by Sonja Dewing
The Rise of Skye Sunderland, PI: Prelude to Lagrangian Point Space Station
Sonja Dewing
Copyright © 2020 Sonja Dewing
Cover art by Leslie Reilly
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this story or cover may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author’s express written permission.
This story was written during the Plot Duckies ™ Short Storyathon ™
A patron of the open air mall walked by. Skye wondered if he was a drug dealer or buyer or maybe just someone out enjoying the newness. She had tracked down the drug smuggling to this new mall. It was a rebirth of normality after the long and bloody faction wars. She tossed back a quick drink from her flask then tucked it in her pocket, determined not to drink anymore today.
The mall was THE new thing. Skye and her best friend Anna had talked about it last night over a couple bottles of wine. That, and the fact that their old gymnastics coach had been caught in a scheme to create children genetically altered to be better at the sport. Faster, stronger, better. That’s what everyone wanted now.
Anna had tossed her long red hair back and laughed. “That coach was too intense. Remember when he told you that you weren’t skinny enough?”
Skye had nodded. That comment from the coach had set her up for a lot of problems.
Anna had continued, “Do you still use those uneven bar set ups?”
She had nodded again. “Yes. I do when I have the time.”
Skye’s attention was yanked back to the present when a woman dropped a stack of shoe boxes, shoes spilling out all over the walkway. Skye watched the woman pick up shoes for a moment before resuming her scan of the shoppers. Some people walked up to the store windows, slid their card in a slot, and received their pre-ordered merchandise, while others were more old-fashioned and walked inside for hands-on shopping. Meanwhile, Skye tried to sort them into lawbreakers and law-abiding, but felt this was a little demeaning.
Chasing down smugglers worldside wasn’t her idea of an interesting job, but lately it was the only type of job she was getting. She had that beautiful new ship with AI controls, so she could travel to any space station or other planet right now, but here she was stuck on her own planet. Plus, whenever Skye returned from her space travels, she and Anna would go on a planetside trip somewhere--to reground her to the “real world” as Anna called it. Skye could complain about the assignments, but she didn’t want to get special favors.
She had the flask at her mouth before she even realized it was in her hand, but went ahead and took a long drink and eyed the cigar store’s window. Not only did they have some of her favorite cigars, the store window advertised a flask that could refill automatically using rematter tech. She’d never be without her liquid gold.
She considered getting online and buying it when one of her suspects passed in front of her. Everything about him said former military, from his tight haircut, to his walk, down to his black boots suitable for trekking through jungles and stalking through space stations.
She was about to follow him when someone next to her said, “Skye Sunderland, Private Criminal Investigator for the Walkow Faction, 5’3”, blonde, and -”
“- dangerous,” she added for him.
“Yep, that’s what I was going to say.”
“Look Dan, I need to follow someone.”
Dan Millard, head local peace officer and occasional colleague, nodded toward her suspect who was now window shopping at an art store, eyeing a painting depicting Chicago prewar. “If you start following him now he might get suspicious. Besides, I have a detective following him.” He nodded at a woman, pushing a stroller and stopping to purchase sunglasses. “By the way, there used to be a time where I couldn’t sneak up on you.”
She shrugged, “Getting old at thirty, I guess.” She shelved that thought for now, she didn’t like the idea that she was slipping. “Why are you following him?”
He shook his head at her. “A new ‘Thread’ drug is in town and you don’t think we’d investigate? There have been four deaths just this week from this stuff. We need to get it off the streets.”
“How do you think they’re moving it?” she asked.
“You’re guess is as good as mine. But the fact that he comes here every day means there’s got to be something going on here.”
She received a message from the cell chip in her hand. All it said was ‘Update’ from an unlisted number.
The Wallow faction was anxious for her to wrap this one up fast. The faction was probably more upset that the drugs were being sold without them getting their tithe than they were about the actual drugs. She’d personally see if she could destroy all of the drug before anyone else got their hands on it. She couldn’t fight the machine, but she could throw some wrenches in once in a while.
She’d answer them once she had anything. “I haven’t really explored much of the mall. Have you discovered anything?”
He shook his head then tilted his head. A sure sign he was getting a message. “No. Got to go. See you around Skye.”
He walked off in the direction of her suspect and his detective. Something in the back of her head told her to go the other direction, and so she did. Her suspect, Tyler, had come from the other end of the mall. Maybe he had already made a drop, or a sale and was heading home.
She walked to the other end, looking over store fronts, taking in a deep breath as she passed the chocolate shop, but not seeing anything suspicious. There was a mixed bag of people shopping. A few had potted plants in their hands, others had art, a few others bags of clothes. Then she got to the underground parking entrance.
She walked through the garage, floor by floor. Nothing suspicious there either. When she reached the bottom floor, she was headed to the elevators when she saw a young man walk out of a door. He was looking around suspiciously so she ducked behind a van before he looked her way. When she peeked out again, he was walking away and the door he had walked out of had disappeared.
She approached the supposedly blank wall and pulled out her gadget. Knife, wine opener, and hologram disrupter. Within seconds she had found the door, and used her lock pics to unlock it.
On the other side of the door she walked into a vast open room. There were enough thread hanging from racks to dope up the whole of the city. It smelled of strong chemicals and sugar. Long strings of the glittery purple drug, attractive to the younger crowd because of its gaudy look and apparently it tasted sweet. On shelves across the room were potted plants. Skye walked up and inspected them. She pulled a plant out from its pots and found the drugs, wrapped in plastic.
There was a plant shop up top. That had to be how they got them out of the mall.
If she destroyed all of this thread, it might hurt the case that Dan had against the culprits, but the thought of anyone getting hold of this, young kids getting high on this stuff, getting addicted, she pulled out her flask and took a drink.
It would take too long to go to each hanging drug and destroy it. Someone could be coming back any minute.
She grabbed a rubber glove from the manufacturing table, then ran around the room, gathering all of the thread, took it with her out into the garage then threw it into a rematter chute. She threw the glove in after it. That felt slightly satisfying.
With that destroyed, she headed back upstairs. Outside the exit from the parking garage, Dan was looking frustrated.
She nodded toward the store. “Plant shop.”
“Are you sure?” He asked.
Her brows wrinkled together at that. “Excuse me?”
“Just asking, Skye. I can’t have my guys go in there without knowing for sure.”
“Follow me.”
She led him into the plant shop. The door chime dinging as they entered. The place was packed with plants. No hint of chemical smell, just dirt and flowers. The pots ranged in color from blue to pink, but none green like the ones downstairs.
She approached the counter. Behind the counter, a young man with slicked back hair and thick glasses left his laptop and walked up.
Skye shined her brightest smile. “I’d like a plant with a green pot.”
“Oh sure. We keep those in the back. Hold on.”
She looked back at Dan. If this store clerk had any sense, he’d know Dan was a peace keeper. He’d go in that back room and then disappear into the mall if there was a back door.
Apparently he did not have any sense, at least not enough to leave. A few minutes later he came out, and three other men came out with him. Their eyes raking over Dan and Skye.
“I understand you want a green pot?” one of the men asked.
“Yes. I love the flowers you guys have, but I really need a green pot.” She knew they wouldn’t give her what she wanted, not with Dan there, but their strange behavior had probably convinced Dan that they were up to something.
Dan stepped up to the counter. “Look. She wants a plant with a green pot. Bring one out.” Two of the men moved closer to the counter, their steely gaze not moving from Dan.
One of the men went in the back and indeed brought out a green pot. Empty of everything and handed it over. “There. You just pick out the plant and we’ll move it into that for you.”
She took the planter and nodded. “Thanks. Come on honey. Let’s pick out a plant.” She moved from the counter and pretended to look over the choices. As they turned the corner of shelves she glanced into the pot and then showed it to Dan.
Some of the edible glitter that they used to attract kids to the drug was scattered on the bottom of the pot. Didn’t they know that glitter was so hard to control that scientists called glitter a global hazard?
The buzzing noise that normally came from weapons being charged was their warning. Skye and Dan stayed behind the plants and had their phasers in their hands.
“Come on out and let’s finish this.” The man who had handed her the pot said.
Skye and Dan continued backing up toward the door. she could see them over the edges of the plants, which meant they could see them too.
“But I haven’t picked out a plant yet,” Skye responded.
She saw the phasers pointed their direction. Both her and Dan shot at the same time, taking down two of the culprits. The other two ducked behind the counter.
Three more men came out from the back of the store, one of whom, a big guy with a thick neck and about six feet tall, kept coming. They fired at him, but he moved quickly, somehow getting missed. He came around the corner of the shelves and leveled his phaser at Skye’s chest.
Dan yanked her with him out the door and they dashed out into the open space of the mall while the plants took a hit behind them.
The big guy was right behind them. He pulled the door open and started shooting again. Dan and Skye dropped behind a trash and recycling receptacle, but it wouldn’t last long. It would probably melt within minutes.
Someone from behind Dan and Skye started firing, one of his detectives probably. Then phaser fire was coming from everywhere. The doors of several stores, the detectives. Shoppers were screaming and running for cover.
Skye dashed across the open space to a cement water fountain. As she ran, she saw a red headed female shopper fall after being hit from a shot meant for her. Skye stopped in her tracks. Someone knocked her down from behind.
Dan’s voice from far away, “My people have taken out most of the shop owners that were firing at us. And they’re closing in on the plant store. We should be safe here shortly.”
She pushed him off of her and crawled to the woman on the ground. In the old days she would have shot that big man. Fast and furious. Instead, she had delayed because of her sluggish brain.
And now, Anna lay on the ground. She must have decided to come check out the mall after their night of drinking and talking.
Skye checked her pulse. Nothing.
She stood and nothing mattered but the tears that would never bring her friend back. She took her flask out of her back pocket and started to open it. This, she thought, this was the problem. She let it fall out of her hand and she walked away.
Dan called out to her trying to hand her the flask. “Hey Skye, you dropped this.”
“I don’t want it.”
He walked up and whispered, trying to put it in her hand. “We both know you can’t handle anything without it.”
She gasped and shook her head. “That’s why I don’t want it anymore.”
***
When she arrived home, the first thing she saw was a picture of her and Anna, two kids arm in arm in gymnastics uniforms smiling ear to ear. She grabbed it and threw it across the room. The glass fell into tiny shards. She turned off the robot before it could start to clean it up. She went to the liquor cabinet next.
She didn’t have a yard, just a balcony overlooking the newly built city. So she took the bottles into the bathroom. Holding onto the necks like clubs she slammed each bottle into the bathtub. Each crash making her more angry. The splatters of alcohol and glass everywhere. When she was done, she shook her head at yet another bad decision. The room now reeked of alcohol and she could really use a drink.
No, that was wrong. She didn’t want or need a drink.
She kicked the bathtub and walked out, stripping her splattered black pants off and tossing them into the laundry chute. She changed into some soft pants and switched out shirts. She didn’t know what to expect, but she wanted to be comfortable for what was to come.
Two hours later she was sure she could handle it. The alcohol had to be out of her system, right? Then the headache started in and everything else fell apart.
***
She knew her personal struggle had been more than personal. A couple of times she had been aware of someone in the house, they had turned on the cleaning robot, which had cleaned up her vomit, and they had left food for her to eat and had taken the photo of her and Anna out of the broken frame and left at her bedside, and one time she was sure someone had administered something to her. Probably why she felt slightly less like dying. With a chip in her hand the faction knew where she was, everything she ate, down to everything she was or wasn’t drinking.
She figured it was time to call her uncle and make this official. The phone was ringing.
“Walkow Faction Headquarters.”
“Is Kevin Sunderland there?”
“One moment Miss Sunderland.”
***
Two days later she received a message from the unlisted number.
“There’s a situation at a space station. Do you want to take it?”
“Send me more information please.”
Luckily, the faction cared about results and she had taken care of a thorn in their side. One more set of villains vanquished. She would move on, without her best friend, and see what good she could do in the world.
***
One year later at Lagrangian Point Space Station
Skye shook her head as the station fire alarm sounded and people scrambled for the casino exits. She knew they weren’t getting out. The exits were covered by steel fire doors.
Skye also knew there was no blaze. The Faction had kept the recent thefts out of the news blasts in order to protect their profits. The thieves M.O. was using the fire systems to effectively shut down space stations. Her job was to catch the thieves, quietly.
She had thought Lagrangian Station might be their next target. This station wa
s not far from the others that had been hit. If only the robbers had given her a little more time; she had been on a craps winning streak.
She removed her card from the casino table reader. No sense leaving behind her winnings.
A woman nearby asked a passing waitress, “Does this casino have an engine? I mean, is this one capable of separating from the rest of the space station in case of fire?”
The worker shook her head. “Sorry, not this hunk of junk.” She added, “But we do have air processors just for the casino. We’re safe enough in here until help arrives.”
Skye knew that was wrong, too, and if she didn’t stop the thieves, everyone on this station would be dead.
She needed to find a way out of the casino and fast. She spotted the manager on the casino floor. She walked to the back of the casino and slipped inside his office, locking the door behind her. Being a private Criminal Investigator, she knew a lot of secrets. The office would have an exit, although it too would be secured with a steel door.
She looked carefully around the room. She had seen exit doors located in both the floors and the walls, usually hidden, used by the casino manager to take winnings to armored ships.
“Yes!” She spotted a rug with one corner still turned up. Being in the floor meant the exit would connect with other emergency corridors in the station, making it easier for her to get to the culprits.
She threw back the rug and opened the panel that controlled the door. She pulled one end of the wires out.
She glanced around the room to find something she could use to power the door open and spotted an industrial paper shredder. She used her knife to take it apart. In seconds, she had separated the motor from the shredder basket and connected the wires from the exit door panel to the wires of the small motor.
The door inched slowly. Skye paced and glanced at the manager’s photos of family. To be out here on a remote station running a casino, he had either done something really bad that he was running from or he was trying to escape the tyranny of the Factions. Either way, he and his wife and kids were on board. She wanted to make sure they survived.