by Matt Novotny
A door on the far side of the lobby opened, and an elSha waved in their direction. “Hey, Jackson, you ready or what?”
“Remmy Bouchard, meet Oberon, security wizard.”
“Not my real name. Security,” confided the elSha. “Come on back.”
Oberon led them through a maze of rooms to a glassed-in office that looked as if the entire interior had been molded out of driftwood. The elSha gestured toward a couple of what could be considered chairs while he climbed up into his workstation.
“What’s that?” he said pointing at Rains’ package.
“It’s for you.”
Rains set the package on a work surface, and Oberon opened it with his claws.
“Ha! You remembered!” he said, sticking his snout into one of the bags of candy-coated chocolates and munching happily. He held the bag out. “You want?”
Rains shook his head.
“All yours,” said Remmy.
“What can I do for you, Jackson?”
Rains gestured at the room. “Can we?”
“Oh, sure,” the elSha said, making the glass go opaque. “All set.”
Rains pulled out a small elSha anti-listening device and turned it on.
“Standard equipment?” Oberon asked. “Remind me to upgrade that for you before you leave.”
“We need to talk to you about the job you did on Kleve for the Peacemaker Guild. I know it was some time ago, but—”
“Those fuckers at Redzone!” barked Oberon. “Should have listened to me. Instead, they screwed up my entire design: business logic, ease of access. In a supposedly secure system! Leave it to a bunch of Cochkala bean-counters to prioritize profits over what needed to be done. I wouldn’t say it to anyone else, Jackson, but—” He suddenly stopped and stared at Remmy. “He okay?” Oberon asked Rains, not taking his eyes off of him.
Rains nodded. “Remmy is consulting for me.”
“Fine. Like I said, those fuckers at Redzone wanted a one-size-fits-all approach that just doesn’t work when you have independent silos in an encrypted, secure system. Just the fact that the silos share a language, let alone keys, is enough to…” Oberon carried on, bringing up a holographic interface with a series of diagrams and code snippets. Rains was out of his depth almost immediately. Remmy looked like someone had just handed him the keys to Nirvana.
Maybe someone just did, Rains thought.
“May I?” asked Remmy, pointing at the display interface.
“Sure,” Oberon said.
“Okay, cher, but what if you…” Notes started to appear on some graphs as Remmy ran through some of the displays, apparently accessing them through his pinplants.
“Doesn’t work that way,” chided Oberon. “See this…” And the two of them were off again.
An hour later, Rains was bored but hopeful, and Remmy was ecstatic.
“Well, Remmy, do you have what we need to correct the problem?” Rains asked.
“And then some. We’ll be just fine,” Remmy said confidently.
“Just to cover the bases, Oberon, can you give me a copy of the fix? I want to make sure things are done right,” Rains said.
“Here you are,” said the elSha. Rains’ slate beeped. He stared at the file in the message. It had the same encryption the Peacemaker Guild used.
“Thanks again,” he said.
“Come by anytime. Feel free to bring Remmy!” said Oberon.
Rains and Remmy left silently the same way they had come in, both absorbed in their own thoughts. Once they were in the lift Remmy turned to Rains.
“You know that lizard may be the smartest person I ever talked to. If some of the people I know ever got ahold of him it could be bad. Real bad.”
“Oberon is one of the best.” That’s why the Peacemakers pulled him out of Redzone and got him placed with Bridgwater.
“Now to get a shuttle to the planet.” Remmy got his bearings and headed down a corridor.
* * *
Bartertown, Karma
Remmy moved through the crowded gambling floor with Rains trailing behind him. He spared a glance for the Peacemaker, watching as Rains scanned the place for threats.
No stranger to dives, then. Maybe cousin Amos was right about the guy.
Remmy liked Rains, but, despite some things Amos had told Remmy about Rains’ past, the guy sometimes came off as a stiff. He had that bearing that screamed “Authority Figure,” though a lot of that melted away without the uniform and the badge. Still, he had to admit Rains could hang it all out there when it came down to it, and he hadn’t flinched when Remmy had laid out how far off the path they were going to have to go.
Rains’ friend Oberon had been a hell of a surprise. The little elSha was the type of being that just wanted to solve problems and left the consequences for other people to worry about. Some of the code he’d shared with Remmy was going to come in handy.
They had grabbed a bite after their meeting, then geared up. Light armored bodysuits that fit under regular clothes would take care of most small problems, knives, claws, bites. Most of the races on Karma packed a lot more firepower, and anything big enough to defeat it would probably crush them to jelly anyway. Remmy led them to a store that was in one of the more affluent sections of the station. The sign said simply “Tassem’s” and was run by a silent Veetch who took the credit chip from Remmy, nodded, and took them to the back of the shop into a room with a terminal, racks of samples, and a holographic imaging booth.
“Where we’re headed, cher, is all professional. So, once we’re in, business is business. On the other hand, the place we have to go through to get there is rough, so expect them to test us. Don’t hold back, ‘cause they won’t. Image is everything. I’ll be the playboy looking for forbidden kicks,” explained Remmy. “You will be my loyal bodyguard. With me so far?”
“Seems straightforward enough. If I’m a bodyguard, why don’t I just wear my BAMF armor?” Rains asked.
“‘Cause who wears BAMF armor?” Remmy asked rhetorically. “Mercs and Peacemakers. If you had pinplants, we’d get you juiced. Boosted reflexes, something. But you ain’t so we have to make do. The point is to not look like you. Think of it like Carnivàle.” At the confused look on Rains’ face, Remmy tried, “How about Halloween?”
Remmy selected a suit design, punched something into the terminal, then checked the sample presented. “Oh, yeah, that’s nice.” He stepped into the booth. Lights played over him as it took his measurements, then he worked the console, and one of the cabinets went ding!
He held up a suit jacket and pants that were a medium gray shot through with silver threads. “Tortantula silk,” he said. “You like?”
“Nice,” said Rains, feeling the fabric. “Tortantula silk? Is that even a thing?”
Remmy shrugged. “I don’t know; ask your friend Tavvi.”
“How does this place even know what a Human suit looks like?” asked Rains.
“Tassem has wares if you have coin,” said Remmy, grabbing a shirt the color of bright blood, a pair of boots, and a belt, as well as a walking cane topped with a heavy brass ball out of the closet.
“Your turn,” Remmy said.
Rains stepped into the booth and had his measurements taken. Remmy looked the display over, then started working the terminal. Rains got pants of what felt like some type of leather and a jacket of the same material, both reinforced in vulnerable areas, and a soft form-fitting shirt, all in black.
“Hmm. Not there yet. Have a seat.” He ran a device over Rains’ head, then his face. He added what he was using to Rains’ pile. “Depilatory on one end, follicle stimulator on the other. Have a look.”
Rains checked the mirror. Remmy had shaved his head and given him a tight goatee. “You need these, too.” He handed him a pair of wrap-around glasses that fit like a glove, as well as a pair of earbuds. As soon as Rains put the glasses on, he had a heads-up display.
“Now you look like a badass. What’re you using for sidearm?”
; “My 1911.”
“You don’t want something more powerful?” Remmy asked.
“Can that thing make ammunition to spec?”
“Sure can. Sample there—” he pointed at a plate, “—specs here.” He put something into the terminal then handed Rains a small tube with three luminescent dots. “Put those on your sights. The glasses will give you targeting data.”
Rains pocketed the dots for the moment and input his ammunition specs, then applied the microchips to his sights while they waited. Another ding and a small box of ammunition appeared. Rains took a few minutes to swap out two clips with the new ammunition.
Remmy looked at him skeptically.
“If I need more than this, we’re dead anyway.”
“All right.” Remmy rubbed his hands together with a huge grin on his face. “Showtime!”
That had been three hours ago. They spent that time pretending to drink and gamble while they waited for Remmy’s contact to show.
Remmy finally spied his contact with a group heading for a back area of the casino and tagged them for Rains.
“Time to go,” said Remmy.
“Hey, you won!” the dealer announced.
“Call it a tip,” said Rains, taking up his station behind Remmy.
The two followed the group down a dim service corridor. As soon as the door to the casino closed all sound abruptly ceased. They turned a corner and found themselves facing two Jivool, with a door about 20 feet behind them.
The first Jivool, sporting a broken canine, gave a broad smile. “You lost?”
Remmy tagged him Snaggle. The second had fur covered in glitter from brushing past the entertainers. Remmy tagged him Glitter. He gave the pair his best smile. “Not at all. We have an appointment to see Sandy. I saw her saunter down this direction, so I thought it best not to make her wait.” He held out a card with a hefty credit chit. “Our invitation.”
Snaggle took it. “You see that?” he said to the other Jivool, holding up the card. “That’s nice.”
“Yeah, real nice!” said Glitter.
“But you see, Sandy didn’t say anything about an appointment. Maybe I’ll have a word with her, and you come back tomorrow,” Snaggle said.
“Yeah, tomorrow,” said Glitter.
“I’m afraid that won’t do,” Remmy said. “I’m on a tight schedule, and Sandy has my deposit. So, I’m gonna have to insist.” He was annoyed the tension was bringing his accent out after he’d worked so hard to conceal it.
“Insist, huh? I’ll show you insist!”
Snaggle lunged forward and swiped one long, clawed paw, not at Remmy, but at Rains. The Peacemaker ducked under the swing, then caught the Jivool with a heavy kick to the knee that landed with an audible crunch!
Remmy backed out of range and slammed his cane on the floor, filling the hallway with the thunder of a flash-bang, which was filtered out by Remmy’s pinplants and Rains’ glasses and earbuds.
Snaggle groaned and fell to one side. He grasped at Rains, knocking the Peacemaker off his feet just as Rains drew his 1911.
Glitter, less dazed than Snaggle, spotted the gun, dropped to all fours, and charged at Rains with a roar.
Rains rolled to a knee and put three rounds into Glitter’s chest and two to the head. One round deflected off the Jivool’s thick skull and ricocheted down the corridor, but the rest hit their mark. Glitter’s roar scaled up to the high-pitched throaty scream of an animal dying in agony as he thrashed on the floor, frantically digging at his skull. Brilliant white light erupted from his wounds.
Snaggle pushed forward and caught Remmy with a blow that bounced him off the corridor wall. Remmy rebounded and rammed his cane into Snaggle’s open mouth, breaking off the other canine. Then he triggered the taser imbedded in the cane. Snaggle convulsed as electricity played over his head and mouth before dropping to the floor.
Glitter stopped thrashing. The flicker of light from his wounds was joined by the smell of burnt fur and cooking meat.
Rains stepped over to Snaggle, ready to put him down if he so much as twitched.
From the door at the end of the hall came a low, gravelly voice, “That won’t be necessary. Do you have an invitation?”
Remmy picked up the card from where it had fallen and grabbed his credit chip for good measure.
“We wouldn’t be here otherwise. Are you Sandy?”
The HecSha gave a crocodilian grin. “Sandy will do, yes. That would make you Remington. Please join me. This should only take a few minutes then you can be on your way. Excuse the amateurs. It is so hard to find good help these days.”
The HecSha stumped toward another room.
Remmy looked at Rains. “What the hell did you use? I know I said not to hold back, but damn!”
“Jacketed sodium magnesium rounds,” Jackson said. “Vani—ah, my partner turned me on to them. She always said to bring the heat.” Grief flashed across his face.
“We need to work on our communication,” Remmy said.
* * * * *
Chapter Fifteen
Survey Ship Ptolemy
Kleve System
Jackson and Remmy circled each other in the workout room. Both had their hands up. Jackson flicked a jab at Remmy, and it was slapped aside. Remmy lifted his left foot for a kick and Rains side-stepped.
“Where did you learn hand-to-hand?” Jackson asked. “You have a strange style.” He ducked a punch and brought his knee up to block a roundhouse kick. He smiled at Remmy’s grunt.
Remmy circled around. “I picked it up here and there. The Haulers have a pool to choose from. Plus, I’ve had to deal with more than my share of jealous boyfriends.” He spun low and caught Rains in the back of his thigh with a heel kick, knocking him off his feet. Stars blossomed in his vision as Rains tagged him with a back fist as he fell.
Both of them lay on the floor, recovering, and the ship’s intercom chimed. “Prepare to re-enter normal space,” the voice announced.
Both men scrambled to a sitting position by the wall next to their gear and pulled on their boots. They had barely finished when the universe hiccupped and they were back in normal space.
The hum of engines starting up added a bit of microgravity, but even with that they made sure to strap on the rest of their gear as they made their way to the bridge with the clop, clop of their magnetic boots. They stopped at the hatch.
“Permission to enter the bridge, Deck?” Rains asked. While Captain Cargill didn’t care much for protocol, his first officer, Deck, preferred to observe some of the forms, though he stopped short of wanting to be called “Mister.”
The Pendal looked their direction. “Granted.” He manipulated a display with his left two arms while working the piloting controls with the right two. “It’s good you’re here, Rains,” Deck said. “There is a corvette bearing down on us. If they follow procedure—”
“Attention unidentified ship,” a translated voice came over the speakers. “This is the Peacemaker corvette Flower in Sunshine. You are in restricted space. Identify yourself and state your business, or you will be fired upon.”
“As I was saying, they’ll want to know who we are.” The first officer watched Rains with one eye.
“If I may?” Rains pointed at the communications stud on the captain’s console.
“By all means,” Deck said.
“Flower in Sunshine, this is Peacemaker Jackson Rains aboard the Ptolemy. I am on Peacemaker business authorized by Selector Hak-Chet. You should be receiving our transponder code now.” He released the comm switch and glanced at Remmy. “Let’s hope that bureaucracy moves slowly.”
“Ptolemy, please maintain course and speed.”
They waited several minutes. Communication lag was infinitesimal at such a short range. Remmy started to fidget.
“Take it easy. They’re probably verifying with the station,” Rains said. He crossed to a vacant chair by the bulk
head and relaxed.
After several more minutes they got their response. “Ptolemy, proceed to Kleve station. You will be given instructions there. Flower in Sunshine out.”
Jackson smiled. “There you have it. Deck, please take us to Kleve.”
Remmy grinned. “Laissez les bons temps rouler.”
“Let’s go get things finalized,” Jackson said. “I’d like to go through this one more time.” Rains got up. “If you’ll excuse us?” At the XO’s absent wave, Rains headed for the hatch, followed by Remmy.
Once they were in the corridor headed toward their cabin, Rains continued, “We should run through the processes and interface taps again. I want to make sure we can do this in our sleep.”
Remmy shrugged. “Y’all worry beaucoup. I have the spikes here in my kit. You just get one of these near a port, and I’ll be inside like I’m visiting your sister.”
Rains stopped suddenly. “You visited my sister?” His fists were clenched, and he glared at Remmy.
“Ah, no, uh, it’s an expression,” Remmy stammered.
Jackson’s expression broke into a wide grin. “Gotcha.”
Remmy relaxed. “You asshole. You know I’d never be inappropriate with your sister.”
Rains smirked. “Yeah, there’s no way.” He turned and kept moving down the hall.
“You don’t think she’d like me?” He held a hand to his chest in mock indignation.
Rains barked a short laugh. “Nah, man, I don’t have a sister.”
Remmy stared at Rains incredulously, stunned that Rains had hooked him like a redfish. “All right, mister funny pants. Let’s talk about what we might run into when we touch down.”
The pair worked until a tone signaled atmospheric entry.
As soon as the all-clear sounded, they both shucked their harnesses, grabbed their gear bags, and headed to the ground hatch.
The whine of hydraulics serenaded the pair as the ramp was lowered. They had timed their landing for early evening. Their section of the starport was deserted. With the Peacemakers pulling most of their operations off Kleve, there weren’t a lot of personnel for security sweeps. Besides, they had already transmitted Rains’ credentials. Few in the guild would want to cross a Selector.