En Route

by Maksim Malik

  “Oh, do indulge yourself,” Lady Shirui said, a little snappishly. She expected Lamarre to protest, citing duty as an excuse, but was pleasantly surprised when the woman did as she asked without question. Shirui did have to remind herself this was a free woman, not a slave. A slave wouldn’t be in such a position of power.

  Koorax in hand, she felt almost like her old self. She felt herself relaxing with each sip of the drink she took. Grateful Lamarre didn’t want to talk on the way to the prison; it gave Shirui a chance to get her plan in order. She had done thorough research on Feckwell’s life before she arrived and had a decent idea what some of his pressure points would be. Frankly, she felt surprise Fengwa didn’t try some of those angles before imprisoning him. The person in charge of his debts must have been either dense or short-sighted.

  “There it is,” Lamarre said and pointed to a set of small one- and two-story buildings. “The main facility is all underground. Administration is the only thing above ground.”

  “Interesting,” Shirui said, this time sounding engaged in the conversation. “How far deep will we have to go to fetch Feckwell?” she asked.

  “He’s ten stories down,” Lamarre said. “And beg your pardon, my lady, but it would be best if you remained above. We’ve prepared an office for you. Your safety is paramount and seeing a lady of Fengwa might drive the prisoners to attempt to do something, or be radically vulgar.”

  “I see,” Shirui said and thought for a few seconds. “I suppose that’s all right. As long as he’s clean and brought to me.”

  “Showers are a regular part of a prisoner’s daily life, I assure you,” Lamarre said then sipped her glass until it held no more liquid.

  “Good,” Shirui said, taking Lamarre’s cue and finishing her koorax as well.

  The car veered onto an exit and made its way to the prison. When they reached the prison, the car stopped at what Shirui assumed was the main entrance. Both doors slid open, but Shirui remained seated. Lamarre stood out of the car and jogged over to Shirui’s side and offered a hand to help her out of the car. Shirui graciously accepted the help and stood.

  “Follow me, if you would,” Lamarre said and walked toward the main doors.

  Shirui followed close enough behind she could reach out and put a hand on Haydee’s shoulder if she wanted to. The building was unimpressive. A white metallic structure built for function rather than form, it looked garish stretching one-story in two directions to considerable length. She held back a sigh. Of course, it held no frills: it was a prison after all.

  The inside of the building fared better. The holoscreens and viewscreens took up wall space and made it look busy at least. There were also hand-painted paintings hanging on the walls every so often as they traveled down hallways. Some were of people, others of landscapes, star scenes, and planets. Shirui thought instead of making the building seem decorated the paintings only highlighted how little decoration the rest of the building had.

  Lamarre finally stopped at a door. It slid upward, and she stood beside it, waiting for Shirui to go first. Shirui stepped inside with caution, taking time to view her surroundings as she did. The room was set up as an office—a rather empty one. Besides a desk and a cushioned chair behind it there was nothing else in the room, not even a chair for someone else to sit. Shirui walked farther into the room and sat in the cushioned chair behind the desk, getting a closer examination of the desk as she did. It was a standard data desk—Exanet access, some office tools built-in, and the potential for more applications to be added. Versatile.

  After she settled, she noticed Lamarre standing next to the closed door and raised an eyebrow at her.

  “The warden has ordered me to stay with you,” Lamarre said.

  “I see,” Shirui replied. The warden—she would need to deal with him as well. With nothing to do but wait she sent a q-com to Suneeti to find out information about Haydee Lamarre. There was no real reason why but for the sake of curiosity and the fact she could do such a thing.

  A few minutes passed and Suneeti sent her a reply. She skimmed all the usual greetings and examined the details. An exemplary schooling history, age 23, bisexual, single, raised in rank through Fengwa consistently—so far so good. One instance of subordinacy but found innocent in a Fengwa court—interesting. Shirui wondered what happened there. All in all, a good Fengwa officer though.

  It took about ten minutes before Bernard Feckwell entered the room. The guard accompanying him, a brutish fellow, entered with him.

  “Leave us,” Lady Shirui said, waving her hand to indicate both Lamarre and the guard. The guard left, but Lamarre didn’t. Lamarre, torn between two conflicting orders stood stock still for a moment before she realized which order had highest authority, bowed her head at Lady Shirui, and left the room.

  “Dr. Feckwell,” Lady Shirui said, inclining her head by the slightest of margins.

  “Lady Shirui, I presume?” he replied. Feckwell’s appearance was a surprise. He was medium brown with short, black hair, and was had surprising muscles—not as muscled as the brute guard who brought him, but much more she assumed a professor would be. His apparent age was around thirty although she knew his actual age was over sixty. She wanted to reach out and touch him—she hadn’t had a plaything in a long time, as he was quite handsome.

  “Ah,” Lady Shirui stumbled for a moment. “Yes. You do not look like what I expected,” she said.

  “Nor do you,” he said, a dimple showing up on his left cheek as he smiled. “I assumed a lady meant frills and glitz and here I find a Lady Commander ready to pilot.”

  “Quite,” Lady Shirui said, returning his smile. “Let me fold straight to the point,” she said. “I’m here to secure your freedom—”

  “What?” he interrupted, surprised.

  “—with some stipulations in mind,” she finished.

  “I’ll do anything to get out of here,” he said right away.

  “That’s good because as a Lady of Fengwa you know I can do a great deal. Your family is doing well by the way—as much as they can since they’ve assumed you are dead.”

  “I see what you mean,” he said, grimacing. “I’ll agree to anything not only to get out of here, but to protect them as well. I know what game you are playing, Lady.”

  “Now, listen closely, for I dislike repeating myself,” Shirui said. “Firstly, you will provide me with an AI to merge with just like you did to Nadani Jagi several years ago. Secondly, you are to serve me in bed whenever I so choose. Thirdly, you are not to contact your family or anyone else until the job is a success. When the merge is completed successfully and verified you are free to go and do as you please.”

  “Let me reply in kind,” Dr. Feckwell said without so much of a beat between the end of Shirui’s demands. “Firstly, I need a lab with proper materials and supplies available to me. Secondly, this would break the vows with my wife, but I fear I have no choice in the matter. Thirdly, I will do as complied—provided a laboratory is given to me with the appropriate items. The total time to make the AI and implant it will be two sols.”

  “Two sols is not so bad,” Shirui said, thinking aloud. “It may take some time to gather all the required equipment. I assume you can provide a list?”

  “Yes, of course,” he said, nodding his head. “I can provide one once my implants are enabled.”

  “Ah, yes,” Shirui said, tapping the desk with her fingers. “Time to bring in the warden.”

  She sent an open, short-range message querying for Lamarre and soon the woman herself came back into the office. At the same time, she sent a quick q-com to Suneeti once more, reading, “I need a good laboratory. And will need machines and supplies.”

  “Yes, my lady?” Lamarre said, eyes going from Shirui to the prisoner and back.

  “Would you summon the warden for me?” Shirui asked. “I would like to release this prisoner.”

  “That’s highly irregular,” Lamarre said and then shook her head. “But, yes, my lady, I will do so.”<
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  Dr. Feckwell leaned against the back wall around the same time the warden entered the room.

  “Yes, Lady Shirui,” the warden said somewhat shortly. He was average height, bald, and a little plump. “What may I do to serve?”

  “I would like to secure this prisoner’s release,” Shirui said.

  “That’s highly irregular—” the warden started to say.

  “So I’ve heard,” Shirui said over his words.

  “—What makes you think you can do that?” the warden’s anger was obvious in his tone and the pink flush evident on his face.

  “I will pay off the rest of his money owed,” Shirui said, not knowing exactly how much he owed, but it most assuredly had to be a large sum for him to be taken to a Fengwa prison.

  “I will not be bribed!” the warden exclaimed.

  “Good, then I will take him,” Shirui said.

  “You can’t do that,” the warden said, taking a loud, deep breath.

  “I am Lady Shirui Higu,” Shirui said, her voice icy and soft and she stood up and walked in front of the warden. “I will do as I please with inconsequential Fengwa property. Do you know what else they call me?” She raised a hand and extended the needles within the fingertips of her plugsuit all the way. They stuck out about one centimeter, glinting in the light. Each tip was infused with a different type of poison, so she could do several different things to a person depending on the situation or her mood.

  “N-Needles, my lady,” the warden said.

  “Most rumors about me are true,” Shirui said. “Do not stand in my way again.”

  “Of course not, my lady,” the warden said. His sudden fright was obvious as he stared wide-eyed at the needles. Not even the guards would save him should he try calling them.

  “Please, sir,” Lamarre said quietly.

  “Of course, Lady Needles—Lady Higu,” the warden said, clearing his throat. “He is—was—scheduled for a life sentence. He owes Fengwa 3.2 million creds and—”

  “Deal,” Shirui interrupted. “3.2 million creds and you speak of this to none,” she added. She winced inwardly at the sum. She begrudged using her own money to pay such an amount for one man even though her riches far exceeded the amount necessary.

  “Yes, my lady,” the warden nodded his head. Shirui saw the tiniest bead of sweat roll down the side of his face.

  Ah, it feels good to be myself even if only for such a brief time, she thought. She would need to continue to use the name Annabella Summerlin when she left here due to her fugitive status in non-Fengwa Syndicate territory. Dr. Feckwell would need to be informed of her false name.

  “Release his bonds and I will transfer the creds,” Shirui instructed, taking a step backward and hefting herself up to sit on top of the desk.

  The warden walked to Bernard Feckwell and did something to the bindings the wrists which were behind his back. The bindings came free and the warden pulled them away. Feckwell rubbed his wrists and nodded at Shirui.

  Shirui sent the warden the creds, sighing as she spent so much. She knew she would spend more before it was over. Lab equipment and supplies were likely expensive as well.

  “Now how do we get his implants activated again?” Shirui asked.

  “From the desk,” the warden replied. “I can do that here, if it, uh, if it please you,” the warden said.

  Meaning get off the desk, she smiled to herself and hopped down.

  “Go right ahead,” she said. “The sooner this is finished, the happier I will be.”

  “I can go fetch the prisoner’s—I mean Dr. Feckwell’s—effects,” Lamarre said, lifting the tone at the end of the phrase, turning it into a sort of question.

  “That would be fine, Haydee,” Shirui said, using Lamarre’s first name on purpose. Lamarre had been loyal thus far, and Shirui warmed up to her.

  The warden sat behind the desk and made a few quick motions to activate it. Shirui didn’t see what he did exactly, but he finished in less than a minute.

  “My implants are back,” Feckwell announced in a cheerful tone. “My data—it’s still there.”

  “That’s absolutely great,” Shirui said.

  “Is there anything else you require me for, my lady?” the warden asked deferentially. He finally sounded calm.

  “No, nothing so long as my man here is free of the prison in its entirety,” she said.

  “That he is, so I will return to my office. I have a great amount of work to do—I’m sure you understand, my lady,” he said.

  “Yes, yes,” she waved a hand. “Off with you then.”

  The warden exited the room posthaste, leaving Feckwell and Shirui alone together. Feckwell’s eyes were unfocused; he probably sorted through his data he hadn’t seen in years. Shirui spent the time watching him.

  A q-com message flashed across her visual UI. It was from Suneeti Teresi, so she examined it:

  “Lab available at no small cost, coordinates included. Also, curious news about this Nadani Jagi you are interested in: she was injured by CAAI activists on Sarasi station within the last few hours.”

  Shirui almost laughed aloud but a grin did form on her face unbidden at the thought of Jagi being attacked and injured all because Shirui had ratted Jagi out to CAAI on Septiva IX. Who knew how many groups of CAAI were looking for her now? This also gave Shirui a next destination—Sarasi station. Perhaps she would get there while Jagi recovered from her injuries. Shirui unconsciously sucked on her bottom lip, excited at the thought.

  Haydee returned with a small case, full of Feckwell’s belongings.

  Feckwell saw the case and made as if to open it.

  “No, there’s time enough on the ship to look through it,” Shirui said, stopping his investigation before it started. “I believe we’re ready to leave, Haydee. Is there another car waiting?”

  “The same car is waiting for you, my lady,” Haydee said, nodding her head. “Do follow me please.”

  Haydee led them through the administration building back to the entrance. Shirui followed behind her, Feckwell behind Shirui, and the case hovered behind Feckwell now he identified as the owner.

  This time Haydee did sit in the front part of the car while Feckwell and Shirui took the back seat. The trip back to the starport seemed longer than the trip to the prison, but perhaps the lack of koorax contributed to the situation. Lady Shirui certainly would not pour her own. Besides, drinking too much of the beverage was unwise before piloting even if it was as simple as undocking and setting a foldpoint.

  When they arrived, Feckwell was first out of the car, and Haydee next. Lady Shirui waited for Haydee’s assistance, which was prompt again. Haydee offered her hand and Shirui accepted. This time after standing she held onto Haydee’s hand tightly and pulled herself close to the woman, planting a soft, sweet kiss on Haydee’s lips before pulling away. Haydee turned bright red. Shirui chuckled, turned, and walked to Feckwell’s side, awaiting Haydee to catch up and lead them toward Harmonic Essences.

  Central Command Headquarters

  “Remain stationary relative to the station until further notice,” came the response from the docking manager over the main ship’s com. Docking at JUSCCHQ was a mess—the amount of traffic more than a little crazy. The main viewscreen had ships filling the screen traveling in every direction or sitting still like they would have to.

  “Notice the name is redundant?” Dr. Tysgan said, thinking aloud. “Command Center Headquarters?”

  “That’s government for you,” Nadani said over the com, barking out a laugh. She sat in the pilot’s pit.

  “How long do we wait?” Dr. Tysgan asked.

  “It won’t be terribly long,” Nadani continued. “Most of the traffic you see is local—smaller ships without foldspace systems. They are moving from one side of the station to another side where they use smaller docking ports especially designed for them. It’ll probably be fifteen to twenty minutes.”

  “Anyway, if you can’t tell—I’m pretty bored myself,” she continue
d. “And not in a great place. The last time I came here it wasn’t under pleasant circumstances.”

  “Not under pleasant circumstances? What is this?” Dr. Tysgan asked.

  “Remember the man I was with, the JUS agent?” she asked.

  “Oh, yes, the grumpy one,” Dr. Tysgan said.

  “He ended up betraying me on the way here,” Nadani said, shivering at the memory. “He tried to kill me—stabbed me actually. So my arrival here was not the most pleasant.”

  “No, that man?” Dr. Tysgan sounded shocked. “I hope they captured him and put him away for long time.”

  “Not exactly,” Nadani said. “I shot him. So, yeah, there’s that.”

  “I see, I see,” Dr. Tysgan said. “I am horrified you went through tragedy like this.”

  “I still have—” she started to say then cut off.

  “Astromancer SM522-16A, you are cleared for docking, pad T12.”

  “It’s our turn—that’s a surprise. So much for waiting long,” Nadani said.

  “Ah, good,” Dr. Tysgan said.

  Nadani brought the ship in to land at the designated pad. Docking pad T12 was a few levels down from the main floors of the station, but as the ship grew nearer, she realized most of those docking pads were full. This was a busy station.

  Nadani came out of the pit as soon as the ship stopped moving.

  “Do you want to come with me?” Nadani asked.

  “I am coming, yes,” Dr. Tysgan said. “Not sure what good I can say but would like to see results firsthand.”

  “Let’s get going,” Nadani said. “We aren’t allowed to dock her for longer than three hours without special clearance.”

  Dr. Tysgan followed Nadani out of the bridge and down the corridor of the ship to the airlock, and they left Astromancer. They went through the docks to the station itself to a large reception area. The room, cylindrical, had a round desk in the middle with a tetchnan woman and a human man working inside of it. Tetchnans were taller than humans but human-shaped. They had varying shades of pink to red skin, were hairless, and had small to large bumps—up to the scale of a human-sized fist—scattered on their bodies. This one had few large bumps Nadani noticed, and several smaller bumps around her neck more prominently than any other place.