“Heroism looks good on me,” Nigel said. “How about it, Governor?” he asked Mitchell.
“He’s going home to see what he can salvage,” Spin answered for him. “I bet he’ll be back in his place before long, and we’ll need someone in the British Government.”
“That’s the best way for me to help,” he agreed. “There’s a younger version of me who so much wants to go with you, but you’re right. It’s more important that I tell my entire government what the Countess did, and prove that I’m still alive.”
Spin saw Mirra and Della whispering to each other, they looked like they were coming to a conclusion. “I don’t need everyone to decide now,” she told them. “Let’s just focus on getting out of here before the Authority catches up to us.”
22
The dealership was happy to send a shuttle to pick her up when Spin told them that she was looking to make ‘a more substantial purchase’ and the pilot seemed relieved when she told her that she had work to do on the way. There was one more thing she had to do for the crew of the Cool Angel, and she managed to finish as the shuttle touched down inside the docking bay of the outer orbit station the dealership owned. There was a field of vessels of all different makes and shapes, but she refused to let herself become distracted as she finished putting her story together on her computer.
The story she told was simple. Months before she was captured, Captain White had her set up money laundering accounts with alien banks within days of him finding out that she knew how to do that kind of work. She left herself a backdoor, burying her name in the documents as his spouse. Her crewmates and her were betrayed by Captain White to the United Core Authority and he was paid a bounty. She included the transaction evidence. It was also clear that he had been skimming credits from the crew’s share of whatever gains the ship made for at least a few years. She included that evidence as well, even though most of the crew already had it. She gave the crew all his hidden money. Spin also added that she didn’t send Dorian, but that she’d just met him and he probably had his own mission.
At the end of her story she apologized for not being able to rescue everyone who was captured along with her, and humbly stated that she was leaving the Cool Angel crew to pursue another course. That was, the pursuit of a cure for herself since she didn’t have long to live, for other people like her, and to help everyone with a slave’s mark find freedom until her final day.
As the shuttle docked to the heavily armed, but modestly sized station, she sent the message. Spin was surprised at the pang of loss, or regret that accompanied the act, but she was happy that her side would arrive on the communicators of all of her old crewmates, even if they were too far away to get it for several days.
“We’ve arrived, Ma’am,” the pilot said. The airlock opened, and a gentleman in a spotless business suit with a long jacket smiled at her from the other side. “Spin?”
“That’s me,” she said as she made her way through the airlock.
“It’s good to meet you, I’m Ligig, one of the managers here. I’m surprised to see you came alone.”
“The rest of my crew is busy,” she replied. “It’s moving day.”
“That must be exciting,” Ligig said. She noticed that his eyes and lips were a little too large for a human. “So we need to set you up with a ship today then, and it has to be able to do?”
“Everything,” Spin said as she noticed that he only had two thick fingers but a perfect human thumb. “It has to have armour, military class shields, weapons, faster than light capability and room for twenty with cargo space. It has to be ready today.”
The light hearted mannerisms of the manager faded a little. “We do have what you’re looking for, but you realize that documenting the sale could be difficult. We checked on you before you arrived.”
“I have a slave’s mark,” Spin said. “Can you issue ownership documentation using the British system?”
“Well, yes, just like we did with the shuttle we sold you earlier, but for a ship like this, the transmission and certification will take weeks. You could fly the ship off the lot, but it won’t technically be yours, even according to the British Alliance because it will take time for it to be put on record.”
“That doesn’t change much for me or my crew,” Spin said, turning to face Ligig. “We all have slave’s marks, and we’ll be using this to get to British territory, to start a new life. I just need the power to protect them while we get out of here.”
She was surprised to see such a clear expression of sympathy from the manager. “I understand bondage,” he said. “It may not be obvious, but I am Issyrian from the Ponolu Clutch. My people remember being captured for research a long time ago. I’ll help you. Come with me.”
Spin was shown down a hallway that ended in a circular platform surrounded by transparent metal. The light of the distant sun bounced off the hulls of over a hundred ships floating in neat rows. She could see tiny holographic projectors along the edge of the platform. “So, you really have what I need?”
“Yes, how much do you have to spend?” he asked.
She smiled at him. “How much for your best?”
“That is the Tee Five Seven One, four hundred eighty million platinum,” he replied. “It’s the last attack ship built by Rage Shipyards.”
“Okay, that’s a lot more than I can spend.”
“It is beyond what you requested anyway,” Ligig said. “So, a great ship, but no loss to you. I would recommend lot number three zero zero one, The Convoy King Mark Three.” He summoned a projection of a hybrid tug and cargo hauler. “The powerful shields can expand to cover exterior blocks of containers extending from the sides of the ship. It has a field emitter that can create a cushion or hauling beam that will prevent a collision or allow you to pull many times the Convoy King’s mass. With the current configuration, you can fit a crew of fifty if you include the passenger area. The fixtures are old, and we have yet to equip the passenger area with any mattresses or linens – the old ones had to be destroyed – but it’s bigger than you need. For cargo you can use the included armoured space or attach hundreds of extra-large containers. Weapons are a bit of a problem. It only has three paired heavy cannons on separately shielded rotary turrets. There were more, but those ports had to be capped since we did not have the time to build replacement guns. On the brighter side, there are twenty-eight recessed large missile launcher ports that come loaded with seeker rounds. They’re a fairly basic weapon, but you could load whatever fits. Most likely not exactly what you’re looking for there, but it would be a match for anything in its class. Find a good arms dealer who has some standard turrets available, and you could increase the ship’s firepower many times over.”
“Does it have any docking space?” Spin asked, already becoming comfortable with the fact that she would not be able to afford the ship.
“Yes, plenty for its size. The Convoy King series has been used as a remote mothership and main rescue vessel because it comes with eight or more small launch bays depending on its configuration. There is no servicing area for landing ships though, so you have to seal bays off if you need to repair shuttles or fighters.”
Spin looked at the hologram of the blocky, dark hulled utilitarian ship, trying not to like it and failing. “Condition?”
“Fully reconditioned except for the passenger area. That was next on our list. It was cleaned, the damage was repaired, and we were about to add higher end fixtures and other creature comforts. The power plant, hull, and all the essentials including the captain’s and crew quarters are as they should be. In perfect condition.”
“This was salvaged from an area under artificial intelligence control?”
“Pulled out of the war zone after the UCA finished neutralizing the area. The bots aboard killed the crew when they were infected by the virus, then left the ship to find other victims. The captain of this vessel was fast enough to lock the reactors down as the machines turned on them. An old fashioned safety measure, b
ut it saved the vessel. Too bad it couldn’t save the crew. We have done the work on this, and checked the history. No one is looking for this ship, and the UCA was paid the salvage fee for it. The ticket is on record and available.”
Spin closed her eyes and braced herself. “How much?”
“Two hundred and ten million,” he replied. “But worth every platinum coin.”
It was only a little more than she had, but enough so even if she bargained, she’d be down to nothing. “Let’s keep looking,” she said. For twenty long minutes, she was shown ship after ship, most of them were not nearly as well armed, and the few that were would take even more work. What was worse, any good solution still drained her funds to desperate levels.
“This is not going well for you,” Ligig said sadly. “Or I’m showing you the wrong ships.”
“Can I see the Convoy King again?” Spin said.
He brought the hologram of the bulky ship up in front of them. “It is a nice ship, every pirate and long hauling company has been looking at it.”
“But no one buys it,” Spin said. “Why?”
“The excellent condition demands a certain price,” Ligig replied.
“I’ll give you one hundred and forty million, I can transmit the funds in less than a minute,” she told him. “That’s real platinum for something your company probably salvaged for thirty.”
“It’s too low,” Ligig said. “I would get in trouble for this, but one hundred ninety.”
Spin was relieved to hear a price she could afford. She’d be down to less than ten percent of her funds, but it was within her range. “This isn’t going to just be a ship, it’ll be important, do important work. I’m planning on calling it the Ponolu Princess, because it’s a good name for a ship that frees slaves, running them straight to the British Alliance. One hundred fifty.”
“You must be a fool if you think I’ll believe that, but you’re an amusing fool, so I will accept one hundred eighty-five.”
Spin smiled at him and watched his expression for a long moment. There was a price he’d take, she just had to observe him, figure out how close she was and offer a little less. She wished she had more time to barter, she was starting to really like him. “You like shapeshifting into humans,” she said. “I’ll give you a scan of myself so you can practice looking like me if you like, and I have a ship to trade. It’s in bad shape, and stolen, but I’m sure someone with your connections can do something with it.” She projected an image of the Fleet Feather as it was when she left it half an hour before. “Luxury ship, very expensive. It won’t have any linens or mattresses inside though.”
“I can’t give you much, we’ll only tear it apart,” he said. “And as for the image of you, well, you are interesting.”
Spin decided it was time to take a guess at what he would accept, a real offer. “A hundred forty-nine million, a scan of me, my old ship, and your crew helps us move so we can be on our way. You get paid right now.”
Ligig looked at her with a twitch, then back to the image of the Feather, then back to her. “Yes, I can do that.”
“You can do it now?” Spin asked.
He brought up an ownership transfer interface with the British Alliance certification numbers already entered in. “You transfer the platinum, or the credits, and I will transfer the ship, get my people working.”
Spin sent him the entire payment. “Done.”
23
For the first time in her life, Spin felt nervous about spending money. The realization that she’d just spent a sizable fortune without setting foot on the deck of a ship she needed to carry her friends to safety set in when she boarded the shuttle to return to the planet below. It seemed like Ligig was being true to his word though.
Before she left he politely summoned what seemed like everyone in the station, at least thirty people were gathering in the embarkation area of the station, where several airlocks were lined up for arriving shuttles, taking orders and calling more support in. Everything was in motion, she only hoped that she didn’t get robbed in her hastiness.
“I’ve got a problem,” came Nigel’s garbled voice over her communicator. The high priority of the message allowed him to speak directly to her without waiting for her to answer.
“I’m here,” Spin replied, watching the shuttle transition from fiery entry to blue skies. “What’s going on?”
“We’re behind the people-parts store-”
“I told you not to call it that,” she heard Leland say in the background.
“The cybernetics place, we got everything we need, but there are Authority soldiers blocking every direction. Crap, one’s stepping into the store right now. What do I do? I could shoot my way out, but the brain case Leland’s carrying is pretty delicate, and it’s bulky. Oh, and it was expensive.”
“Find another store nearby and hide there, find their back door.”
“Won’t we get trapped if they’re watching the walkways?” Nigel asked.
“Whatever will keep you out of their direct line of sight. I’m on my way,” Spin finished. “Pilot, do you think you could land here?” she said, pointing at a map with Nigel’s location projected from her arm.
“I can land just up the street, but it won’t be a place I can stay on the ground. If there’s trouble, I’ll have to hover above, unless they start paying too much attention to me, then I’ll have to get out of there.”
“That’s fine,” Spin said. “I’ll give you a hundred platinum if you drop me off, then pick me and my friends up while we run away from the United Core Authority.”
“A hundred fifty, and you got it. My name is Sharon, by the way. Hang on.”
It felt as though her stomach leapt up into her throat as the shuttle tipped down and dropped at an enormous speed. She didn’t slow their decent until they were under one thousand meters, and the landing was so soft, Spin barely felt it. “Thanks, I’ll be back,” Spin said as she got out of the shuttle. A clothing vendor with racks of outerwear along the front of their shop gave her an idea, and she snagged a long hooded cloak as she passed, stopping in front of the owner. “How much?”
“Twenty-five plat,” he replied.
She pressed the coins into his hand and wrapped the cloak around herself, raising the hood. At a glance she counted three Authority soldiers on the street, all of them were watching people go by, and she assumed that included facial scanning, at least. Sidestepping the first two was easy, a crowd of adolescents ran behind them, forcing them to step away from the side of the street, and she ran along with them, squeezing behind the soldiers.
The third was an entirely different story. He was standing in an alleyway that led directly to the tight walkway Nigel and Leland were trapped on. Their options were becoming more limited by the minute, as Authority soldiers split up, visiting different stores. She was running out of time. If Nigel wasn’t just being paranoid, then he and Leland would be caught.
“Get ready to pick me up,” Spin said over her comm to Sharon. “Nigel, Leland, I have a shuttle supporting us. If there’s a commotion, break for the big four-way double lane to the north, you see it?”
“I do, but be careful, this place is crawling.”
“There’s no way to carefully kick the hornet’s nest,” Spin replied. She dropped her hood and straightened up as she walked towards the guard in her way. The markings on his uniform designated him as a Sergeant. “Excuse me,” she said in her sweetest voice. “My masters sent me here to check prices on the jewellery here, and I think I’m in the wrong place.” She lightly rested her hand on his chest and regarded him with her best lost look. If his people were looking for her and her crew, then she’d know it right away. “Is there a jeweller here?”
He grinned at her and, taking her hand, he turned her to face the east side of the market. “You’re about ten minutes’ walk away from where you have to be. There’s an old emergency shelter that someone turned into a jeweller, and I hear it’s the best one here.”
“Old
shelter?” Spin asked, looking uncertain. With timid steps, she guided the soldier away from the alley, his back was already facing it. Nigel and Leland took advantage of the opening, quietly rushing through.
“Oh, don’t worry, they gussied the place up, you can’t even tell what it was, but it’s safe, not like this place.”
“I feel very safe with all your soldiers around,” she replied, giving his hand a little squeeze.
“Oh, there are only a couple of us actually on duty, most are just here to shop. We’re at the end of our rotation on the ground for the day.”
Nigel and Leland were being paranoid, she realized. Most of the soldiers didn’t care who anyone was, they were too busy shopping. “Thank you so much,” she said, starting to withdraw her hand.
He gripped her fingers, looking her up and down. The draw of her needy expression and candied voice could only distract him from what she wore, and how well armed she was for so long, and he obviously caught a glance at something in her cloak. Most likely the weapon strapped to her thigh.
“Who’s your master?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I’ve come into an inheritance, and I’d like to make an offer on you.”
“You couldn’t afford me,” Spin replied, doing her best to laugh lightly at the offer.
“It was a big inheritance,” he said. “I’ll scan you and find out myself.”
She yanked her fingers from his grip, seized his wrist, turned and flipped him over her shoulder. “Run!” she shouted at Nigel and Leland, who were ten steps down the main street. She kicked him in the face as hard as she could, then used the opportunity to steal his gun, his restraints and a pouch from the inside of his jacket. “Emergency!” he shouted, probably into a communicator she couldn’t see, not so much to the guards on the street. He grabbed her leg and she kicked her other one as high as she could, missing his head by a centimetre, then she brought it down with all the weight and force she could, landing the back edge of her heel in his right eye socket.
Cool Pursuit: Chaos Core Book 2 Page 18