by Kal Spriggs
While I worked, I began to set up some “translating” software in the background. I wasn’t a stellar programmer, by any means. I still knew enough to set up a character swapping program out of a spreadsheet. Ostensibly it was to swap out letters in my mom’s computer to make them readable. The way I set it up, though, I could make some drastic changes to what it would do. Swapping out the symbols and letters of my parents’ codes was simple enough and didn’t use too much processing power so long as it was single documents at a time. There were thousands of pages of notes, though. There were also non-coded documents: grant proposals and research papers that had already been submitted, as well as emails and message logs between my parents and Granny Effy. I started going through those, memorizing what I could. I also started transferring as much as I could over onto my father’s datapad. I was fairly certain the pirates would have already read through those files, looking for information. There were references to quicksilver, but all her prepared submission files were missing, like she’d moved them elsewhere. Since some of the notes I’d read mentioned military funding for further research, I started to wonder if my parents had a different computer for handling that kind of research.
I went back to her notes on translating the alien symbols, reading through them and trying to figure out everything I could. There was a whole lot of guesswork, there. My mom hadn’t been an expert in linguistics, that had actually been Granny Effy’s area of expertise, so there was lots of traffic between them, but most of that was references to physical artifacts they’d sent back and forth.
There were multiple references to a “touchstone” artifact. I wasn’t sure what they meant by that. There were sketches, in my mom’s notes, of a lot of items that had been sent back and forth. Nelson’s University had a lot of Century’s existing artifacts, taken from the Wall and other alien sites over the years, and Granny Effy had been one of the senior archaeologists there. So numerous items had been sent to and from Black Mesa Outpost, some for archiving, some for research.
I was going through those sketches of what had been sent when I came across a sketch of the alien terminal that Kiyu had wanted. Written in my mom’s handwriting and scanned into her computer was an archive number. I wasn’t sure, but I was going to bet that meant it had been sent to Nelson’s University. Next to it, written out plain to see, was “Touchstone.”
I kept digging, feeling excited to know I had found the information that both Wessek and Kiyu were looking for. It was linked, but I didn’t understand why. My mom’s notes made it seem the artifact was valuable because it had all the alien symbols, arrayed in a logical fashion. She and Granny Effy had been trying to translate those symbols, but the artifact had more, what they thought made up the entire language or alphabet for the aliens. There was mention that my dad’s research had been after the why, but their focus had been on understanding those symbols... which I assumed was why the artifact had been moved to Nelson’s University, where Granny Effy could work on it.
There were almost a hundred or more of the symbols, each one unique. My mother’s work had translations for only a dozen or so and most of those were marked as questionable. I wasn’t going to figure it out myself, but I flagged those files and my mom’s notes on them so that, if necessary, I could erase them from the computer and at least deny them to Wessek. I also copied every bit I could over onto my dad’s datapad.
I still didn’t know why they wanted this thing, but I at least knew what they wanted... or some of what they wanted. I also figured that it was secretive enough that they didn’t want to bring too many outsiders in on this and as long as I showed some progress, that shouldn’t change.
Ted had found a few more photos of the equipment and he called in Vars and Kiyu to show them. Vars, again seemed bored, but he called in his father, too, as Kiyu started pointing out details on the pictures that she wanted enhanced.
Wessek himself showed up a few minutes later. “See, my Lady, your uncle will be pleased.”
“The device isn’t here,” she countered.
“That will only be a problem for a short time,” Wessek smirked. “I’m told by my contact that things are going well with preparations at Century. Your uncle will be able to acquire anything else he needs from the planet, shortly.” His attitude was far more relaxed than before. In fact, his expression held none of his normal wariness. I looked at Vars, who also looked far more confident. Something had changed.
Kiyu’s expression was hard for me to read. Her green eyes flitted from Wessek to Vars, to Ted, and then over to me, where I watched from the other side of the lab. “Assuming that your ‘contact’ comes through, of course.”
Wessek gave her a smirk, running a hand through his beard, “I assure you that my contact is fully committed and knows that the price of failure will be high.”
She gave him a slight nod, as if acknowledging a point. “Very well. Now that we have ascertained that it can be acquired, I will require these two to continue to assist me on my research.”
Wessek scratched his chin, “Now, see, I’ve got a problem, my Lady.”
“Oh?” she asked in a dangerous tone.
“I’ve had one of my people monitoring connections and data transfers, just a security precaution, you see,” Wessek grinned. “Anyway, he noticed that you’ve been sending files out... somewhere.”
“You had no reason to monitor my traffic,” she snapped. Kiyu’s eyes locked on him and I saw her hand twitch. It was a small thing, but I wondered if she’d been about to order her bodyguard to attack or if she were going to attack. “I gave my uncle regular progress reports,” she noted.
“I’m sure you did, but these data transmissions weren’t going to your uncle, they were going somewhere else. My communications tech couldn’t tell me who, but your uncle wasn’t very happy to learn about it.”
Kiyu scowled, “You told him, then?”
“I’m loyal to him, of course I did,” Wessek grinned. “While I can’t force you to leave, I’ve been told he’s on his way to retrieve you. Perhaps you should take some time to prepare your things?”
Kiyu gave him a cold nod, “I see.” She gestured at her bodyguard and she stalked to the hatch. She paused, though, in the doorway, “You’ve signed on with my uncle, Wessek, but he’s not given to sentimentality. The moment you cease to be useful, he’ll dispose of you.”
“I guess, my Lady,” Wessek smirked, “I’ll have to do my best to remain useful to him.”
She didn’t reply. She swept her gaze around the room, pausing on me. She gave me the slightest nod, and then she turned and left.
“I love turning the tables on someone who’s been cheating me,” Wessek grinned. “Eh, Vars?”
Vars was still staring at the doorway, an odd expression on his face.
“Boy,” Wessek snapped his fingers at his son. “Hello?”
“Yeah,” Vars blinked and looked at his father. “Right.”
Wessek smirked, “Which reminds me, let’s show everyone what we do to people who have been cheating me.” He waved his hand at Ted and I.
A pair of his goons came into the lab. Before I knew what was going on, one of them grabbed Ted by the arm. The other came for me. In an instant, I realized that they were going to do something to one or both of us. I was too far away from one of my concealed hammers and picks, but as the goon came for me, I kicked out, hard as I could for the pirate’s knee. I felt the impact all the way up my leg and he dropped, screaming, to the deck.
I started to try and lunge towards the door to escape, but Wessek gave a laugh, “Vars, he’s got some spirit, eh?”
Vars rushed to block my path and I skidded to a halt. Wessek drew his pistol. He didn’t aim it at me, though, he aimed it at Ted. “Alright, that’s enough.”
I raised my hands, “What’s going on, what are you doing?”
Wessek’s expression flashed to anger, “I told you before, you don’t get to ask questions.” He walked over and pressed the barrel of his pistol into t
he side of Ted’s head. “Now, cooperate or I’m going to have to make do with just one of you. Do you understand?”
I nodded. Vars came over and grabbed me by the arm, bending it behind my back and holding me secure.
Wessek’s pirate goon on the floor was still moaning. “Have someone get him out of here, Vars,” Wessek waved a hand. Vars talked on his comm, still holding me. I tensed, wondering if I should try to escape, but he sensed it and tweaked my wrist painfully.
“Let’s get this over with,” Wessek grunted. His mood seemed to improve as we went out into the corridor and then grew still further as we walked a short distance to what looked like a garbage storage area. There were a bunch of bins and the smell of rotting garbage stung my nose. A group of Wessek’s pirates stood there, one of their number was kneeling, hands and feet tied behind him. I didn’t recognize the pirate, but I could understand the terror in his face.
“Boys, you all know me, you know how well I treat my people,” Wessek grinned as he came in the room. Vars passed me over to one of the other pirates and moved to stand next to his father. The pirate holding me shoved me down to my knees and stepped back. The one holding Ted did the same thing.
“Matty, here, you’ve been one of my people for, what, three years, now?” Wessek asked.
“Yah, yah, boss, that's right” the bound pirate stuttered.
“I brought you in off the streets. I fed you, clothed you, I even gave you training and skills...” Wessek shook his head, “I made you a free man... and you betrayed me.”
“I--”
“Don’t lie to me, Matty,” Wessek walked over to him. “I know you did. You took money from that little princess we had as a guest. You helped her to slip data out... I’ve even got footage of you taking her money.”
Wessek reached into his pocket and drew out a stack of plastic cards, then threw them in the pirate’s face. They clattered everywhere, a few of them sliding as far over as near my knees.
The pirate swallowed. “I’m sorry, boss. I’m so sorry. I just, I didn’t think it would hurt--”
“I know, Matty, I know,” Wessek drew his pistol and fired.
I flinched away from the noise and sight. The dead pirate dropped limply to the floor “Matty got greedy. He lost sight of what’s important, what’s really important: loyalty.” Wessek told his men. He waved at them, “But Matty wasn’t alone. He had friends, he had brothers.”
Wessek waved at the gathered men, “You were his family. You failed him, because you didn’t stop him. Now, you got to send Matty on his final voyage.” He waved to the far wall of the room. The pirates hurried forward and picked up their dead companion. They carried him over to the wall and one of them pulled open a door to what I’d assumed was a garbage chute.
Flames and heat boiled out of that door. It wasn’t a garbage chute, it was an intake to an incinerator. They shoved the body inside and slammed the door, the man who’d held it waving his hand to cool it off.
Wessek gave them a smirk, “Good. Now get back to work. And next time we have an issue, it’s not just the person who betrayed me that goes in there, it’s everyone else too, who should have told me about it.”
The pirates hurried off, leaving just the me, two guards, Ted, Wessek, and Vars.
Wessek looked over at his son, “That went well.”
“You should have let me shove him in there alive,” Vars complained.
“Nah, I had to handle this myself,” Wessek noted. He turned back to face Ted and I. “Now, I’m going to chalk that little incident with the knee as a failure in communication,” Wessek said. “It’s a good lesson for my guards not to get too complacent and,” he grinned, “I might have startled the pair of you.”
I swallowed, waiting for what was coming.
“But if either of you, ever, attack one of my people again, I’m going to have Vars drag you over here and dump you right into that incinerator. It runs off waste heat from the facility’s reactor. If you’re really lucky, we’ll be running hot that day and you’ll burn up real quick. If you’re not, it won’t be that hot and you’ll still be alive when you hit the bottom, with the rest of the garbage.”
Vars chuckled at those words.
“Now, get back to work,” Wessek jerked his head in the direction of the lab. “And get me some results.”
The two guards led us away, but I’d already seen what I needed to see. Vars and Wessek could threaten me all they wanted, but I felt a plan coming together. At least I finally knew where I was. As I stepped into the lab, I looked down at what I held cupped in my hands. They were four red plastic chips, the face of each of them was marked with a familiar red dragon symbol and imprinted on the face was writing that read: 50 Imperial Marks, Drakkus Empire.
***
Kiyu came into the lab an hour or so later. She stalked past the two guards, “leave us,” she snapped.
One of the guards stepped forward, though whether he was going to just stand in her path or actually reach out and stop her, I couldn’t judge. What I did see was Kiyu’s bodyguard blur into motion, catching him by the wrist and bending it back until I heard a sharp pop. As the pirate dropped with a muffled oath, the other one started to reach for his pistol. The bodyguard slapped his hand away and then punched him, once, in the sternum. I heard the snap of bone and he dropped gasping to his knees.
Before either man could recover, the bodyguard picked them both up, each one by a shoulder, and carried them bodily to the door. She threw them out and closed the hatch.
Kiyu ignored all that and came directly towards where Ted and I were working. She held up her hand and the lights flickered, which told me she’d interrupted the network again.
We both paused, not really sure what to do, as she came up. She gave Ted a cool look and then turned her gaze on me. Her red hair seemed particularly stark against her pale skin, but there was something in the way she stood, something almost fragile that made me feel for her a bit. She’d been the only one with any authority who’d treated me as human. Whatever game she’d been playing between her uncle and Wessek and whoever she’d been sending info to, I hoped she wasn’t going to get in too much trouble.
“I’m leaving,” she noted, staring at me as she said it.
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked, not even sure why.
She gave me an actual, genuine smile, “I’m certain my uncle will be... displeased with me. But he won’t dare to move against me, not in any meaningful fashion. I’m scheduled to start at the Imperial Military Institute in only six months.” Her gaze went back to the door, “I haven’t very long. I want to caution you both. Even if Wessek were sentimental enough to treat you fairly after you gave him what he wanted, my uncle is far less so. He will want no witnesses to his actions, especially not when those witnesses are two reasonably intelligent people. He will have you put to death.”
“I sort of assumed Wessek was going to do that, too,” I told her.
She gave me a nod. “Good luck, Armstrong.” Kiyu’s bodyguard had come over to stand next to her. Kiyu lowered her hand and the lights flickered. “Despite the circumstances in which I depart, ensure that the records I instructed you to locate are turned over to Wessek. My uncle will want to see those recordings.”
She hadn’t finished talking when Vars opened the hatch and hurried inside. “What is the meaning of this?” he demanded. A handful of his guards came with him.
“Your men attempted to touch me and they were armed in my presence. I could have taken their lives for that,” Kiyu turned to face him. “I was just making certain these two continue their work for my uncle. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe I have a shuttle to catch.” She stalked past him, followed by her bodyguard. I couldn’t help but follow her with my eyes, wishing that she weren’t leaving.
Vars glanced after her, then looked over at Ted and I. He came forward, his expression hard. “I have seen the way you look at her,” he snapped at me.
“Excuse me?” I asked in surprise.
<
br /> “You think because you don’t have a gutter accent, because you were born to a nice family, that she might show interest?” Vars sneered.
“No, I think she treated me like a human being, which was nice of her,” I snapped back. Only the presence of his other goons kept me from lashing out at him. I was tired of his bullying and even the fact that I might have an escape was barely enough to keep my anger in check.
“You’re not human, you’re a slave,” Vars scoffed. He gave me a sly look, “She’s going to the Imperial Military Institute, you know?”
I didn’t answer. “Her uncle told my father,” Vars went on. “She won’t have her bodyguard, there. The rules are much different.” He reached inside his shirt and pulled out a folded letter, with a formal seal on the bottom, imprinted in gold. There was some kind of holographic ink worked into the paper itself so it seemed to shimmer and shift as he waved it around. “You know what this is?”
I shook my head.
“This is an acceptance letter. Part of my payment for bringing all this... for killing your family,” Vars leered at me. “In six months, I’ll be attending the Institute, too. She won’t have any protection.” He paused for effect, watching my face, “I’m told that the Imperial Military Institute is a rough place. I’m sure she’ll think hard about making friends and how to keep her friends happy.”
I clenched my teeth, doing my best to keep from lunging at him. After all, Wessek had made it clear that if I tried anything, he’d kill me.
Vars seemed disappointed. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you both will be set free by then.” He gave a nasty laugh. “Probably trying to find your way back to your dust-ball planet, eh?”
I looked away and he laughed louder. He turned away and headed for the door, pausing only to sweep a stack of notes onto the floor. “Oops. You shouldn’t stack those papers so close to the edge. And to think, my father wanted a progress report in the morning.”