Breaking Point

by David Alastair Hayden

  “As you wish, sir.”

  “Promise me, Silkster.”

  “Sir, there’s no point in me promising you. We both know I will do what I think is best when the time comes.”

  “Silky.”

  “Fine, sir. I promise.”

  Siv knew the promise was worthless, but he still wanted Silky to say it. Silky would at least hesitate before breaking his word. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be necessary. Once Kyralla ramped up the difficulty in her simulation, she should come to her senses. And any information the ambassador possessed could surely be secure-beamed to the Outworld Ranger.

  "Sir, they also discussed popping into the edge of the system to create a distraction, if you are fleeing the system and need one."

  Siv considered it a moment then nodded. “That’s okay, but only if we really need one. And do not tell them it’s okay until you must.”

  “Acknowledged, sir.”

  Mitsuki sat up, yawning. “Do we have a plan yet?”

  “Silky wants us to break into a local dealership and steal two skimmer bikes. He values speed and maneuverability at the cost of making it easier to identify us. I would prefer a car or a van.”

  “I’m with the fancy CPU,” Mitsuki said. “Is there any food in the kitchen?”

  “I’m sure there is,” Siv grumbled. He was miffed she’d agreed with Silky so readily.

  She stood and stretched. “Good, because I’m starving, and I don’t want to steal shit on an empty stomach.”

  Siv got up and pulled on his shirt.

  “You really prefer the bike option, Mits?”

  She shot him an icy look. “Do I look like the sort of person who would rather ride into danger in a skimmer van instead of on a bike? I swear, Gendin, sometimes it’s like you don’t even know me.”

  By ten that evening, they were cruising down the highway on high-end skimmer bikes, heading toward Capital City. Siv still didn’t like the idea of using bikes, but he had to admit he was enjoying the speed and freedom.

  The bikes they’d stolen were newer versions of the one he’d owned and lost on Ekaran IV, with improved acceleration and handling. Silky had scrubbed the transponder signals and registry IDs on both bikes and was busy working on software tweaks and safety overrides.

  Reaching the city without getting noticed was going to be the easy part. Finding the ambassador once they got there would be a completely different story. According to Oona, her father had entered wraith space somewhere near the capital. She felt sure he had still been on the surface of Titus II and not in orbit, which shouldn’t even be possible. But even if Oona was right, he might be hundreds of kilometers away by now.

  The hope was to find a scrap of information that would lead them to him or at least clue them in on what might have happened and confirm that Oona's vision was accurate.

  Silky’s plan was for them to drive through the city while he operated the ScanField-3. Silky would search for signs of the ambassador, known enemies, or anything unusual enough to be worth checking out.

  While he did that, Siv was going to sort through the list Silky had compiled of the sort of criminal hangouts where someone went to buy information. And Mitsuki would help Silky research ways to get off the planet once the mission was over.

  They arrived in the city after midnight and split up, cruising the streets until dawn. Mitsuki wanted to hit the criminal hangouts right away, but Silky thought it best to gather intel first. Siv had agreed.

  So they followed routes Silky mapped out for them, routes he promised would allow them to avoid smaller players like the Star Cutters or World Bleeders. Unfortunately, there was no way of predicting when or where Kaleb or the Tekk Reapers would show up.

  While Silky analyzed the scan data, Siv worked on getting a feel for the city. He could go over the criminal hangouts once they stopped to rest.

  It was one thing to study overhead maps and take a 3D tour of a city in your HUD, but it was another thing entirely to get a sense of a place, picking up on details no map could ever convey—smells and sounds, the emotions painted on people’s faces and their body language, how fast they walked from place to place and whether they were ever alone.

  It didn't take long for him to figure out the mood here was tense and brooding as if something dark hung over the city. The cause wasn't apparent. The planet wasn't on the brink of war, and the crime and poverty rates were reasonable for a civilized world. It didn't have anything to do with the ambassador's disappearance either, because that was being covered up. No news reports or statements had been issued. No word at all, as if the ambassador had never arrived.

  “Is it just me or is this place—”

  “Weighed down?” Mitsuki asked. “Like something bad just happened, or is about to?”

  “I don’t give people much credit for sensing things without evidence, what with your gut feelings and all,” Silky said. "But you flesh-bots do have a habit of being right sometimes. Collectively, you can sense fear when danger's lurking about, almost as if you were all empaths."

  After dawn, half an hour apart from one another, they checked into a cheap hotel with underground parking and a cog attendant. Siv was relieved to get a room with two beds for a change.

  “Find anything on the scans?” Mitsuki asked.

  “Not much,” Silky said. “The people in the government who know the ambassador’s missing are staying silent. I’m still working on hacking into their systems.”

  “You haven’t managed that already?” Mitsuki asked with surprise.

  “I’m being extra subtle,” Silky replied.

  Siv sat on the edge of the bed closest to the door. “Anything else?”

  “I picked up some readings on the outskirts of the city, readings that I couldn’t quite pin down. But if I had to guess, it was a cloaked ship. A big one. And not Vega’s.”

  Mitsuki flopped down onto the other bed and cursed. Siv should have warned her it was hard as a rock.

  “Tekk Reapers?” she asked.

  “I’m seventy-five percent certain.”

  “I’ve been going over the list of places for us to visit,” Siv said. “I’ve prioritized them, starting with the one where we’d most likely get killed just for showing up.”

  “You always did enjoy a classy joint, sir.”

  "I found two bars where independent ship captains with not much to lose like to congregate," Mitsuki said. "We should hit them up first thing tonight since they won't be up as late as the crime lords."

  “Think we can find any ships with promise?” Siv asked.

  “Based on the profiles of the captains that frequent these bars, I wouldn’t expect a fast, well-armed ship.”

  “I never expected that anyway,” Siv said.

  “I think something with speed, limited weaponry, and some ability to stay inconspicuous is possible. The price might be more than we can afford, though. All the armed ships in the system are making captains nervous.”

  “Can’t blame them for that,” Siv said. “We’ll just have to find a desperate captain.”

  “Or make one desperate,” Silky said in an ominous whisper.

  “No sign of Kaleeb?” Mitsuki asked.

  “Not yet,” Silky said. “If I weren’t being cautious about getting detected in return, I’m sure I would have found him already.”

  “I think that since we bypassed this ambush, he’ll just wait us out,” Siv said.

  “To see if we lead him to the ambassador?” Mitsuki asked.

  Siv nodded. “It’s what we would do, isn’t it?”

  “I did identify Star Cutters, World Bleeder, and Thousand Worlder ships and agents on the ground, in orbit, and flying sorties above us in unmarked aircraft. I’m tracking them all and making sure we stay far away from their ground patrols and out of sight from above as well as possible. I absolutely recommend avoiding public transportation, the starport, and most food venues.”

  “Is that why you insisted we eat dinner out of the vending machines in the hallway
?” Mitsuki asked.

  “Food is food, right?” Silky replied.

  “Hardly,” Mitsuki grumbled.

  “I’m also tracking two Shadowslip agents who are roaming through the city in a stolen police skimmer. They’re taking pretty much the same subtle tack we are, and I’m certain they have other assets here. I just haven’t found them yet.”

  The start of the second evening saw no change in the actions of the known players around them, and the suspected Tekk Reaper ship remained in place. During the day, while they slept, Silky successfully hacked the Titus II government.

  “The planetary authorities know the Tekk Reapers are here,” Silky said. “They were bought off with money and technologies the planet could, quite frankly, use.”

  "So why are the Reapers hiding then?" Mitsuki asked with a yawn. She was still lying in bed undressed.

  “Because it’s incredibly bad politics for people to know you’re working with murdering tech brigands.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “What about the other groups?” Siv asked as he stretched his stiff muscles.

  “The government knows they’re here too, sir, and has received anonymous payments to fund various programs. And all of the groups have made campaign donations along with outright bribes. You know how the system works.”

  “Even the Thousand Worlders?” Mitsuki sat up. “Surely, they’re not okay with their presence.”

  “The Empire made a large payment to the government,” Silky said. “Remember, Titus II isn’t in the Federation yet, so they’re still a neutral player.”

  “Oona said she believed the Tekk Reapers captured her father when he arrived,” Siv said. “Do you have confirmation on that?”

  “I do, sir. The Tekk Reapers made arrangements with his ambassadorial counterpart to take him by surprise.”

  “So it was an inside job,” Mitsuki said, “and not a matter of the Tekk Reapers taking him and then making payments?”

  “Correct,” Silky replied. “A broker made arrangements between the Tekk Reapers and the Titus II government. He also served as a go-between with the Ekaran IV government and Senator Pashta.”

  “You figured that out from hacking the government here?” Siv asked.

  “I figured if the broker did a deal here then he did a deal there, so I looked into it.”

  Mitsuki chuckled. “Pashta got a bad deal.”

  “He paid off the broker, but the broker then paid a smaller amount to the Tekk Reapers to get rid of Pashta,” Silky said. “I didn’t bother investigating why, but I’m sure it wasn’t hard to find someone willing to pay him a lot to assassinate a senator.”

  “Who is this asshole go-between?” Mitsuki asked.

  “Oh, you’ll both love this. He goes by the name Broker Samson.”

  Siv chuckled derisively, and Mitsuki shook her head and rolled her eyes.

  “Obviously, not his real name but the name of someone who wants you to know he’s a career asshole. I didn’t give researching him the old 9G-x try cause he’s not a concern right now.”

  "If we do make it out of this, I suspect he's going to be a big-time pain," Mitsuki said.

  “Which came first,” Siv asked, “the Reapers going after Oona or the Reapers kidnapping Ambassador Vim?”

  “They timed their strikes to coincide.”

  “So they didn’t learn about Oona from her father?” Siv asked.

  “They found out about her from Broker Samson,” Silky said.

  “Any idea how?” Siv asked.

  “My guess, sir, is that the information about the genetics facility was a lure to catch a messiah, and it worked.”

  “Do you think the information is authentic?” Mitsuki asked.

  “There’s Oona’s vision, plus others no doubt want to find that facility. I’m guessing Vim has info that previous messiah families did not.”

  “Anything else we need to know about?” Siv asked.

  “Nothing pressing at the moment, sir.”

  Mitsuki got dressed. “I’m going to the vending machines. I need to eat before hitting the dive bars. Want anything?”

  Siv shook his head. “I’m going to head out now.”

  “When should I leave?”

  “Wait thirty minutes, Wings. Anything sooner is too risky.”

  “You mean I could’ve slept another half hour?”

  “And miss all this fun chatting? One of you will need to park a block away and walk in when we get to the first bar.”

  Mitsuki paused at the door. “We’re going to need a plan for dealing with Kaleeb. The moment we find the ambassador, and we’re in the open, he’s going to swoop in on us.”

  Siv shrugged. “We can’t take him in a firefight, that’s for sure. Got any more tricks up your silicone, Silkster?”

  "I've got another pulse-wave programmed, sir. Similar to what I used against them before but deceptively different. If it works, it will only buy you a few moments. As before, it's only going to work the one time. And it's the last pulse-wave we can do that will have a shot at affecting them."

  “So if it fails, we’re screwed,” Mitsuki said. “Because he is going to track us down, and we’re not strong enough to beat him.”

  "You'll need luck to escape Kaleeb if he finds you. And you'll need luck to beat the Reapers if they find you. And though the operatives of the other groups aren't as tough, they outnumber us by far, so you'll need luck with them too."

  “We’ll be lucky if we even find Ambassador Vim,” Siv said. “I’ve changed my mind, Mits. Get me a Triple Crunch from the machine, and a Hyper Fizz.”

  She paused in the doorway leading out into the hall. “What are you, a child?”

  “Get me some protein bars too. Just don’t come back without a Triple and the soda. I might as well indulge myself while I’m still alive.”

  Having let Mitsuki take point on selecting this one, Siv had imagined a typically seedy bar on the bad side of town. But when he pulled up, he discovered a solid structure with a fresh coat of paint and no bars on the windows. The neon sign burned brightly without a flicker and with every letter of The Captains’ Favorite fully lit.

  Judging from the outside trim, the words classy and dated came to mind. Those same words could describe the neighborhood as well.

  Siv easily found a spot in the pub’s ample outside parking lot. He locked the skimmer bike with a thumb-swipe and hastened toward the front door, not wanting to be exposed outside any longer than necessary.

  “I’m guessing this place was posh fifty years ago.”

  “By today’s standards on Titus II, it’s still rather posh, sir. Just dated is all.”

  “What was Mits thinking? We’re never going to find a captain we can afford in here.”

  "She thought we should start at the top with the captains who have the best ships available, sir. Below this, the pickings are slim. And when I say slim, think about Oktara’s Bumblebee.”

  “I get that, but we don’t have much time to work with.”

  “Do you have any idea where Ambassador Vim is, sir?”

  “Obviously not.”

  “Then we have time to find a ride, and we should start with the best since finding the ambassador will be—”

  "Pointless if we can't get him off-world. I know. I get it."

  “And it’s worth taking a gamble at the top first. Titus II’s shipping customers may be willing to wait things out, but captains have stations fees, living expenses, crew payrolls, and contracts elsewhere. One of them will shake loose sooner than later and will be willing to take on anyone who can cover their refueling expenses.”

  “I hope you’re right, Silkster.”

  Siv gave the bouncer five hard credits. He didn’t have to, but Boss D had taught him that it was always best to tip the bouncer in case trouble started.

  The inside of the pub actually reminded him of Boss D’s office, only he was certain none of the wood in here was real. A pub upscale enough for real wood would never have allowed S
iv to enter dressed as casually as he was.

  Given the bouncer's scowl when scanning him, he was barely dressed well enough for this place. If they hadn't washed their clothes at the house they'd crashed in, he probably would've needed to give him a much larger tip.

  The scents of ale and fried foods struck him, and his stomach rumbled. But there was a thin, acrid smell that tainted the room, quelling his hunger.

  “What’s that weird scent?”

  “I don’t do smells, sir. You know that. But if I had to guess, it’s the fried sludge eel that’s a delicacy on this planet.”

  According to his HUD, fifty people were inside the pub. He paused a moment just inside the doorway and scanned the patrons. More than half glanced at him then returned to their drinks and conversations. Apparently, no one found him particularly interesting. That was a good thing.

  “Silkster, anything of note? Advice on who I should approach first? I’m thinking about going to—”

  “Sir, I’m detecting a hyperphasic resonance!”

  “You’re detecting what?”

  “A stardrive gives off certain telltale energy signatures, sir. That’s what I’m picking up. In here. Right now.”

  27

  Siv Gendin

  Siv tensed. In the last eight years, he had never heard Silky mention hyperphasic resonances before. It sounded ominous. “Are we in danger?”

  “The resonances I’m detecting are weak, and I don’t think they present any danger to us.”

  “Maybe it’s just noise. Or an accumulation of trace amounts. Most of the people in here have spent years working on starships.” He eyed an ancient woman decked out in a captain’s uniform at the nearest table. “Like her. She’s old enough to have been a pilot for my dad.”

  “If that were the case, sir, then every city with a starport would be swimming in these readings. No, I can only detect these energies if a stardrive is nearby.”

  Realizing he was starting to draw attention by standing in the entrance like an idiot, Siv headed slowly toward the bar. He scanned the room again, looking for a drive housed in a display case or tackily turned into a table.