Edge World

by Michael Guinn

  “Can I help you girls,” he said.” My name is Vann Onn”

  “Oh,” Tamara exclaimed. “Are you any relation to Chief Onn?”

  “Oh, no,” he exclaimed. “Maybe just a far distant cousin. We don’t adopt the names of our parents. They give us a first name to be called by when we are born but we chose our last name when we become adults, I just liked the name Onn. You will find lots and lots of Onns in the village.”

  “We want to go to the village but don’t know exactly how to get there,” Kristina said.

  “Have you ever been there before and do you know anyone there?”

  “Yes,” Tamara put in, “we have been there several times but always in an aircar with Mom. And we do know the Chief, somewhat, and Ethan Onn is our cousin.”

  “Cousin? You do look a little like one of the tribesmen to me now I think on it.”

  “Well, we are half. Our father was a medicine man but died before we were born,” Tamara said.

  “He didn’t either just die, he was killed by other medicine men,” Kristina hotly denied.

  “In any case, the village is not too far from here but you definitely don’t want to try and walk it in the dark. Even in the daytime you wouldn’t want to walk it if you could avoid it.

  “How do the villagers get home at night from her,” Tamara asked?

  “The only ones that go to the village from here at night either work at the terminal, on the riverboats, or came to the tavern to drink. In which case they use an aircar, or a ride in someone’s aircar. Except for the drunks. There is a barracks just a ways behind the tavern for the drunks who can’t cadge a ride with someone sober. But you don’t want to spend the night there, even though a few female drunks do. There is a watchman, paid by the village, to keep peace there. Tell you what, I still have a little business to finish up at the tavern. Come with me and when I am finished, I will fly you to the village.”

  Tamara and Kristina hastily agreed. It was just beginning dawn on the two girls in all of the excitement of the attack at home and then the hasty departure that they really didn’t have a clear plan of what they were going to do. Oh, they would try and talk to the Chief about their Mother and Charlie, but then what? Well, with the innocence of youth, they decided to just take one day at a time. The girls followed Vann Onn into the tavern. Vann Onn indicated a booth near the door where he wanted them to sit while he ambled over to talk to several riverboat men at the bar. After several minutes a server walked over to the booth and placed two glasses with slightly orange content before them.

  “Oh, we didn’t order anything,” Tamara said.

  “You have to be drinking to tie up a booth. In any case your friend already paid for them,” the server said as he walked away.

  The twins dawdled over their drinks, which had a pleasant citric flavor, wishing their benefactor, if that was what he was, would come and get them. After what seemed like an hour, and was actually less than half that, Vann walked back to them and escorted them back out the tavern door.

  “Do you girls have someone that you could stay with tonight” Vann asked.

  “We had thought that we would stay with Ethan since we are relatives, of a sort, but we don’t know exactly where he lives,” Kristina said. We thought there might be a hotel or inn or something.”

  “There isn’t any place for travelers to stay; they really don’t encourage outsiders in the village. Tell you what, I had planned to go to the village since I am off for a few more days. My wife would be over joyed to have you two spend the night with us. She will have stayed up since she knew when I was due to arrive. Our kids are all gone now to school off planet and I know she misses them in the large house we live in. Then tomorrow I will help you find your cousin.”

  The twins silently put their heads together for a minute, then they quickly agreed. Vann led them around to a small parking area not too far from one of the dark warehouses. On one corner of the area they saw a well-worn aircar to which they were led.

  “This aircar may look worn and beat-up, but it flies like a bird, Vann promised them. “When I was a kid, well, more like a juvenile delinquent, I could take aircars, or actually any kind of machinery apart and put it back together like new. Eventually I was forced to outgrow such past times but I still have those skills. But of course I am all legal now.” Vann gave the girls an evil grin.

  The aircar gave a smooth purr that nearly put both girls to sleep although the ride only lasted about ten minutes as Vann had promised. His wife, Therme was up and didn’t seem to be the least fazed by her husband dragging home two very young and very pretty girls. Therme instructed a helper to straighten up the guest room while she bustled around the kitchen serving hot herbal tea and large slices of homemade bread. Tamara and Kristina ate quickly and with eyelids drooping, thanked their host and hostess as they followed the helper to twin beds. As fast as they could undress and climb into bed, they were asleep.

  “Well, and what have you caught in your net this time?” Therme asked when they had sat down with fresh cups of tea.

  “You don’t know them.” Vann said. “Yeh you probably haven’t seen them very often. Their Mother keeps them pretty much out of the light. That’s Tamara and Kristina Santos.”

  “What! That’s Captain Santos’ daughters?” Therme asked in a strangled voice?”

  “In the flesh, Mother Mio.”

  “What are they doing here at this time of night? And without their Mother?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine,” Vann said. “They didn’t volunteer any information and I wasn’t going to ask any questions that might scare them off. They have been here before and have at least one cousin in the village. They did say something about needing to talk to the Chief so something big is brewing. It might have something to do with that gang of young renegades but I don’t think even they have any ideas about what they want.”

  “Could it be something regarding the riverboat trade? I have heard grumbles from other tribes about how we monopolize the river trade?”

  “Captain Santos would never have let her girls come here alone for something as important as the riverboat trade,” replied Vann. “I think they are looking for someone or something. I know the comm system is down due to the static so I will send a runner into Atlanta City and have her tell Captain Santos about her girls being here.”

  *****

  Ronald and James woke early, as was their custom, and decided quickly that they had to do something. Getting off the island without help seemed impossible. They had searched the whole island looking for a possible aircar, without success and had worked all the previous afternoon working on the communication equipment.

  “It is obvious,” Ronald said, “that this was very carefully planned. Even without the recent storm the next shift out here isn’t due for another week, and there is no guarantee that something won’t happen to them also.”

  “What do you have in mind,” James asked? “We haven’t found any way to communicate except turning off the system completely. And we haven’t even found out how to do that.”

  “As I said yesterday, we have no way of telling which electronic device is causing the static. But I still think we can figure out the power source. We just need to keep looking. I sure wish one of us had taken some communication classes but it is too late now. If we do find the power source and completely shut down the system, someone is going to notice and send out a crew to fix it.”

  “Sure, and what happens if they are ambushed the same way we were? I think your idea of turning the system on and off. I read in an old tape that there use to be a signal to call for help. A series of long and short pauses. I think I remember the pattern, and in any case it is a worth a try.”

  “And exactly who do you think would recognize such a code,” Ronald asked?

  “Somebody might and in any case it will be very noticeable. More so than just comm system silence which they might consider a mechanical problem, probably also responsible for the static that has
been on the system.”

  “Ok, ok, we will do it your way if we figure how to interrupt the power. I can’t see how it can make matters worse. Let’s go try again to find out how we can turn something off.”

  The two officers returned to the main control area where they had spent hours the day before, again amazed at all the electronic and optic devices that controlled two complete communication networks; the commercial one and the one restricted to the law enforcement agencies. It took several more hours before they found what appeared to be the main transmission line providing energy from the small fusion plant buried deep under the station. There wasn’t anything like a connection plug but rather two switches on the transmission cable. One switch was green and the other red.

  “I am guessing, but if we press the red switch it should cut the power,” Ronald said without much enthusiasm.

  “That is my guess too,” James replied. Go ahead and press the red switch.”

  “Why me? You press the switch.”

  “Listen, the whole idea of cutting power was yours, so you get to press the switch the switch.”

  Somewhat nervous, Ronald pressed the red switch.

  *****

  Investigators Townsead and Yugoslav sat in the coffee/santee shop around the corner from OSI headquarters planning their next move.

  “The forensic crew are going over that warehouse with a fine-toothed comb,” said Sgt. Yuri said, “But I don’t expect them to turn up anything that we can use. I am positive that the remaining members of that research team have been hiding out in that warehouse.”

  “I totally agree,” Tracy replied, “but why were they there, why was Ja’haal murdered in that warehouse, how high in the Traders Association did someone know about this whole thing?”

  “What have you told Captain Santos regarding what we found, Tracy?

  “I haven’t told her anything. She left with Sgt. Onn two days ago with the intent to question Sue’s father, Chief Onn about the caravan attacks. She hasn’t been back since. The staff seem concerned, particularly since communications are currently unusable. I think we need to pull in some of the Traders Association’s and get a better grip on this case.”

  “Let’s go over to their headquarters and see what we can stir up. I doubt that we will get to see Erickson, at least right off, but better to start at the top than try to work up from the bottom.”

  The headquarters of the Traders Association wasn’t in the warehouse district but rather took up most of a very large business building in central Atlanta City. Yugoslav had been in the building several times on various missions, but it was the first time for Townsead who was properly impressed.

  “This place is huge,” Tracy said, somewhat awed. “What do they do that takes up so much space?”

  “There are a lot of caravans working the trade routes plus keeping track of supplies, orders, shipments to and from Edge World. It is a giant machine although I am sure there are a few relatives holding down make-work jobs,” Yuri answered Tracy.

  They entered the building through forced air doors, something Tracy always hated. There were several men and women working at desks and counters. Yuri and Tracy decided to approach what looked to be the most important of them.

  “We would like to speak with Jacob Erickson, please,” Yuri asked the young man.

  “And you are…?” he replied.

  “Investigators Townsead of OSI Yugoslav of the City Militia,” Tracy said as they both showed I.D. and badges.

  The receptionist did not seem overly impressed, but remained very polite.

  “I am sorry but President Ericson is out of the City at the present time.”

  “When do you expect him back?” Sgt. Yugoslav asked.

  “He won’t will not be back for several days or perhaps longer. Is there someone else that can help you?”

  “Who would be able to answer some questions that is actually here now.” Sgt. Yuri asked?

  “I can check and see if Martin Morris would be willing to talk to you. He is Vice-President in charge of operations and could probably answer any questions regarding our caravans although Michel Sorenson is the Financial Vice-President. If you will wait a minute I will try and reach Mr. Morris.”

  While the receptionist worked under a sound screen, Tracy took a moment to look around at the fabulous reception area. Within several minutes, a well dress young woman came through one of the many doors at the rear of the reception area to stand by Townsead and Yugoslav.

  “Patricia here will escort you to Mt. Morris’s office,” the receptionist said after shutting off the sound screen.

  Without a word the escort turned and walked through a different door, with Townsead and Yugoslav following. Past the door they stepped on a beltway taking them deeper into the building.

  “I would have though a vice president would have an office on the upper floors,” Tracy whispered to Yuri.

  After what seemed like a mile, the escort stepped off the beltway to a closed office door. She placed her palm against a panel to one side of the door and the stepped back as the door opened, indicating the Officers should enter. The room was not particularly large for an officer of a corporation as big as the Traders Association, but all of the walls were covered with screens and holographs that made it seem much larger. A neatly dressed man in a high-collar tunic in a somber hue sat behind a large desk completely covered with reports, fiber comm units, and info discs. Mr. Morris was of middle years; Investigator Townsead guessed at sixty or so, with hair so dark as to be almost black, a rare pure color in this day and age. He indicated two chairs to the side of his desk and turned so he was facing them.

  “Good morning, Officers, how may I help you on this fine day?” His voice was a smooth baritone and he spoke with a slight smile on his face.

  “I understand that you are in charge of operations of this organization. Is that correct,” Investigator Yugoslav asked?

  “Well, I oversee operations but it takes hundreds of staff to keep operations running,” Morris replied.

  “We are interested in a warehouse owned by the Traders Association at coordinates G-12 here in the City.”

  “Just a moment, Sir,” he replied as he touched one of the screens on his desk. “Yes, we do own that building but the space is leased out to several organizations for use of off-planet storage.”

  “Does your organization use any part of that building in any way?”

  “It doesn’t appear we do at this time. But that can change from week to week. We have over two dozen buildings of one type or another in the warehouse district.”

  “Do you or anyone here monitor what happens in the buildings you lease? Particularly the one so noted?”

  “Unless we are using space in a warehouse we do not monitor what other organizations do with their leased,” Morris replied. “And I think I said we have no space in the building you are asking about.”

  “Don’t you required identification of usage when you sign a lease?”

  “The other organizations are required to state how they are going to use the leased space at the time of contract signing, but no one really checks up on them.”

  “Then can we get copies of all the leases for that building,” Sgt. Yugoslav?”

  “I am sorry, but all leases by our organization are private. I cannot even name the different lessors,” Morris said.

  “A person has been murdered in your building so we will get a court order if necessary. Nothing is confidential when we are dealing with a homicide,” Investigator Townsead said, the first thing she had said to Morris. She was watching the body clues from him.

  Morris’s face turned bone white and for a moment he seemed unable to speak. Finally he seemed to recover from the shock.

  “Murdered… you mean killed. In our own building. Of course I will give you any information you want and that I can provided. Other lessors. In our building…It is hard to believe. Just a moment.”

  Morris hit several screens on one of his device
s and then a small flash drive popped out onto his desk.

  “Here is all the information on anyone that leased space in the building at G-12 from the day it was built. Is there anything else I can do to help?”

  “Just roughly, and I am sure it is on the flash drive, how many different organizations currently lease space in that building,” Sgt. Yugoslav?

  “Most of the leasing is done by one of the managers so I really don’t know, but I would guess, based on the size of the building, that there would be four to six leasers.”

  “So, there are up to six keys to the building, would you say?”

  “Oh, more than that. Each group has several of its people with keys and there are times when the building is not locked, at least in the daytime.”

  What a way to run a ship Yuri thought.

  “If you come up with any reason why some one was killed in your building, give us a comm,” Yugoslav said while picking up the flash drive and sticking it into an evidence bag. There may be someone else in to interview you. We will see what turns up.”

  Both Officers stood and started for the door, which opened as they approached. The young lady who had escorted them to Mr. Morris’s office was standing there waiting to take them back to the reception area. Neither of them spoke to each other until they were in Yugoslav’s aircar.

  “Morris knew about the murder in that building before we quizzed him about it,” Tracy said.

  “I agree, although he is a great actor,” Yuri replied. “I am betting this flash drive will be missing a name or two, but we really don’t have the evidence to charge him with something. I will bet that the missing members of the research team has been staying in that warehouse ever since they disappeared on us.”