by Tobias Roote
Between them they silently buried the four guards, then commandeered two of the GNams and hid the other two in the jungle. Grady intended to backtrack and get close to the land-base, then enter the camp on foot for some discreet surveillance. He believed that the first part of their mission had been achieved, the indigents probably weren’t mutants and therefore were not the property of the corporations. The planet would need to be annexed while their investigations proceeded and Alliance protection of the new species put in place. Getting them to agree to that was going to be an uphill battle.
Angels : Somewhere Deep in the Rift
“The freighter is heaving too, sir,” the helmsman advised.
Olgar turned and looked at the video stream. The freighter had stopped as they demanded. He could see it was waiting for their boarding team.
“Send out the first watch.” He didn’t expect any problems. His team would survey the cargo and decide the toll payable. If their owners refused to pay the ship would be impounded until a larger ransom was paid.
It wasn’t the Angel’s first love in terms of earning a living, but between assignments the crew got bored and needed entertainment. The small amount earned by fleecing the rich operators plying their trade between the major planets wasn’t enough to generate a massive response from the Core Navy, and so the Angels operated pretty much trouble-free. So long as there was no gratuitous killing sprees and their tolls remained affordable, they had a pretty clear run. Occasionally, a Core ship was placed on patrol along the shipping lanes, but Olgar had insider information and they would keep well clear until the heat died down.
His comms lit up and he eyed the caller’s identity with deep suspicion. This would be interesting. The last time he called the Angels they almost started an inter-corp war. Taking out the competition is fine when you can do so quietly and efficiently. Blowing up their headquarters and spacing their complete management team doesn’t go down well. The Angels were nearly ‘outlawed’ over that incident.
He decided to answer.
“Yes, Phang ?”
Ignoring Olgar’s apparent lack of respect Phang dived straight into his demand.
“Olgar, you are to proceed immediately to Archon-5 where we have a research vessel the CNR Persipis orbiting the planet. The captain will give you the target’s location details and updated information when you arrive in system. I’m enclosing the frequencies and codes along with the existing file on the operation. You are to take out the targets. Leave absolutely no trace of them behind. Ideally, their ship should disappear as well.”
“A moment please, Phang. I need to review the file.” As he began to scan the contents Olgar immediately realised this was going to a be a valuable hit, the corporation man was in too much of a hurry to negotiate, he just needed to discern the price. He absorbed the information instantly, his memory trained for such a task.
“These are Alliance of World Agents, this is serious. We will be hunted across the galaxy, if discovered.” Olgar opened his negotiations.
Phang scoffed and waved his hands dismissively.
“The AWA is finished. We have already closed them down, these agents are the only impediment outside of the AW Command that know the details. They MUST be eliminated,” he insisted.
Olgar was convinced this was going to be a profitable exercise, but wanted to set out his concerns to up the price.
“Nonetheless, they have an armed fleet - a very efficient fleet. We could be on the run a long time if they discover our involvement.”
“Olgar, just tell me your price. I don’t have the time to argue. ENCIO is poised to take out the only resistance to its plans in the galaxy. I need it done now. If you delay, even by a day, the possibility of them uncovering our intent may well negate the need for your services.”
“Very well, Phang. Our fee is two million credits for the agents and a further million credits for removal of any trace of their presence on Archon-5.”
Phang’s cheeks visibly sucked in sourly as he absorbed the vast sum proposed by the leader of the Angels. He’d imagined a high price, but this was astronomical. The shareholders would have apoplexy if they found out. He would have to hide the majority of that in operating expenses, he rashly decided to proceed anyway.
“That amount is ridiculous, but if you carry out the task immediately and there is no fall-out for ENCIO and its operations on Archon-5, then it will be - manageable.” Phang sighed. He’d left himself wide open for that robbery, but had no choice. The problem had to disappear - immediately before any further damage was done to his plans to take out the AWA.
“Fail, and I will spend that three million credits having you hunted down and destroyed. Do we understand each other ? High fees demand high penalties for failure,” Phang wagged his gnarly finger.
“Understood, you know where to send the funds. In view of the importance and the possibility we might have to run a long way from Core space, I want the credits in advance,” Olgar insisted.
“Hmmh ! I don’t think so Olgar, I will meet you half way, 50% of your fee immediately, balance when you complete the mission to my satisfaction. Elimination of both agents, ship and all witnesses, and no fallout for ENCIO.”
“Agreed. We will proceed to their location immediately,” Olgar responded. He wasn’t unhappy with a one and a half million credit advance. A new ship would only cost them four million - he would be able to increase his fleet and the resultant hold on the galaxy’s freight corridors would be immensely profitable.
The connection blanked and Olgar turned away from the comms and pulled up the navigation charts on the main screen.
He typed in the coordinates of Archon-5 and calculated the distance and fastest speed his ship could achieve. A day and a half, or a little less.
The shuttle was already approaching the freighter and Olgar briefly considered making Phang wait until he’d finished up here, but the thought of three million credits persuaded him otherwise. The freighter will be there another day.
“Pull back the first watch, prepare to get under way as soon as they’re aboard,” he ordered. The freighter’s owners would sigh with relief this time, he thought. It weakened the Angel’s position overall, but that could be corrected later, and if they had a second ship...
He beckoned his officers over and explained their new mission.
“They agreed to three million credits - just like that ?” his second-in-command queried, eyes wide at the thought of his share on a commission of this size. “What’s the catch ?” he asked.
“The targets are Alliance of World operatives and from the information we have, they are hard-to-kill types. So, we take them out quickly,” Olgar explained.
They went over the information that had been ported across by Phang and agreed it was a worthy mission for them. Also, the opportunity to charge so much would increase their perceived value in the marketplace, creating with it new levels of opportunity.
“The problem will be in removing all trace of them, not as easy in practice as it is in theory. Phang wants it cleaned up afterwards. That will mean a team on the ground and elimination of anyone who has been in contact, or knows of their existence.
“There are notes here about the captain of the Persipis. Does Phang expect us to remove him ? He’s going to have a back-up of all comms.”
“We can find an excuse to board Persipis after the elimination of the primaries. It should be a simple matter. Now, how to deal with the targets ?” Olgar answered.
“We should arrange for them and their ship to be taken out while over the planet’s sea with type-five missiles. Trace of them will be non-existent after being hit by a pair of those thermal explosives,” a voice offered. There were murmurs of agreement.
Olgar was satisfied. They had carried out similar missions many times before. It would be an efficient operation, he was certain.
“We need to make haste. Ensure everyone is ready - call ahead and get as much intel on the whereabouts of the targets. Be
circumspect, we want as little clean-up as possible. If too much information gets out, the ship itself might need to have an accident. That would be a hard sell to the corporation,” Olgar warned them.
Chapter Sixteen
Shrilla harbours doubts
They drove the GNams at a blistering pace until they reached the point where their arrival intersected with the patrol. Then, in case there was satellite monitoring, they hid the bikes in the undergrowth. The knew full well that if there was an extensive search they would be easily found, but hoped that would be after their mission was over. Driving the bikes all the way to the land-base was courting trouble if they came across another patrol. It was prudent to dispose of them even though it would have made their journey shorter.
As they hiked along the track made by the outgoing patrol Shrilla had opportunity to mull over Grady’s shady past. She should have been concentrating on their issues here on Archon, but instead all she could think of was the complication that Grady had brought upon the AWA.
The AWC now had serious issues and he wasn’t helping. In fact, she thought, he’d pulled her close friend Range into his retaliation against the Core officer who he had a personal grudge against. How much was the attack on the AWC linked to Grady’s history and now she was involved as well right up to her eyeballs.
Whether he intended it or not, he’d forced her into a role as a co-conspirator. So, unless she arrested or terminated him now, she realised she was going to end up deeper in every step she took. She shook her head sighing negatively at the complexity of her situation.
He must have guessed her problem because when the path widened and they could walk abreast of each other he turned and spoke up.
“Tell me, Shrilla, what have I done that is against AWA regulations ? Have I ever done anything on or off the record that puts the AWA in a bad light ?”
“Well, actually your pre-history implies that you took the position under false pretences. So, you could be accused of bringing the AWA into disrepute by having a history with a banned cult.”
He mulled that over before continuing.
“Have you ever truly wondered why the Dispersalistas are banned ?”
“No, is it relevant to the argument ?”
“Of course, do you follow rules blindly, or do you follow them because you believe in them and support their aims ?”
“I do what’s required of me, or I don’t take the position.”
“So, when haven’t I done what was required of me ?”
“On the record - never. Off the record I have no idea. The point is you have divided loyalties and that’s unacceptable.”
“Actually, I don’t - have divided loyalties I mean. Are you aware of how the AWA came into existence ?”
Now Shrilla was on certain ground. She’d studied the history of the AWA for her examination and had it down almost word for word.
“Yes, it was the brainchild of President Cartell who formed a committee to concentrate on the protection of mutants across the galaxy. This, because the corporations were committing genocide against them under the auspices of product ownership rather than employee rights. He believed that the plague virus was a corporation agent that back-fired and as a result killed off humans indiscriminately, but had been twisted to the corporation’s ends by blaming the mutants for the outbreaks.”
Grady nodded. “Are you aware that the President was an active member of the Dispersalistas and had at the back of his mind the long-term goal of giving all sentients equal rights and wanted to monitor the possibility that those same corporations might one day stumble upon a parallel race of humans and attempt to eradicate them under the cloak of mutant ownership ?”
Shrilla thought about that. If the AWA was in fact a Dispersalista organisation, then what did that make her ? She wasn’t happy with the concept of being a member of a banned cult, even if it was set-up to protect mutants. How much should she believe him, he seemed so certain of himself. In the end she remained silent. Grady looked across at her then stopped and faced her.
“Look, I don’t really care what you think or believe, but I care about what happens to the mutants and I care very much when and if we come across a parallel race of humans, that we welcome them rather than being so xenophobic that we eradicate them. My desire is to ensure that doesn’t happen and I can’t believe that you would stand against that.”
“Why is it then, that the cult is banned throughout the empire ?”
“Because it represents a clear threat to the corporations. Their hold on the worlds of the empire go far deeper than you imagine. A good fifty percent of worlds are controlled by puppet governments of corporation interests. There’s another war coming and this time the corporations intend to win it and take control of the remaining worlds of the empire. If new worlds are found with human inhabitants, corporations want to subjugate them and don’t want them pre-warned, or in a position to defend the free worlds that remain.”
“So, you're saying the Dispersalistas represent the only defence that we have against this corporation take-over ?”
“I’m saying that the corporations see us as a threat to their effort to control the empire. If they hadn’t contrived to have us outlawed, then we would be a bigger thorn in their side than the AWA is today. Look at what they’re now doing to the AWC - they are behind all of this.”
“How can a small misguided cult be a threat to the corporations, which are huge, and your group is what, a few hundred, a thousand people ?”
Grady seemed about to state something, but bit his lip and remained silent. They continued walking for a while.
Shrilla had opportunity to think things through a bit more. She couldn’t believe it was as simple as that. The corporations were greedy, they were unthinking, callous and rode roughshod over peoples rights in the pursuit of profit. They were a danger, but another war ? Preposterous. As for this planet, the idea of ENCIO or any other corporation finding, let alone eradicating a new species of human seemed highly unlikely.
She’d always believed the official line that the Dispersalistas were a malign influence on society and needed to be culled. Yet, here she was, if Grady was to be believed, facing a situation that came right out of their scriptures. According to him these inhabitants might be a living-breathing product from the ‘Dispersal of the human race’. She scoffed mentally not daring to do so out loud with Grady walking beside her.
Shrilla was a trained AW agent and knew the difference between evolution and genetic manipulation. Mutants she understood. She could see or sense their differences and like Grady, Shrilla had the ability and had been expertly trained to distinguish the effects of splicing of DNA. She had seen and read all of the Mutant war files and been allowed to review all of the statements and a range of records from participants to victims. The AW had complete records of DNA splices that had been used by the corporations to achieve the modified humans required to survive in planetary habitats that were hostile to normal human life.
The mutants on Archon-5 were possibly different, but she didn’t know enough yet to argue against Grady and even if they were parallel humans, how did that change things ? They would still be viewed as mutants by the corporations and the AWA and that would be the end of it. Then there would just be Grady to deal with. The trouble was she liked and respected him and the idea of handing him over to Fuego and the Core navy and them executing him, didn’t sit right with her.
In truth, Shrilla wasn’t sure if she believed him or not. It had never been an issue prior to this as the cult were underground and she had only ever heard the official line when a member was discovered. This was the first time Shrilla had become personally involved and now she was having to think through the issues for herself. She stared at Grady’s back and wondered if he would actually let her take him into custody. He was a better agent than her, much as she hated to admit it to herself.
She realised her thoughts were as muddled as the situation they faced.
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nbsp; Despite the intelligence data they had stating that there had been attacks on the land-base there was little or no security fencing or surveillance drones around the camp. As a result they almost walked into it before realising that there was habitation there at all. The clearing looked big enough for shuttle landings and as they skirted the perimeter a low hum erupted from the hill behind them causing them to turn in the direction of the sound even as they crouched over and ran for cover.
“Get down,” Grady whispered into Shrilla’s ear. They were just in time as a shuttle skimmed the hilltop and slewed into the clearing, the pilot obviously taking great joy in upsetting the occupants inside by swinging the craft around vigorously as he landed. The dust from the ramjets caused small whirlwinds that reduced visibility to almost zero for a few seconds as it landed in the empty space in front of them.
No sooner had the shuttle touched down when the rear door opened and a ramp extended. As they watched from the edge of the clearing, eight prisoners were ejected from the shuttle’s rear-end accompanied by two security guards who cautiously held guns trained on them despite the prisoners being controlled with e-cuffs, electronic restraints that could detect the intent to escape or attack and disable with a stun charge to bring them to their knees and warn the guards. As the shuttle lifted off again Shrilla swore the pilot turned towards them and flew directly over them deliberately covering them in flying dust and dead foliage.
Shrilla could tell these were the same as the people they had rescued on the beach. Mutants ? Indigents ? In the end it really didn’t matter, she decided, they needed help.
Grady looked across at her. His eyes were hard, face cold with anger. Much like her own she thought. Neither she nor the AWA, and by extension Grady too, were happy to see mutants being treated badly. These she knew would be unlikely to survive beyond whatever experiments had been deemed necessary by ENCIO to increase the company’s knowledge of mutants and cloning.
A rescue then, she thought quickly, but then what. They had no plan. It was a reconnaissance mission.