of your life.”

  Sure, that’d be nice, she thought. Not having to slay Galcon is all I’ve wished for since asking Whitey to set this up. But I have to slay him if he’s a threat – Trok isn’t denying that.

  She stared at the floor.

  Still, she thought, letting Galcon live last time was a big step toward my healing process. This time it might work too. If letting him live really was the one good thing I did, that’d give me some reason for why my life took the path it did. It’d be a small answer, but I think I’d feel better.

  After a breath, Bullseye managed a sincere smile. “Thanks, Trok. I’ll take your advice.”

  “Good.” Trok smiled and rose to his feet. “Bulls, you may be destined to save the world, but you’re still allowed to be a thinking, feeling, flawed human being. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Throughout history, those who started out opposing the call the most were often those who wound up answering the call best – you’re in good company. Look how far you’ve come. I used to think I underwent an amazing transformation, but you’ve got me beat by far. I’m proud of you, and I’m sorry you’re hurting.”

  “Thanks,” she said awkwardly. “I’ll work on it. And please don’t say anything to the others. I’m sure they’ve noticed I’m a little off lately, but I don’t want them to worry about me. We’ve got bigger problems ahead.”

  Yet another frown pulled at Trok’s face, but he made his hand motion that triggered a portal to spin into existence behind him. He stared at the ethereal lights as he said, “I’ve seen a new future, and I won’t be able to come to you again. I told Tigris this same thing, but I thought you should hear it from me. Please trust me that there’s a purpose behind everything that happens, even if you can’t see it. The Kota texts-” he pointed to the book on her bed “-say that plans work to benefit us and not to harm us. I’m sorry for making you face all this. I’m just trying to set everything straight before…before you get lost in your grief. Please, do the right thing with Galcon. If you do, I know you’ll be fine. At least your heart can be at peace before… Well, I’ve said enough. Goodbye.” With that, he jumped into the portal, which closed behind him.

  That was weird, she thought.

  Bullseye rose from the floor and grabbed her bag. It was time to prepare for her meeting.

  Around 0300, Bullseye’s pace bike sped along a wet street downtown. Rats scampered to get out of her path. Begrimed streetlights were dimmed because of the late hour and the cost of keeping them lit, and the air was chilled from earlier rain. A few civilians still strolled around El Miret, looking hungrily into the shops that lined the main road. Whitewolf had been right about the lack of patrols or a curfew, but Bullseye kept alert as she sped through the dirty streets.

  At the curb in front of a dingy building, Bullseye pulled the pace bike to a stop. She kicked down the braces and activating the security locks. Next, the disguised Warrior unfastened her dark helmet. Her wig’s six short, white pigtails popped free, and she reached up with black fingernails to scratch her head where the helmet had crushed them into her scalp. She climbed off the bike to the curb, adjusted the knife in her boot, and shifted in her short, reptile-skin dress.

  A graphic poster on the exterior of the building made her double-take. Then she saw blinking feminine figures and neon hearts. The Shack was no longer a sparring club – it was a club of a quite different nature.

  Whitewolf didn’t know about this, she thought.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Bullseye muttered, “Well, this should glow,” and sauntered to the building’s door. She knocked.

  A screen over the door blinked on and showed a chunky man’s face. His head was shaved in the common fashion. “Welcome to the Shack. Looking for a good time?” He exhaled smoke and examined her through the monitor. “Oh, you must be here to work. Come on through.”

  A buzzer signaled, so she pulled the handle and opened the door to enter. Inside, smoke hung in the air, and she could barely see across the open room. Ceiling lights hung over tables scattered around the Shack. A bar lined the far wall. A flight of stairs led up to the left. Few people sat at the Shack’s tables, but Bullseye assumed the bar was livelier during earlier hours. At the moment, those who could afford it were probably occupied in the private rooms upstairs.

  The chunky man stood behind the bar, and he waved for her. “You’re soaked.” He poured a customer’s drink.

  “That’s because it was raining, moron.” She leaned on the counter.

  He didn’t care enough to be offended. “Did Bubbles send you?”

  “Yep.” She had no idea who he meant.

  “Huh. She said her regular chas were out of town. You’ll do. Five men are waiting in the rooms upstairs. You’re the first new cha to show up, so take your pick.”

  This could get tricky. “Do any of them have dark hair and blue eyes?” She winked. “That’s my type.”

  “Yeah, one of them, but I don’t remember which room I gave him. He’s married, naturally. Dressed like he had kronar to burn. Probably a Dominion executive out on the prowl. We get them in here sometimes, but they don’t want any more attention than we do. He didn’t seem like a troublemaker. Go up and see for yourself. And don’t forget, we charge one hundred kronar per session.”

  She got the gist, so without another word Bullseye walked away to the stairs. The wooden frames creaked under her boots as she ascended, and when she reached the second floor she saw a single hall with a dozen closed doors.

  Rave definitely wouldn’t like this, she thought.

  Walking down the hall, Bullseye looked under the doors for any light. At the first door with a light on inside, she put her ear against it. She heard noises immediately.

  Nope, she thought. That room’s occupied.

  She moved to the next room but was startled as the door flew open and a man’s arm grabbed her. Before she could think to dematerialize, the man yanked her into the room.

  The door shut behind her, and s
he took in her surroundings with a single glance. It was a small, hotel-like room with a bed, a table, a lamp, and a window across from the door. The man had pulled her into the room hard, and she used the momentum to cross the floor and grab the lamp. She turned to face her captor, holding the lamp as a weapon.

  The man wasn’t prepared for her to be so composed. She caught him against the closed door, shoved the lamp toward his face, but stopped just short of smashing it into his jaw.

  “Don’t!” Arms flew up to show he surrendered.

  In the spotlight of the lamp, Bullseye inspected her captor. It was Galcon. She did a quick scan of his suit shirt and pants, but the trained ex-assassin didn’t see a weapon.

  She felt a confusing mix of anger and pleading.

  Please, don’t make me slay you, she thought. Okay, Bulls. Play this smart – he’s got that conniving cerebral augmentation. He might be arrogant now because he’s used to the comfort of the Dominion world, but threaten him a little and he’ll bend like a blade of grass.

  Galcon still had his hands up. “Are you the one who contacted me?”

  Bullseye knew she had to establish dominance from the get-go, so she thrust the end of the lamp into his jaw. It knocked his head back, just enough to give him a bruise. Galcon moaned and held his jaw, checking for blood. Bullseye spun and kicked him before he could recover, and he fell to the floor between the wall and the bed.

  With a groan of pain, Galcon rolled on his side and held his jaw with one hand. Bullseye set the lamp back in its place. Galcon remained on the floor, looking up at her in confusion.

  “If you’re not who I…” He gave up on his bruised jaw and propped himself on his elbows to look up at her. “I’m sorry I grabbed you, lady, but I thought-”

  “Flush it, Jett.”

  His eyes widened in recognition. “Is that you?”

  “Yep.”

  He looked her up and down. “Nice getup.”

  Bullseye did a quick curtsey. With only a trace of sarcasm, she asked, “Come here often?”

  “Do you?”

  She glared at him. To her frustration, he glared back at her with equal force.

  Shit, she thought.

  She stooped over and lowered her hand to help him up. When he reached for it, she dematerialized her hand so he grabbed nothing. Bullseye didn’t wait for his reaction before walking to the window. It looked over an empty street. A balcony just outside held a metal flight of escape stairs that led to the roof.

  She turned back. “Get up. Let’s go for some fresh air. Get moving, or I’ll break something.” She pointedly sized up his leg.

  Galcon rose from the floor and stood his ground. “Are you going to push me off the building? Look, if you’re here to kill me, go ahead and try it here. You caught me off-guard a minute ago, but you should know I’ve had the pleasure of undergoing basic Dominion training. Day one, I learned how to clean a gun. Day two, I picked up self-defense. Cerebral augmentation came in handy for the techniques, of course, but I’ve always been in good shape. Remember, my team always won when we played field games in Monaco – you know I can outrun you, if it comes to fleeing. So, if you want to kill me, go for it and we’ll see what happens.”

  She wasn’t sure if he was bluffing. Sizing him up a second time, she tried to remember if he’d always seemed that much taller than her. Not that she was afraid of losing, but he might present more of a challenge than she’d accounted for. She was in a dress.

  She turned and yanked open the window, then faced him again. “Just get on the roof. I’m only here to talk.”

  Galcon didn’t look convinced. Actually, his lie-detecting mutate-genes probably weren’t convinced. But he looked curious. “Why are you here?”

  She glared and pointed out the window.

  “Fine. I’ve realized since seeing you last that I have some built up hostility toward you. If you want to talk, let’s go talk.” He marched past her and climbed outside onto the balcony.

  Bullseye followed and was glad Galcon couldn’t see her uneasiness.

  This already isn’t heading in a good direction, she thought. He’s every bit as saturated by the Dominion as I first noticed in South Yor. That suggests I’ll have to do the inevitable…

  Once up the fire escape, Bullseye stood on the ledge that ran around the rooftop. She made a quick scan of the dark street below. When she was sure no one was around, she lowered herself and sat on the ledge to face him. Galcon walked to the middle of the roof and turned to face her.

  Smart, she thought. He’s trying to stay as far from the edge as possible.

  A breeze rippled Galcon’s suit shirt, and a moment later it blew into her exposed legs and arms. She leaned forward and crossed her arms, trying to shield herself from the wind. Maybe the roof hadn’t been such a great pick – she’d grown far too used to the warm air of the eastern coast.

  He glared at her. “Why is this better than the room?”

  “You thought a blackmailer was meeting you. I have little doubt you had a gun hidden.”

  Galcon rubbed the bruise on his jaw. “You set this up, didn’t you? There never was a blackmailer. You arranged this because you think I’m a liability to your Kota Warriors.” He saw her expression over this and confirmed, “Yeah, I know what that Mark on your arm means. That’s why you came looking for me all of a sudden, isn’t it? The Dominion is after you more than ever because of the destroyed factor base, and you think I’ll try to gain favor by reporting you and Alex Collins – Tigris, I’m guessing? You’re here to take care of me once and for all, aren’t you?”

  All kinds of alarms went off at this. “It isn’t a stretch to believe you’d give the Dominion Alex’s citizen name. If you-”

  “Wait, you’ve let her use her name since we met?”

  She nodded and looked back at him, waiting to see how smart he really was.

  “If you thought I’d tattle on you, why…” Then he understood. “I’m the only one who knew. If the Dominion had issued a warrant for Alex Collins, you would’ve known I was the one who reported her. You’ve been watching this whole time to see if I’d turn her in? That’s a big risk to take with someone else’s life.”

  “Well, I was planning to keep tabs on warrants for my real name, but Cruelthor ruined that plan when he exposed me as Loree Kandoya – although the bastard never bothered to tell me my real name. Besides, I’ve had other ways to protect Alex’s identity, so I wasn’t worried. But I did let it go for far too long, so here I am.”

  “But I haven’t reported you or Alex! Do you think I’m crazy? You were right in South Yor; if I expose you, I expose myself.”

  “If it meant getting to me, Cruelthor would forgive who you really are. Turning me in would wipe your slate clean, and you know it.”

  He scoffed at this. “You trust your brother more than I do, then. Either way, I haven’t reported you or Alex. Doesn’t that prove anything?”

  “Not enough. You know more about me than anyone other than my Warrior team, Galcon. You know my history. You know places I’ve been and could help them track down evidence of my identity.” She shrugged. “You have some explaining to do. Then I’ll decide what to do with you. Start talking.”

  “You’re letting me defend myself?”

  Of course I am, she thought. How can he… Oh. Our history suggests I’d slay him without question. No wonder he’s acting like this. I’m not exactly being…

  She sighed and tried to use a kinder tone. “My methods have cleaned up, Galcon. Call it a moral code, I guess. I’m not the monster I used to be. I’m only here now because it’s imperative that I protect my team. I’m not allowed to slay anyone unless it’s absolutely necessary, and I haven’t had a relapse yet.” She gave him time to use his mutate-genes and read her truthfulness. “So, you’d better convince me it isn’t necessary. Then we can both get out of here.”

  Galcon’s expression changed, and his hostility seemed to take a hiatus. In a tone that mirrored hers, he said, “Look, I gu
ess we got off on the wrong foot here. I thought you were going to be the same old, shoot-first-ask-questions-later Bullseye. If this is your version of playing nice, I’ll make an attempt too. I know what you and your Warriors stand for, and I understand why you’ve cornered me. But I’m not a threat. I assume you need more assurance than just my word, so what do you want me to say?”

  “For starters, you could explain what the hell you’re doing in the Dominion.”

  Galcon nodded. “Once I managed to get a new life for myself, I worked on the Mainland for a terminally ill virologist named Jett Galcon. I know it sounds ridiculous, and I couldn’t believe my own luck. Call me morbid, but I figured that when he died I could steal his ID tag, destroy his body, and move away to start a new life. So that’s what I did. Then the Dominion took over Free Labs. I heard they needed virologists to work at the new South Yor facility, so I applied as Jett Galcon and got the job. I paid a hacker a lot of kronar to get into Galcon’s ID profile and upload my picture and data. I’ve taken every precaution to make sure the Dominion doesn’t know who I am. I know you think entering the Dominion after they tried to kill me was the stupidest thing in the world, but I had to find a way to stay alive. This was the best option that came up. I can’t ever go back home to Monaco, but I have security now. Being an executive gives me the administrative position I was hoping for at Free Labs anyway, in an ironic twist. I have a life now, and I’m lucky I haven’t been caught. FYI, performing ID tag surgery on yourself is harder and more painful than you might expect.” He rubbed his palm for emphasis.

  “So you entered the Dominion to save your own hide, and you got a nice new life in the process.” Bullseye shook her head. “That’s what I figured when I saw you last time. None of this makes me any more comfortable leaving you alive. You’ve gone through a lot to improve your life, and reporting me would definitely win you big rewards.”