Chronicles of a Space Mercenary 3: Vengeance

by Ronald Wintrick

  “Why don’t we talk about our names instead.” I said before they had thoroughly plumbed my depths- they would not be able to carry on in this vein once we had reached our destination. Ask a deeply personal question and smell the answer- it was a game I wasn’t going to be the inventor of.

  “My name is Serrath.” Tanya said. “Pretty isn’t it. Just like me.”

  “Yes it is.” I said, feeling her amusement but not trying to delve too deeply into her hidden innuendo.

  “I was actually thinking how atrocious I look,” Serrath corrected, “while thinking about something else at the same time.” She gave me a once over and I was pretty sure by that point I understood her meaning- how she had been able to be amused while thinking another entirely different thought.

  “Exude amusement while plotting murder.” I said. “I suppose that might work against one of us.”

  “Or other reptiles.” Tanya said. “More than half of my jewels are still missing and I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t do a little shopping while I’m here.”

  “I like shopping.” Melanie commented then turned my way; “My name is Leethea by the way, if you care. Would you like to know your name?”

  “I kinda thought I’d choose…” I began but immediately smelled both their amusement and came to a halt.

  “You’re name is Marcrune. It’s actually a common enough Fsyth name. It’s being broadcast as the owner of this ship at this very moment.” Serrath said. “Unless you’d like to explain to the Kievor why suddenly you are changing your name.”

  “That’s really funny!” I said smelling their amusement strongly.

  “It means weak one in Fsyth.” Serrath added with a smile that conveyed no warmth, but that was only because the only muscles in our faces were built up around our jaws. Our facial muscles had two tasks and two tasks only- open the mouth/close the mouth- and hang on to whatever was caught in the bite.

  “You should have participated when we were doing our research,” Leethea said, “instead of spending your time trying to get intoxicated. If you had you would have known the proper way to go about it.”

  “Say what?” I said. I didn’t believe them for a moment about my name meaning weak one, I could clearly smell she was lying, but at the same time I could clearly smell that Leethea was telling the truth that I had missed-out on learning of some potent Fsyth intoxicant.

  “And being that we’re now within range of the Kievor’s scan I wouldn’t go trying to access such information- it would seem a little odd for a Fsyth not to know such a fact.” Serrath said.

  “A well-known fact.” Leethea added.

  “You bitches.” I said. “Are you aware that the Fsyth male is dominant?”

  “Come and dominate me.” Serrath offered.

  “It appears we’ve been cleared for docking.” I said rather than allowing the girls to bait me. “The joy of playing with your new abilities will unfortunately have to come to an end.”

  “We’ll have plenty of time to play on the Station and establish our reputation as rogues.” Serrath said.

  “I won’t have to establish that,” I said, “it comes naturally. Why do we need to be thought of as rogues?”

  “Successful rogues.” Leethea said.

  “Why do we need to be seen as successful rogues?” I asked then added as I saw the theatrical pause coming; “Before we get any closer...” We were nearing the edge of the Kievor’s Protected Zone and I didn’t want to test the theoretical possibilities of Kievor technology. We should still be far outside the range of such eavesdropping but should is not is and this was when and where we would step into our roles.

  “Maybe we’ll get another job offer.” Serrath said with another of her toothy smiles and then silence descended as each of us pondered our Fates. We all knew what time it was. It was time to deal the cards and hope for that good hand- bluffing would get us nowhere in this game.

  Chapter 31

  “Welcome to Kievor Trade Station Four-Oh-Eight-Seven-Five.” The expected Kievor voice announced in midair as the tractor beam set us gently on the deck of the dock. Inside the Station. Somehow our scientists had done their job. When it was equal technologies at play it wasn’t quite such a one-sided affair. I wondered if this was the very first time ever that anybeing had snuck anything aboard one of their ships without their knowing. The game would have been up by now if they had detected the devices, because if they possessed the technology to detect them they would have instantly deduced their origins. They would not have let an Alartaw ship dock with them, no matter how it might be disguised. The Alartaw and Kievor were still the two most technological races so if they had detected them I would no longer be sitting here thinking these thoughts. Disparate atoms are incapable of random thought.

  I felt Serrath’s agreement with my relief at still being alive and hoped like hell the Kievor wouldn’t be able to deduce them as well. The Alartaw had no programs whatsoever designed to read reptile thought and emotion through their pheromones but the Kievor weren’t the Alartaw and one never knew. It was the Kievor’s business to be able to read their patrons and traders so I wasn’t at all confident they wouldn’t be weighing and sifting every emotion I exuded. She felt my change of emotion as I changed my pheromone release by thinking of our peril if somehow the Kievor could read these physiological releases. I gave her a toothy smile as she realized I had misled her by altering what I was thinking about. Though not said aloud, my message was clear; two could play this game.

  “Fsyth ship Warmonger reading you.” Leethea replied. “We’re aware of your fees and accept. We have a few odds and ends in the hold, precious metals... I have your offer here on my screen… we accept. Is there anything else?” Her surprise was clear in the air, why she was the one doing it. I normally tried to keep my bargaining with the Kievor private so this was a new experience for her. I just simply hadn’t been sure I would be able to exude surprise at the proper moment and so Leethea would be doing all or any bargaining which came up with the Kievor, at least for the time being.

  “Welcome aboard the Kievor Trade Station. Shall we divide these Credits among your three accounts?”

  “Divide them equally.” I said. I was the registered owner of Warmonger, after all.

  “Excellent. Enjoy your stay.” The Kievor voice said then vanished.

  “I hate mammals.” I hissed. Data taken from the Fsyth ship had given us a pretty good picture of the Fsyth as individuals and like most reptiles they despised mammals, but like any other race of intelligent beings there were individuals among each who hated just a little more. I hated the Kievor at least though normally considered any such emotion and the time wasted upon it as pointless, I thought, and let them read that hatred in my pheromones and guess its at-odds meaning to what my own toothy mouth was saying. I was beginning to like this actually.

  “I think I’m ready to see this place.” Serrath said as she armed up. Her clothing amounted to a pair of tan field-shorts- the kind with lots of pockets and compartments for hiding small tools and other things- two blasters in crossed belts over her hips and absolutely nothing else. Many Fsyth and reptiles in general went entirely without clothing. When you were born with a semi-armored hide clothing could simply seem redundant. Add the fact that our bodies produced no heat so there was no need for clothing to trap it next to the body. Most reptilian races only wore any clothing at all for proprieties sake and to look better than the next reptile. Vanity was the reptilian races worst failing. In some cases it was so bad that I could tell a reptile how astounding a card player he was over and over again, hand after hand, and the reptile would go away smiling at how great he was even while I walked away with the loot. Then again sometimes they figured it out before I’d had the chance to walk far enough. Usually by the time they got to the bar and figured out they didn’t have enough for a drink much less the day’s rent or docking fees. Through such adventures I had become an astute judge of when a lizard was about to lose it.

  Leet
hea was wearing a thong and fanny pack and armed with a Fsyth blaster and that was all. Reptiles, nor either of these girls, were particularly worried about public nudity- no matter what body they happened to be wearing at the time. I had chosen armor gear- cool when it’s hot, warm when it was cold and impervious to much but a direct blaster attack- and was bedecked neck to ankle. A Fsyth would never wear footwear unless it was part of a spacesuit. I had two blasters and a fresh deck of playing cards- human’s most notable contribution to the Cosmic society and already spread throughout the Universe undoubtedly. I was about as ready as I would ever be. “Let’s go see this place.” I said.

  Chapter 32

  This wasn’t the Station near human space so I wasn’t sure what type of races would predominate in this section of the Universe but wasn’t particularly surprised when we stepped out of Warmonger into a world that might as well have been the Station near human space, except minus humans. And there was no guarantee of that either. Humans were spreading just about everywhere and that thought brought to mind the seriousness of this mission for more than just one race. It was especially serious now that the Alartaw were secretly arming the human race- all but the Katons, of course. I wouldn’t arm my enemies and they were on their own as far as I was concerned. Did I have a second thought for the billions of innocents on Katon who were likely to suffer and die without that technology? Not one. People allow governments to do the things they do by blindly turning their faces from the truth even when it is glaringly obvious. How much guilt should be assigned those who turn a blind eye to what they know is evil? In my opinion as much as those who perpetuate those evils and so upon their heads fall the same consequences. Enemies are easy to make but friends far and few between. The Katons had made no friend of me.

  “Mammals.” Serrath hissed and it was only half performance as we were assaulted by the closeness of so many of our instinctual enemies. I felt it too, the ancient hatred of the reptile for mammals stirred within my breast among the throngs of every variety and stripe of warm-blooded beings imaginable and as my new instincts screamed at me of danger. There were a lot of mammals present here but this was probably just an enclave. The Kievor could sometimes have their quirks that way, especially when every ship suddenly without an owner became the property of the Kievor. I had to admit I was looking at the Kievor in a whole new way as the revelations unfolded. They had shown me the very depths to which treachery could stoop. The Kievor were the ultimate politicians, in my opinion, playing everybeing against themselves.

  “Furred mammals.” Leethea said. You didn’t need to be a reptile to be glad you hadn’t been born a furred mammal. “Disgusting.” The stench was nearly overwhelming.

  In fact the smell was almost an assault, a definite drawback to enhanced olfactory abilities, I noted as we slowly moved out into the corridor. Ostensibly to be window-shopping for whatever vice we were seeking. Few entered the trade warrens looking for anything else and which brought to mind the vice I was seeking. I scowled at the girls for withholding that- no matter how great a point they had earned. The way several sheepish looking mammals passing us shied back as I scowled I supposed I must have overdone it a bit. No facial muscles meant move my lips and rows of sharp teeth were showing.

  “You are a handsome reptile.” Serrath told me as I spotted an intriguing sign. I couldn’t read the alien script but the tankard flashing in brilliant lights was Universal. Without saying a word I just turned in that direction and went in without waiting to see if they had followed me. They were big girls and weren’t we supposed to be making a reputation for ourselves?

  There wasn’t a single lizard in the bar at all and everything simply came to a silent halt when I walked in. It went from roaring party to instant silence before I had gotten two steps into the place. Everybeing in the place was looking in my direction and hands, tentacles and other such appendages were surreptitiously moving closer to weapons- but most not so surreptiously. In no position to fight fifty at once I quickly turned around and ran right into Serrath and Leethea as they followed me in. “Looks cozy.” Serrath said as she coldly looked over the sea of hostile faces.

  “Let’s go in.” Leethea said. Together they were blocking my exit. The silence behind me seemed to be growing deeper though how absolute silence could get quieter was a question I couldn’t rightly answer at that moment. Maybe Bren could explain it, if I survived to see him again.

  “Just checking to make sure you were behind me.” I said as I turned back around and began making my way to the bar. Serrath and Leethea were right there behind me and suddenly I could smell the fear and confusion of the mammals. They had expected me to leave and now that I hadn’t I had struck the cord of uncertainty within them. Now within their midst I felt much more confident- that old conundrum of how I was the most confident while under the most extreme of stresses. If they attacked us now, in their midst, at the very least we’d take a pile of them with us and leave a bloodbath behind us- if we survived- and a good start to making our reputation. Reputations weren’t made by cowering in the shadows.

  The Druella bartender- probably the owner- who came to serve us only did so grudgingly, but credits were credits and if we made a bloodbath of the place it would be twice as full tomorrow. Blood draws the flies. The hairy vermin-infested Druella held up an idento-reader for my eye which immediately beeped in the affirmative- which meant I could afford to buy a drink. “I’ll have whatever she’s having.” I said nodding at Serrath. The idento-reader translated for the Druella and he moved on to Tanya.

  “Gallchem.” Serrath ordered once the reader had taken her retinal scan.

  “Nothing for me.” Leethea said.

  “Gallchem huh.” I said when the Druella moved away to make our drinks.

  “As always you’re confused.” Leethea said. “Gallchem is a blend of several kinds of blood. It’s supposed to be good as an anti-oxidant though.”

  I laughed inwardly until the drinks were actually delivered- I couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth or not because I couldn’t smell her over the stench of the mammals around us. Now I understood why reptiles couldn’t use their olfactory senses to smell my bluffs. The Druella brought our drinks back and they really were raw blood drinks. I motioned for the Druella to hold up his idento-reader again; “Something intoxicating.” I said.

  Chapter 33

  It was fairly expensive- even given Station prices- but burned as it went down and had an abrupt effect. As I felt it immediately enter my bloodstream it became quickly clear it would do a much better job than anything designed for an Alartaw or human metabolism. In other words it would get me intoxicated without a whole lot of effort- what more could a being ask. I gave Serrath a meaningful look that I was sure conveyed my triumph. I didn’t want to smile and precipitate death and mayhem from the twitchy mammals all around us but I think my look carried my meaning without having to smile. The tension was electric and like other similar situations I have found myself in there was no telling where this one was going to lead us. Apparently they weren’t used to uppity lizards in this neck of the woods but they weren’t quite sure what to do about it now that we were there. Violence wasn’t yet out of the question, was my opinion.

  “That’ll do the job in a pinch,” Serrath said, “but it’s not the fix you’re looking for.” She gave me a meaningful look in return that conveyed her own feelings succinctly. That she had triumphed over me entirely and that there was absolutely nothing I would be able to say to induce her to tell this grand secret she supposedly held. The problem was that I did in fact believe her because this was exactly her style. She seldom bluffed. I did smile this time, but I doubted there was any confusion as to who my smile was directed at. I poured the rest of that drink down my overlarge neck- now here was a benefit- and motioned to the Druella for another.

  “Order me that drink!” I snarled at Leethea to a cold stare in return for my efforts, then smelled both their amusement over the stench of the mammals. Their amusement was
strong though I still couldn’t understand what drink could be so potent that there was no doubt in either of the girl’s looks that I was really missing-out on something good and they were really the ones doing it to me. I consider it to be my vocation and duty to test not only the potency of the girl’s secret mysterious intoxicant as much as it is to travel the wide Universe in search of ever better. I’m a connoisseur of intoxicants and through experience can generally tell when I’ve gotten-in too far- when it was time to drag myself back to my doc for servicing- and in any case what had this life been given for if it wasn’t meant for us to enjoy it? Since I could think of no logical rebuttal to this I felt it was my duty to enjoy my life to its utmost and spent every possible waking moment doing just that.

  “You won’t get it from me.” Leethea replied with an ill-disposed look. I wondered that these hostile creatures could be my friends. She was on the other side of Serrath and I could no longer smell anything of what she was thinking. What I did know was that she wasn’t going to tell me. I also knew something else about Leethea and Serrath both; that when the cards were down was when they would be up at my side, despite the theatrics in-between.

  “This will just have to do.” I said as I took the new drink, tilted my head back and poured it down my neck. I handed the empty glass back to the bartender. “Another.”

  “I’d like to do some immediate shopping.” Serrath said. “Someplace uptown.”

  “This waterfront trash disgusts me.” Leethea said. I froze where I was, trying to see if anybeing had caught her statement on a translator but the remark in Fsyth seemed to have slipped past unnoticed.

  “Good idea.” I said with a look at the both of them. Just because I thought it was possible we might fight our way out of this mob of hairy stinking bodies didn’t mean a damn thing. Reptiles weren’t the only creatures God has endowed with native weaponry- and every other kind. If I didn’t know better I would think the two of them were spoiling for such a fight and though obviously I expected it from Serrath this was a relatively new development with Leethea. I poured the new drink down my neck and headed for the hatchway. I was glad when they followed.