Mike Plested’s office was austere. The space was certainly large enough, but there were no decorations or comfortable furniture. He was a man that thought on the move. Motion was a near constant for him, much like a shark. Four tables just above waist height held vid screens, models of the station, images of the processing plants and mining operation. Some of them were actual physical models, others creations of light. As they entered he moved from one to the other, tweaking things and thinking out loud.

Music that owed a great deal to the Asian continent on their planet of origin, played in the background, nearly sub-audible. There was also a man speaking in a language she didn’t recognize. Lucky stood watching him and waiting to be acknowledged. That was the protocol and as much as it rankled her, she knew that it would do no good to buck it.

Finally satisfied with whatever it was he was doing, he looked up. “Ah, Ms. Goldstein, a pleasure to see you again.” There was a slightly manic twinkle in eyes that were so brown they were almost black. He crossed his arms. “Jeff, give us a moment alone, would you?”

A swirl behind her was the only acknowledgment that the order was obeyed.

Lucky walked over to one of the tables and looked at a hologram of the processing plant. It was there that they took the gases from the planet below and turned them into the stuff that allowed man to cruise the stars. It never ceased to amaze her.

“So, Ms. Goldstein, I’m glad you made it back to our home. I’m guessing that your latest adventure went less than smoothly.”

Lucky frowned slightly. It wasn’t a surprise that he had caught wind of it already. The information network at his fingertips was considerable. The frown came more from his insistence on using her last name. Her father’s name on his lips wasn’t something she cared for. “Unfortunately, no.”

He came around to the other side of the table from her. “A shame, but that’s the way of business.” The orange light from the model glinted off his silver hair. “I’m just glad that you’re safe.” Anyone who didn’t know him might take his concern as genuine. “You’re in a dangerous business. Maybe you’d like a place in our company. We have a new station we’re putting in place next year and they need a security chief.

She wrinkled her nose at it. Being a corporate cop didn’t appeal to any part of her. Sure in theory it would be safer, but working along side a man like Plested, and in her experience most corporate men were just like him, was not her idea of a dream job. That and it would mean she was out of his hair. “I appreciate that Mr. Plested.” She tried her best to hide the contempt for the offer and the man. She wasn’t sure that she had covered it quite as well as he did his. “I’m perfectly happy doing what I do right her. This is a great base of operations. There are some great people here too.”

A divot between his eyes deepened, the nearest thing his face would come to a frown. “Indeed there are. Well.” He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “I called you hear for more than a job offer. It seems there was a little unpleasantness here tonight.”

“Really?” She cocked her head, genuinely surprised by the tack that this conversation was taking.

He clicked his tongue. “Now Ms. Goldstein, don’t play innocent with me. There was an altercation between you and a few of my employees.”

That’s why he called her here? “Oh that. Yeah it was pretty unpleasant. Your employees need to learn some manners. I saw fit to teach them.”

“Those men will be out of work for a few days thanks to your lesson.” His voice didn’t raise an iota, but the temperature in the room dropped three degrees. “I’m within my rights as the head of this station to put you on the next shuttle out of here.”

Lucky put her hands on the table and leaned in. “All due respect to your position.” Her own tone heightened the chill in the air. “Those men had it in for me and a friend. Had I not stood up to them I would likely be the one out of commission. Permanently. And truthfully, isn’t this a matter for Asplund to handle?”

“Ordinarily, yes. Believe me, were it anyone else and I would have him do just that. The truth is, given the… relationship you two have I decided that it would resonate more if the message came from me. You have gone too far this time. Whatever those men had in mind for you and your friend is your word against theirs. Naturally given our history and the fact that these men are my employees and employees in good standing I might add, I am inclined to believe them.”

She bristled. This whole thing stunk to highest heaven. The trio in question weren’t anything like the model employees he described. The idea that the chief security officer would compromise his morals because of some sort of relationship issue was equally ludicrous. Richard didn’t bow and scrape to this man any more than she did. Thankfully the company did do one thing right. The CSOs weren’t directly under the station chief.

Still, as bad as this smelled he was right. He would be within his rights if he played it this way. Mae and Kent could squawk, but she’d tell them not to. She paused for a moment. He hadn’t actually given her her walking papers though. There was more to this. He had hedged in a few places.

“So what do you want?” She stood and crossed her arms under her breasts.

His eyes flicked momentarily down.

Surely he doesn’t? No, sex wasn’t it. For him that would be more about the power. He would enjoy dominating her in that way, but he wanted to defeat her in some other way first. She waited for his answer.

“I want a favor to be named later.” He locked eyes with her. “You’re mixed up in something interesting. I don’t have all of the details, but I do know that there is a lot of money tied up in it and somehow I’m going to get a piece of it. So when I call in my marker you’ll do it. You don’t and you’re out of here, off my station. Fight me on this and it might get ugly for us all.”

Things were suddenly getting even more interesting. If he had caught wind of what she was involved in then there were some bog things at stake. She already knew that there was a big deal around these shipments, but more than that there was something deeper than just a few thousand Vregonian embryos. The fact that Plested didn’t know the details, if he was telling the truth, was even more interesting. There wasn’t much that went on here that he wasn’t privy to. Even more interesting was his last statement. If he was really willing to go to the mat on this one, then there was blood in the water.

She nodded. “One favor to be named later.” She reserved the right to refuse of the favor was too much, but she kept that to herself. She did have a sense of honor and even if the favor in question was somewhat excessive she’d still do her best. A promise given to a man like Plested didn’t trump her life or her dignity.

The placid face moved again, this time surprised. “Very well. For now your place on this station is safe, but no more incidents or I may forget myself.”

“Now there’s something I need to do.” She began to walk from table to table scoping things out. She wasn’t comfortable with where all this was going and the motion kept her from thinking about it too much. She wondered if this was why he moved constantly. The guilt couldn’t catch up with you if you moved fast enough. “I need to pay a debt.”

“Hmmm. I see. Mr. Minkus’ debt I presume?” He practically purred. “He does owe a considerable sum. Do you have the money on hand? I won’t take a marker from you or shift his debt to your back. Cash only.”

She nodded. “Oh I’ve got it.” Absolving Dave of the debt would take nearly all of the liquid capital she had, but it was there to be used. “I can transfer it to your accounts whenever you’re ready.”

“You’re a good friend, Ms Goldstein. A better friend than he deserves.” Plested moved to one of the tables and retrieved a small glass full of dark liquid. He sipped at it.

Lucky was excellent at reading folks. She thought she detected a note of jealousy in the man’s voice. “I guess that’s for me to judge Mr. Plested, not you. Maybe you’d have friends like me if you weren’t,” such a snake, “so closed off.” She wasn’t sure that her spoken words were any softer than the ones she thought.

“I like the friends I have well enough, thank you Ms. Goldstein. I’ll take those funds now.” He waved a hand at the table and pulled up a number. “Transfer them to this account.”

Lucky pulled the e-harp out and used it to get him the money. It was easy enough to go through the motions, but watching the numbers change pained her a little. Dave would pay her back every cent. “There you are.” The smug look on his face as the money showed up under his control made her skin crawl. The amount was probably nothing to him. This whole business left her tempted to pull up stakes anyway. There was no way she would though. She’d stay here just to spite him, though there was more to it than that.

“A pleasure doing business with you Ms. Goldstein.” He extended a hand to the door. “Now if there’s nothing else I have some business to attend to.”

“No. That’s all I have, for now.” She walked to the door and it opened as she approached. Jeff waited for her on the other side. The door slid shut behind her as the killer escorted her out. This time she was careful to stay abreast of him. She doubted he’d cause her any trouble since it sounded like his boss wanted her to continue drawing breath, but better safe than sorry.

He didn’t say a word as he walked with her out of the building. When they reached the exit door he stopped. “You should join up with us. I could use you.”

The thought of working with Plested or someone like him made her skin crawl. The though of working with Jeff nearly made her want to vomit. The various connotations of that final sentence weren’t lost on her, though his tone of voice was neutral. “Not today Jeff.”

“Maybe not today, but soon. You’re gonna need to make a decision. Either you stick with the kinds of friends that just milk you dry, the week, useless ones. Or you find some real kindred spirits. Maybe you and me can’t ever be friends, but you’re like me. Got a killer’s eye. Riding security is a waste of your fine abilities.” His eyes crawled over every inch of her.

“That’s a decision for me to make, Jeff, and I’ve made it. Nothing you or your boss can offer will change that.” She worked hard to keep her tone as flat as his.

“Don’t know ‘bout that. If the boss calls in his favor it could mean a change of heart is called for.” He smiled, a disturbing sight.

It surprised her a little that he would risk eavesdropping. Why would Plested ask the man to leave if he knew that his office was bugged? So she could be pretty certain that he was doing it without the boss’s knowledge. On the one hand that didn’t seem smart. Still a hired killer like Jeff could never assume that his employers had his best interest in mind. The kind of person that hired a man like Hite wasn’t exactly a font of loyalty.

“We’ll see. Now be a good little cur and head back to your master.”

Jeff balled a fist. He wasn’t used to taking abuse like that and letting the person live. His smile disappeared replaced by a hungry look. “Be glad you’re wanted in one piece for now.”

She didn’t wait for him to finish the thought, if there was even any more to it. She left the lobby of the corporate offices and as soon as she was out of site began double timing it for Mae’s. There was a lot to consider and not much time to consider it in.

This time she actually made it all the way back to the bar. She was exhausted. Her nerves were more than a little frayed and she was ready for a good night’s sleep. Mae’s was at its lowest ebb. No one paid her presence any mind.

Once in her room and changed into some comfortable bed clothes, she crawled between the sheets. It was so good to be home, even if the circumstances were far from ideal. Sleep wasn’t long in coming and mercifully there were no dreams.

Once everything with the station security agent was cleared, and Lucky knew that in spite of them being let go this was not the last she would hear about it, the two ladies resumed their walk to see Aces. She was a little surprised to be taken to a flop house, little better than the coffin sized cells in the detention center. His ordinary place of residence was quite a bit more upscale. This was a good place to lay low though. They didn’t cost much, spacers where the typical residents and Bifrost didn’t encourage ones with little money to stay any longer than necessary. They weren’t exactly picky about getting your right name so long as you had a method of payment, Finally they charged by the hour so if you did have to leave in a hurry you only paid for what you used.

Each unit was one meter high, one and a half wide and two meters long. They were double stacked on each long hall and there were three floors in this unit. Over all there were six hundred units. She knew there were permanent residents that lived here too. She couldn’t imagine it herself, though if all you needed was a place to crash and maybe heat up a meal or watch something on the station net, there were worse places to live. They were clean, though somehow everything managed to feel grimy.

Kim led her to a top unit on the first floor. A red light on the outside indicated that the occupant was at home, telling the cleaners to skip it and letting any potential thieves know the same. Lucky nodded at her to let her know to push the buzzer. She did, and after a few seconds the door popped open. A pleasingly aromatic smell wafted out. Aces had been cooking. He slid out of the hole and landed feet first on the deck.

Dave “Aces” Minkus was well dressed in a navy and white suit. His jet black hair was a little sleep mussed and his slightly slanted eyes had that fresh from a nap look. He and Kim were close in height, be Aces was almost painfully slight. Lucky knew that was a little deceptive. The man could take care of himself in a scrap, though he preferred to talk his way out. At first he only had eyes for his lady, but then he noticed Lucky.

“Uh… hey there Lucky.” He nodded a little sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand. “Good to see you.”

Lucky stood there quietly. She found that silence was a wonderful tool for softening someone up. After a slightly too long pause, she spoke. “Hi Aces. I think you’re forgetting something. Don’t you mean it’s good to see me… alive?”

Aces looked from her to Kim and then back to her. His glance toward his betrothed was a little peevish. When met with a ‘what do you want me to do?’ shrug, that look melted. He knew Lucky better than quite a few people and understood. “I’m not gonna deny it Lucky. It is good to see you alive and unhurt. When you left I had no idea…”

Lucky cut him off. “That’s part of the problem. You should have had some idea. And if It was that sketchy you should have let me know. I recall the words ‘piece of cake’ and something about babies and candy’. I should have smelled something off at that point, but I trusted you. Was that a mistake?”

He rounded on her, hackles raised. “Now look here, we’ve worked together for years and never, not ever have I steered you wrong.” His anger didn’t hold. “At least not on purpose.” He knew as well as she did that this wasn’t the first questionable call he had made. It was, to his credit, the first time in a long time though.

“Look me in my eyes and tell me there were no warning bells in this deal for you.” Her dark eyes widened, demanding honesty.

His own gray irises locked on her and stayed there for a full fifteen seconds. Then they slid to the ground. There was a loud thud and he listed to one side briefly. His hand flew to his right shoulder and he turned to look at Kim. “Owww. What’d you do that for? That hurt.” It wasn’t a whine. For his faults, Aces wasn’t a whiner. There was some genuine pain there though. She had gotten him in a good sucker punch.

Kim’s voice was sharp. “You know damn well why I did that. You put your friend in harms way. If you treat her that way, how’re you going to treat me?” The question ended on a hurt tone.

“Now Kim,” Lucky couldn’t let her beat up on him too badly, “in his defense and to steal his next words from him, I’m an old pro. I should have asked a few more questions. I’ve been in this business in one form or another since he popped out of his mother. I think he’d take care of you as well as any of us are truly able of taking care of someone else.” She backhanded him on the other shoulder, eliciting another yelp of pain, more surprise really. “But I’ve taught you better than that. You communicate to me any reservations you have about a job. At least give me a chance to do some of my own intel.”

Aces stepped back, well out of reach of either woman. His eyes were resigned. “You’re right, of course. I was stupid. I thought that this one would be an easy one. The money was good, really good, compared to what it seemed to entail. That did set off an alarm, but I needed the money.” He took another step back.

Uh oh. Something else was going on here. “You needed the money, why?” Lucky’s eyes narrowed to slits.

He took another step back. “There was some trouble.” He took another step back.

Lucky didn’t move forward an inch. She saw what he was doing. She squatted and looked at the ground between Aces’ feet. Her forearms rested on her thighs. She could have her baton out and extended in a flash. She didn’t want to assault a friend, but there were to many things at stake right now, not the least of which was her neck. His too probably depending on who was behind all of this. “So talk to me about this trouble.”

Kim looked back and forth between Aces and Lucky. “Yeah baby, tell us about the trouble.” She moved toward him, intending to comfort him.

It was too much. Aces took a double step back. He wasn’t cornered. The stairs where only a few meters away. Beads of sweat popped to the surface of his skin. His eyes darted around. Then, realization seemed to come to his eyes. His shoulders slumped and then his body followed. He was on his knees in the next second. His hands cradled his head and his fingers splayed in dark hair. He wasn’t crying, at least there were no sobs or visible tears.

Lucky stayed where she was and watched Kim move to comfort her man. After a minute or two of shushing, platitudes, petting and patting, she came to her feet. “Tell us about the trouble Dave. It’s important to know why you put me, your fiancee, yourself, and everything you and I have worked for in jeopardy.”

Kim’s eyes flashed over to her. She was now in full on ‘defend my man’ mode. “You’re not interested in me or in him. All you care about is your reputation.”

Lucky hated to be wrong, but she was really beginning to reassess Mae’s hiring process for these new girls. The ones that had come on in the early days were generally bright and hard workers. Maybe that had colored Lucky’s perception of this particular one. Because she wasn’t all that bright. “Kim. I’ve know Mr. Minkus there a lot longer than you and I could argue a lot better.”

Kim gasped.

“No, no, no. He’s not my type. I just mean when you’re in a partnership that’s based on the sort of business we’re in you get to know a person pretty well. He has to know what I’m capable of so that he can pick the right jobs for me. I have to trust that he has my best interests at heart so that I feel comfortable letting him find jobs for me. So far it’s been a very lucrative partnership.” Her eyes went to the suit. It was a little thinner and threadbare than the clothes the man usually chose. He had always been a flashy dresser. He was also missing some of his favorite jewelry. She took in her surroundings and then cast her mind over what Kim had said. “Money trouble. Dave, what have you gotten yourself into?”

She took four long strides forward, stopping short of the couple. “Help him up. I want to look in his eyes again.” She wasn’t angry. Okay well that wasn’t entirely true. Emotions were complex things. She was certainly angry that he had done something so incredibly stupid as to put money troubles in front of their respective reputations and well being. So yes she was angry, but more than that she was concerned. If he had money issues why hadn’t he come to her for help. He knew that she had plenty. It was probably nothing more than stupid pride, something she herself certainly wasn’t immune to. Still, she wanted to hear it from his mouth.

The tone wasn’t to be ignored. Kim helped him to his feet and Aces stood, damp faced and managing to meet her gaze.

“Tell me Dave.” Her tone was softened. The haunted look in those eyes demanded it as much as her own had earlier demanded answers.

“It’s stupid.” He stopped. A firm squeeze form Kim got him started again. He nodded. “Gambling. I started gambling about six months ago. I had this system all worked out and rolled most of my savings into it. It worked the first few times and then the bottom fell out. I panicked. Borrowed some money and tried to get back on top. Then that was gone. This job came along. No questions asked and there was a lot of money. It would have been enough to pay off my debts and restore some of what I lost originally. I jumped at it.” He spewed the words out and would have deflated had his substantially endowed girlfriend not kept him up.

Gambling was certainly pretty stupid, Lucky nodded. “How much are we talking here?”

“A million.” His eyes went through the floor.

Lucky’s moth dropped open. That was certainly substantial. Mid six figures was usual and then they would split it. After expenses she managed to put away a comfortable amount and as far as she knew so did he. That didn’t make sense though. He had told her before she left that her cut on the job was going to be two-fifty. They always split fifty-fifty. That meant he was holding out on her in a major way. Another thought occurred to her. “You were going to skip out on me, weren’t you? Collect the money and jump before I got my cut?” She balled her right fist.

He nodded slightly.

“That’s why you were bugging Kent so much. You wanted to know the second I got back, right?” The temperature of her voice dropped several degrees.

He shrugged. “I had to Lucky. But there’s … more.” He looked up.

“Go ahead.” She said it through gritted teeth. Any matronly feeling she had for the man were an icy ball in the pit of her stomach.

“Well you know how we’ve got insurance on you, right?” His eyes went back down. “I tripled it a few weeks ago. I figured either way I’d be covered.” His last words were barely audible.

It was Lucky’s turn to step back. “You double crossing son of a …” If she didn’t step back she would hit him. They had both agreed in light of no real family or significant other that he should be her beneficiary. It didn’t hurt her feeling any. She’d be dead and he would benefit. Besides, it hadn’t been a whole lot of money. Then she heard his last sentence for real. “You bumped my insurance up to?” She whipped around and planted her fist into the nearest metal wall. Thankfully it was pretty cheap construction and was really low grade synthetic covered by even thinner metal. The resounding crunch didn’t come from her hand, thankfully. His face wouldn’t have faired any better than the wall had. It had been quite awhile since she had taken her anger out on an inappropriate inanimate object or against a friend. She felt like she made the right choice.

Kim let Aces go and ran off the way they had come from.

Aces just stood there, looking for all the world like he was awaiting the noose.

“Well I’m back and I’m alive and the cargo is under the control of the Vregonians. I’m guessing that you didn’t negotiate for us to get paid even of the cargo was lost?”
He shook his head so weakly, she wasn’t sure she really saw it.

“So we get no money and you’re still in the hole for at least a million?”

He swallowed thickly. “Well we might see some money If the ship’s insurance comes through, but that would just be a per diem for you. Wouldn’t amount to much. Our real payment was based on delivery.”

She walked over to him and grabbed his jacket. It threatened to give away. She hoisted him to a near attention posture and put her lips inches from his face. “Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to pay your debt. I am going to forget for the moment that you were a complete fool and we are going to continue to work together. Once we get past this mess, we are going to reevaluate our personal and professional relationship. That may be a painful experience for both of us. Do you understand?”

He nodded, looking completely bewildered. “But… but… Why?”

She let him go and he worked hard to stay upright. Looking down on him literally and figuratively, she answered his question. “Thanks to this little job that you set up, the whole crew is being held by the Vregonians. I barely managed to escape.” She was sticking with their cover story for now. It pained her, but there was no way she could trust her ‘partner’. “I need two things. One I’m going to restore my reputation after this little escapade. Two I’m going to figure out a way to get that crew rescued. So here’s what’s going to happen. We’re going to tell the people who we did this job for that their cargo was compromised. Please tell me you didn’t know what it was?”

He shook his head.

“I was guarding a shipment of their eggs or embryos or whatever through their space. They were not happy. So we’re going to tell the people you got the job from that we know. We’re going to see if they have any other shipments for us to guard. You are going to do whatever you need to to make that happen. You’re also going to find out who they are. Here again I’m guessing you don’t know that either?”

He shook his head again, looking more miserable and a little confused. “Why would you want to do another job for them? Especially knowing what you know now?”

“Oh, I have an angle. You let me worry about that though. I’m guessing that these people will have another shipment.”

He nodded, looking grateful that he knew something useful at least. “I was in touch with them recently. They wanted a status update. I was able to bluff them off. It didn’t surprise me that your ship was running silent. I didn’t know what the cargo was, I swear.” He swallowed again. “But I figured it was illicit, somehow. Don’t know if they’ll know you’re back, but since I don’t know who they really are… There’s no way to be sure.”

“Fine, whatever. Make contact. Make the deal happen. Just tell me who you owe the money to and I’ll settle your debt. Once you’ve got the deal hammered out, you come meet me at Mae’s.” She paused and looked at him meaningfully. “And this should go without saying Dave, but don’t run. Do this thing and we’ll be square. Make me have to track you down again and I’ll remember what I’m trying very hard to forget.” She didn’t think he’d be able to make it off the station without her hearing about it. She’d talk to Kent as soon as she got away from Dave and tell him to keep an eye on all outbound for the man. She hoped that fear or remembered friendship would make that unnecessary.

“Okay. Lucky. I… I’m sorry. And thanks.”

“You’re welcome. And I’ll forward you a few hundred to get some decent clothes and a real place to stay. You’re not going anywhere until this whole thing’s over and while I’m away you need to line us up some real, legit jobs so that we can get your money back to the right place. You’re gonna make that Kim and honest woman.” A smile tried to crawl back on her face and almost made it.

He looked at her, uncertain. “Do you think she’ll have me?”

“I don’t know why she would. I know if I were her I wouldn’t. Then again, at you’re best, you’re handsome, charming, and apparently good in the bunk. That’s enough for some women. And I’m forgiving you, though I know I shouldn’t. So who knows. What I do know is it’s gonna take a long time to get anything like the trust you had before back up again. Think on that while you’re getting this straightened out.”

He nodded. “Thanks. I will.” His voice was low, thoughtful without being cowed. Then his face shifted. There was a look about him that Lucky didn’t much care for. “Now, on to the unpleasant part. You want to know who I borrowed the money from.”

She nodded and steeled herself for the news. Whatever it was she doubted she would like it any more than he apparently did.

“Plested.”

Lucky unleashed a particular colorful swear. After a pause she repeated it, letting it roll off her tongue.

Mike Plested was the boss of Bifrost. The station was by no means a democracy. He was the company’s representative and was equal parts mayor and chief executive officer. She and Mike had a history. He didn’t like anyone that didn’t kowtow. She didn’t like his disregard for what she had begun to hope was common human decency.

Thankfully she had friends on Bifrost, influential friends. They couldn’t really keep him off her back entirely, but if he pushed her too far or kicked her off the station, they could make life difficult for him. Mae’s establishment was popular among the visiting dignitaries, kept the miners happy, and brought a fair amount of jobs and revenue. Kent knew where some major bodies were buried, literally and figuratively. Lucky didn’t want to use them and she never pushed things so far that the two had to get involved, but their presence was a diffusive buffer between the two powerhouse personalities.

It made sense really. Plested was the only person on the station that really had the liquid cash that Aces needed.

“Sorry, Lucky.”

She shook her head. “It’s okay, Aces. You did what you had to do.” And it was. She would go and pay him the money. She wouldn’t like it one bit. The thought of lining his pockets with the usurious interest he was charing was only balanced by the notion that she was helping a friend. “And I’ll do what I have to do.”

The use of his nickname broke a little bit of the ice that had formed in the air. He held out his hand. “I will. I’ll see you tomorrow at Mae’s.”

Lucky took his hand and the two friends hugged. It was brief, broken early by Lucky. She ordinarily wasn’t one for extended displays of affection, particularly in public.

She nodded. “Alright.” And with that she turned and walked down the steps to street level.

A few mintues later and she was about halway back to Mae’s. She picked up the tail quickly. A combination of light foot traffic thanks to the lateness of the hour and absolutely no vehicles made it easy. Of course the person wasn’t really doing anything to conceal himself. It could be done by a pro.

She stopped and spun on one heel. She wasn’t terribly shocked by the person her quick movement revealed.

“Lucky.” The tall dark haired man nodded at her. Blue eyes, hooded by the respect of one predator for another, bored into her searching her for any obvious weapons. He wore a long black coat at least three hundred years out of style. She knew that he also wore at least two slug throwers and a beamer, along with a hadful of other weapons underneath it. Jeff Hite was Mike Plested’s right hand man. He did any dirty work necessary and probably a piece or two of unnecessary work as a hobby.

“Jeff, I can’t tell you how good it is to see you.” Her tone was actually legitimately pleasant. She had wanted to get back to Mae’s and get some sleep. Tackling Aces’ money problems in the morning had sounded really good. Seeing Mike tonight though might be just like ripping off an old bandaid, painful but satisfying.

He was a little taken aback by her attitude. “Good… to see you too.” As he nodded again she could see the silvery scar. It was a memento of their first run in. She had certainly earned her name that night. “The Boss would like to speak to you about something. I need you to come with me.” It wasn’t a request. When Plested wanted something it usually happened.

“Sounds good to me. I have a thing or two to talk to him about myself.”

He held his hand out, gesturing for her to take the lead. She did, certain that he wouldn’t shoot her only because the Boss wanted to see her. If he wanted her dead it was likely she’d already be cold. Jeff had no qualms about shooting someone in the back and once the business with Mike was concluded she wouldn’t be so cavalier about letting him have the advantage.

By the time Lucky got back to the Mae’s the restaurant had gone into low maintenance mode. It never really closed, but the lights were dim over certain sections and out completely over others leaving an unspoken no man’s land. In the darkest hours of the night people could still be found there doing what people did in the dark so long as it wasn’t illegal and they caused no ruckus. There were knots of people at the bar and a few small groups occupying tables. She could tell who the working girls were mainly because she knew them as individuals. There was also a certain body language, a confident sexuality even if the clients wanted something more meek. There was a chance she would be wrong even with these preconceptions, but it wasn’t like she was looking even for herself.

Kim was nowhere to be found. That meant she was either in a room working or just in her personal room relaxing or studying. There were no formal hours and no quota so long as the girls were able to pay for their spaces and general upkeep and expenses. Much like the bar, restaurant and hotel, that part of Mae’s house never closed either.
She chose a stool a good distance from anyone else and caught Tee’s eye. The flame haired bartender sauntered over to her, pulling a pint of bitter as he passed the rank of taps. Sliding it in front of her he winked rakishly. “I get off in a few hours.”

Lucky smiled at the familiar ritual. “Really? I heard it was a few minutes.” She took the cool glass and drank deeply of the hoppy brew. The hurt pout on his lips almost made her spew liquid in his face. The man was a natural born thespian and loved mugging for the customers as well as his friends. Most regulars fell into both categories.

“Is that any way to talk? You could damage my reputation.” His eyes flicked towards a statuesque brunette down the bar. “Or my potential for a date when I really do get off.” The woman was staggeringly beautiful and not one of Mae’s.

She didn’t want to hurt his potential liaison, but didn’t know whether or not to take him seriously. “Sorry, oh great one.” There was no sarcams in her tone, though it danced its wicked dance in the well of her eyes.

A deep sigh came from the man as he drank deeply from the look. “I could think of a way you could make it up…”

She stopped his words with a finger. “Tee, I love you deeply as a friend and that’s as far as our relationship is fated to go.” She did love the man dearly, but any romantic interest, any at all, was on the back burner until she was ready to retire. If he was still interested at that point then perhaps she would entertain the thought. She took her finger back only after he kissed it lightly. “Now be a darling and tell me you’ve seen Kim.”

“The Goddess? Yeah, I believe she’s around here somewhere. Last I saw her she was working a tourist.” He glanced around. “He’s not here so maybe they’re upstairs?”

A tourist and upstairs meant some serious money. The only real tourists that may be coming through these parts would do so strictly for the travel through the deep dark in search of adventure. That was expensive. She shrugged. “I guess I’ll have to wait and enjoy the scenery.”

A low whistle tore Tee’s attention away. “Hold that thought.” He turned to see what customer was hailing him.

Lucky took a longer pull from the bitter, getting the glass to a halfway point. She was thirsty, but moreover a little nervous. About what she couldn’t say exactly. It likely had something to do with the ticking of a clock. She was used to working with a deadline, but usually forfeiture just meant a loss of money. There was a lot more on the line this go around. Se pushed the beer away just a little, not wanting to rush it and wind up impaired. The right pill could counteract that but even those had side effects that could be unpleasant.

Tee glided back up to the spot near her. “Now, I’m sorrry. You were saying something about needing to see Kim?”

“Right, and she was upstairs with a guest you thought.”

“Yeah.” He looked down and then back up again. “That’s an affirmative. I see her on my magic crystal ball that she and the gent went upstairs about twenty minutes ago.” He looked back down. “The gentleman in question’s average time visiting is about a half hour.” Satisfied with what he saw there, he met her gaze again. “Any man that spends less than an hour in the company of one of Mae’s women is either too poor to do what he knows, or too inexperienced to know what he’s doing. A real shame that and a waste.”

“I’ll wait. Hey you haven’t seen Aces have you?” She looked hopeful.

“Not lately. And given Kim’s current state, I doubt she’s expecting him.” He looked down and tapped at something. “I see here that the two love birds haven’t enjoyed one another’s company in two days. Not on the record anyway.”

“And we know that the madame doesn’t like things to be off the record where paying customers are concerned.” Mae was a lovely gentle soul, but she could be a hard boss. She expected only the best from her people and complete honesty and loyalty. If you slipped up once all was forgiven, though not forgotten. A second infraction lost you what would likely have been one of the best paying, safest jobs on station.

“Indeed we do.” Tee had been caught once watering down the customer’s drinks and skimming from the till. Fortunately for him he did it in one night and Mae counted that as one infraction. Eight years later he was still working for her. He had learned his lesson. He saw the pushed away beer. “I hope that wasn’t an editorial comment?” Tee, in addition to being the barkeeper was also the bar manager and brewmaster.

“No, not at all. Just need to keep my head clear. It’s great as usual.” The vegetables from earlier hadn’t stuck with her. “Bring me whatever today’s soup is while I wait. I need to see her.” It looked like one way or another a stake out was going to be called for. At least she didn’t have to be under cover for this one and had a comfortable spot to sit.

Fortunately Lucky didn’t have to wait too long. She had finished her bitter and was about to gesture over to Tee for another one when Kim came in. She was a buxom thing, blond hair cascading down her back. She moved with an assurance that was shared by the ladies in Mae’s keeping. If you wanted a meek thing for your bed you didn’t come to the Chop House.

She scanned the room, whether she was looking for Aces or another customer or just checking the place out Lucky couldn’t really tell. Perhaps it was a mix of the three. When her eyes met Lucky’s they widened in surprise. that assurance nearly evaporated and she turned on her heel.

Lucky was off the stool in a shot and after her. Not two dozen long strides passed before her short nailed hand landed on the golden silk that the other’s body was wrapped in. Her strong fingers dug in to the flesh beneath, more due to the speed with which the two moved than out of any cruelty or desire to really harm her.

Kim gasped at the contact and then swore softly under her breath. She turned slowly, keeping her hands where Lucky cuould see them. That was wise. Lucky wasn’t trigger happy by any means and didn’t have that reputation, but maybe Kim didn’t know her that well and just maybe Kim knew something that may make her reconsider her usual MO.

“Hi there Kim.” Lucky worked to keep her tone neutral but the barest hint of sarcsasm crept into it. “Why are you in such a rush? Didin’t expect to see me?” Her eyes narrowed.

Kim lowered her head under the gaze. “Not sure what I was thinking really. it’s just that, well, Mink told me to go right to him if I saw you around. He seemed pretty adamant that I let him know quickly. He didn’t seem to want me to have any conversations with you first.”

That story didn’t make a whole lot of sense. There shouldn’t be any reason for Aces, she held back a snort at the appelation ‘Mink’, to be that cagey about Lucky’s return unless he knew more than he had any right to. “Say there Kim, where you and ‘Mink’ planning to be leaving the station any time soon?”

“What sort of question is that?”

Lucky, whose hand had relaxed enough for the young lady, little more than a girl really, to turn around now tightened. “Don’t play games with me Kim. I am not a person to fool around with.” He voice dropped and became husky. “Now tell me, were you and Mink planning on going somewhere?”

Steel resolved itself in Kim’s cornflower eyes. She didn’t like being pushed around. The two women locked gazes for a full and very quiet thirty seconds. Finally it was Kim’s eyes that sought the floor first. “I wasn’t. Mink said that hw would go first, find a place for us to honeymoon.”

“Honeymoon?” The incredulity practuically dripped form her tongue. All the thoughts she had about Kim being so smart flew out the window. “You two getting married?”

Kim looked back up. “Well that’s usually the cause for a honeymoon.” her tone got defensive. “Mink said he had a big deal on and he was going to make enough money so that I didnt’ have to go with any more men. I don’t mind the life. This is a good place, but he’s such a sweet man and he want’s to take care of me.”

“I don’t know who’s the bigger fool, him for thinking you’re one to need taking care of or you for thinking the same.” She let Kim go and scrubbed at her face with both hands, growling in frustration. “But then that’s not really my problem or my business.” She dropped her hands. “What is my problem is finding Minkus and getting to the bottom of a few things. You’re going to take me to him.” There was no question, just a tired hardness in her voice. She would take no foolishness from this girl, one surely no more than a third of her age.

The blue eyes that met her gaze were now chips of sapphire. “You’re right, it’s not any of your business and I will take you to him, but not because I want to.” The protest was weak but it was all she had. In spite of the hardness in her eyes, her body seemed to collapse on itself like a soufflé gone off.

Lucky nodded. Playing the heavy wasn’t something she ever really minded. If she did then she was in the wrong line of work by far. If you folded the first time a cute, innocent looking face got weepy or insulted, you might as well stay home. That didn’t mean she had to feel good about it. “I’d thank you Kim, but I know it’s not welcome. I do want you to know that I like your finace. He’s a good man and if you two do get married then he’ll make a good husband.” Not a great one by any stretch. “Once he and I are done with our business, I won’t stand in your way.” She did hope to still do business with Minkus, but if they were really going off station then it was time to find someone new and groom them.

Silence stretched between them. Just as it was about to get really uncomfortable Kim turned and started walking. They left through a side entrance and came out in one of the alleys. These narrow side streets were not really alleys in the old sense of the word. They were safe enough, though at night you probably still wanted to pass on the main thoroughfare. They were lit and clean. The station patrols made sure that anyone passed out was taken to where they belonged, be it a company flop house, a personal residence, or as a last result one of the coffin sized boxes that served as a jail cell.

There was a chance of getting mugged, but like it was in most places except for the true cess pools, if you looked like you knew what you were doing you could at least carry the illusion of safety with you. This wasn’t going to be one of those time.

A lanky figure detached itself from a wall. He was tall, at least two-tenths of a meter taller than lucky, herself no small woman. He wore the gray coveralls common to someone who worked on one of the lower levels of the station. The grease stains and general air of unkemptness around him though wouldn’t have been tolerated by most station bosses she knew.

She could smell the mixture of body odor and booze before he got anywhere close. If she hadn’t been so distracted by the tiff with Kim and the general poor state of her sleep habits for the last month she probably would have picked him up before the door closed behind them. Unfortunately, she knew without looking that the side doors don’t open from the outside. If they turned around they would be greeted by smooth beige metal.

“Evenin’ ladies.” The dim light revealed stubble and a look in his eyes that was an ugly mixture of desperation and hunger.

There were no weapons immediately visible on his person. That should make things easier. They were two women against one man. Kim should know how to take care of herself fairly well so no dead weight there. Then she heard a slight hum behind her. The nearly sub-audible noise told her that it was a stunner of some kind. Projectile weapons were a big no-no on station and even blasters required a special permit. If Asplund or one of his law keepers caught you with an illegal weapon you might be put in the mining operation or even ‘accidentally’ spaced. They didn’t take kindly to people putting the integrity of their physical world in danger. A stunner though, that was easy enough to get and keep. It was also easy to amp up to something lethal. She couldn’t tell just from the noise if this had been rigged.

“Good evening.” Lucky nodded. “What can we do for you?” The palm of her hand itched for either her baton or her hold out blaster. Not with an unknown at her back though.

Kim chimed in. “Look, why don’t you just leave us alone, Job.”

The man looked startled. “You remember me?”

“Of course I do. I have a knack for remembering faces. Especially faces of people who try and short the house.” She snapped at him.

Lucky reckoned she probably hadn’t heard the noise behind them. Kim must be running on the assumption that it was just Job. Unfortunately for them both, Kim also thought she could tough her way out of this. Lucky for one noticed the subtle shift in body language and the glare of an eye that the desperation became anger, a dangerous sort of rage that meant things were going to get ugly.

Job pulled something small from a pocket. A blade flipped out from his fingers. The knife was short and ugly, utilitarian and meant for cutting really tough synthetics. It would do messy things to flesh and bone. “Maybe if you didn’t overcharge. I think we’re gonna have us a real freebie this time.”

Kim didn’t have anything to say to that. She stepped back, eyes on the knife.

“Look, Job is it? Job, you and your friend back there just need to move on. This is not a fight you really want to pick.” Lucky’s voice stayed even.

“Friends.” A voice from behind her said. It was higher pitched than Job’s, but at the same time more intimidating. “And fight implies that you ladies,” the word was said with as much contempt as only a career misogynist can successfully communicate, “are going to put up a struggle.”

Lucky looked over her left shoulder. She saw two men who must have come form another cross street. A short, stubby looking man, the source of the second voice if she really had to guess, held what was little more than a glorified cattle prod. The third offender was average build and held something that sent a small shiver through Lucky. It was a homemade scatter gun. Yeah this crew was just begging to be put out an airlock.

“I’m not going to do anything stupid, but you really need to think about this.” Lucky held her hands out even with her waist, palms down.

“We’ve thought about it a lot.” Scattergun had a gravelly bass. “Why don’t you go ahead on and follow Job. He’s gonna take us some place a little quieter.”

That wouldn’t be good. There were access hatches to lower levels and those were places that you definitely didn’t want to go. Screams would get lost in the echoing pathways and bodies could be disposed of easily.

Job looked a little disappointed that he couldn’t deal with it here and now, but he gestured with the knife. “Yeah, follow me.” He turned his back, trusting his mates to watch the women.

That was when Lucky moved. She was fast. There was no artificial augmentation in her body. All the speed and strength came from hours spent in practice. There wasn’t a lot to do in the deep dark other than working on whatever it was you wanted to excel at. She excelled at hurting people.

She clipped Kim on the shoulder as she passed, bouncing her into a wall and knocking her down, out of the line of any fire. There was none, at least nothing immediately forthcoming. Not even taking the time to be thankful for that little blessing, she through herself forward into a low tackle. As she moved she did here a shout, but the thundering of blood in her ears made even that a distant murmur.

Her shoulder caught the lanky man just at the back of his knees and he fell backward landing on her. Their bodies tangled together and his sudden weight on her made her breath rush from her lungs. It wasn’t the prettiest thing, but she had the pleasure of hearing his knife go flying and in knowing that unless he wanted to kill or maim his partner there would be know metal pellets forthcoming.

Job yelled and fought, trying to rid himself of this mad woman. She still had a good hold on one of his ankles, but that was precarious given the heavy boot it was shod in. She slipped her hand down around his foot and with a hard push and a grunt flipped them both sideways. The roll continued and his foot rotated faster than the rest of him. A loud snapping noise and a scream satisfied her that he wouldn’t be using that ankle until it got patched up.

Being free did mean that she could move and go on the offensive, but it also meant that one of his friends could get frisky. Lucky had managed to roll to one knee and half sat upright trying to keep her frame as compact as possible. The dim light helped make her a bad target, but if that was a true scatter gun the pellet filled air would make that less of an issue.

In the brief time that had elapsed since Job turned her other opponents hadn’t moved far. They really had expected the two women to just come along. The man she thought of as Scattergun just stood there with his mouth open. Shock, as much as if not more than his friend’s proximity, kept his from firing. The guy with the electric prod moved towards Kim’s prone form with purpose.

Distance prevented her from pulling the baton and going to town on them, as satisfying as that might be. Instead, she reached for her hold out. The slim metal and plastic device didn’t look threatening at all if you didn’t know what it was. The act of freeing it activated it and in milliseconds it was ready to fire. She pointed it and pressed the firing stud. Nothing appeared to happen. There was no pulse of light or noise to give her location away.

Cattle prod dropped his weapon and grabbed his face. He screamed as it turned bright red and blisters raised instantly. The concentrated blast of microwave radiation cooked a good portion of his head. It wasn’t enough to be lethal, not at this range, but there was a good chance he’d need a new set of eyes.

Scattergun looked conflicted. His weapon was still pointed in her general direction, but he glanced around as if looking for a way out.

She didn’t want to give him any chances. The holdout only held enough charge for a couple of shots. He was farther away which diminished the effectiveness, much like the weapon he carried. She took two running steps from her crouch and hurled herself forward holding down the stud. A spray of sparks leapt from his gun and he dropped it as the moisture in his hands flashed to near the boiling point.

Lucky landed roughly, grunting in pain. The holdout clattered in front of her, spent. After a second of trying to regain her breath and mostly succeeding, she came to her feet. There was no sign of Scattergun and the other ‘gentleman’ had fallen to his side, still holding his face and sobbing.

Kim rolled to her back, groaning and managed to sit up. She rubbed at the spot on her shoulder where her body kissed the wall. Her eyes looked from one man to the other and then to Lucky. “Thanks.” Was all she could manage to say. It was enough.

Lucky helped Kim to her feet. “You’re welcome.” She reached down into her boot and pulled it the baton. It went from hand width to forearm length with a flick. Neither of the men seemed like they were in a position to threaten anyone, but better safe than sorry.

“I’ll call security.” Kim tapped at her bracelet, but it didn’t seem to be working.

Lucky pulled her e-harp out and tapped at it with a thumb. The readout came to life. “One of these guys has a portable jammer.” She tapped at the surface again. “It’s not very strong though. Good enough to block most commercial communications devices.” Another tap and a signal went out to the automated security net, letting it know that there was a citizen in danger. The nearest deputy would be around soon. It wouldn’t have been soon enough had they needed to rely on one for their salvation, but good enough for a little cleanup.

Martyn was glad to be on his own in a strange human settlement.  He enjoyed Lucky’s company.  She was the only human he had ever spent a significant length of time with by himself.  While he had taken part in a number of interrogations and consulted on other communications this was his first field assignment and it was exciting.  It was that, rather than any feelings he had toward the woman, that filled him with happiness.  The only thing that clouded his bliss was the idea of visiting the consul. 

Perhaps it was something in the personality of the few Vregonians like him that had been chosen as students of human culture, but he found himself not liking his own people very much.  He would defend them to the death of course, metaphorically speaking, and would trust them over the humans’ every time, that went without saying.  Truly enjoying their company though was a different matter.  He supposed that the immersion training he had received from his earliest days was also to blame.

Even if those factors didn’t weigh in to the equation paying homage to the consul was something to dread.  The misfits that they sent to posts like this were almost always unpleasant or so he had heard.  Anyone willing to be so cut off from the rest of their people could hardly be any different.  The irony of that thought wasn’t completely lost on him.  At least he wasn’t doomed to the banishment, self imposed or by legal fiat, that some of these so called consuls were.  No, he could come and go from one world to the other as he had between water and air for his first few years of life. 

The humans that worked with the consul, if there were even any that payed him any heed, probably didn’t even realize that he wasn’t much more than an outcast.  They probably also wouldn’t understand the social pressure that was placed on someone like Martyn to go and see him anyway.  If it weren’t for their cover story, truthfully, Martyn would probably skipped the visit no matter how wicked that might seem to prior generations.  One thing humans did get right, a thing he admired them for, was their rugged individuality.  Lucky couldn’t possibly know the pressure he was under to fall in line.

He had looked in to the life of this particular consul before setting foot on Bifrost.  Sid was a real rotten egg, a religious zealot.  The belief system he represented, though bits of it were valuable to the collective, was painfully out of date and insulting.  One things humans did get right, perhaps the only thing and even that a little overblown, was the philosophy that the individual was the pinnacle of society.  That was going too far, naturally.  It was almost as bad as what he was likely about to hear from his fellow Vregonian.  Still, at least the humans erred on the right side.  The truly sad thing though was that their current ruling council was on board with this slop, at least in word if not deed.  It had been toned down for the general populace, but many of the council still worried about what the Mind would think.  That representative of their collective unconscious couldn’t think its way over a stump, but you couldn’t tell that to most.

He was nearly oblivious to the humans around him. Most of them had seen a Vregonian, but there will still gawkers since one or two was all most had seen. Before docking Martyn checked the public station net and knew the layout of the place. He knew where he would find the consulate and his feet took him there without error. Even off planet there was an acute sense of his surroundings and an innate direction sense that carried over from some migratory ancestor. Much like the humans he admired, his own species came from a prey animal that developed higher brain functions to survive. They travelled more in groups than the humans though and from that was born this group mind that many of his people still clung to with a religious fervor. The link to one another was once incredibly strong. Nurturing that dormant ability now that they had advanced so far, climbed into the very stars, seemed a step backwards. Still it was that, as much as any map, that drew him to his fellow.

The house that he arrived at was much like the ones on either side, low and beige with curtained windows. There was no marker to indicate that the beings that lived there weren’t humans except for a metal sculpture hanging from the doorpost. To a human’s eye it was almost amorphous, swirls of some malleable element. There were subtle colors present, but in the shifted spectrum that Martyn could see a pattern popped out. The whole was representative not only of the mind, but of the primordial soup that they had come from. There was a lot of cultural baggage tied up in it and even he wasn’t completely immune. He stopped up to it and tapped each piece once. It produced a resonance that again was so subtle any human would miss it. His host’s species were certainly gifted with a finer sense of smell and touch than his but they had their own advantages.
Satisfied that his presence had been made known, he waited. After a few moments the door opened. Martyn was more than a little shocked by what greeted him. The being was almost a full meter taller than he was and had green, heavily mottled skin and a broad head. It was a member of their warrior class and judging by his skin and stance, a very old member indeed. He wore the gray body sleeve that most of his class wore under their armor. There were no weapons present that he could see, but that meant little. In any case he could easily break Martyn in half bare handed.

The behemoth blinked slowly, stupidly. His movement were sluggish and he hesitated before speaking. “Welcome to this house.”

The formal greeting was in their own tongue and the fetid breath was tinged with alcohol. Martyn crossed his arms, palms outward at shoulder height. “I come in peace.” He returned the formal response. “I come seeking Faiwu. Is he within?” The human syllables nearly tripped over his tongue mixed in with those of his native language. He didn’t know the consul’s birth name.

“He is. You may enter.” He moved back, opening the door wide enough so that Martyn could come in. “I am Lowmaster.” He continued in their native language, but also gave his human name. “You have not given your own.”

Minor annoyance flashed thorough Martyn. To be reminded of a simple breech of protocol by what was no doubt a piece of flotsam washed up here on this station was a nuisance, but a stinging one. “Martyn. Martyn Darkly.” He entered the house. It smelled of home and not artificial scents either at least not so he could tell. The deep, complex smell of rot and standing water was comforting after the canned air on the ship. The anteroom that he now stood in was much more humid than anywhere else he had been recently. It was as close as the station could provide for them to their own atmosphere. The floor covering simulated damp, loamy soil. He removed his boots and let his feet squish. It was relaxing.

“Wait here.” Lowmaster extended a hand for him to stay put. A door slid open into a much darker room beyond where the smells and moisture were even more intense. That was promising and at the same time off putting. It would be enjoyable to fee so at hime, but it meant that Fiawu was not integrated into his host’s environment. That struck him as more than a little rude. It also meant that the consul might be even more seperationist than he read.

After two minutes the door reopened. Lowmaster stood there blocking the way. “You must remove the synthetics. Only then can you enter.”

Martyn bared his mouth ridge in annoyance, but did as he was told. He removed the khaki suit careful to hang it so that none of the contents of his pockets would come out. Now completely naked and weaponless, Martyn moved through the door. It was dark beyond, even by their standards. He could see well enough to avoid bumping into any walls and completed the complex maze of halls that seemed odd and pointless. Finally, Lowmaster lead him through a door and into another small room. It was done like his great grandparents’ bungalow, reed flooring and low wooden furniture with a low domed ceiling over all. At the center of the dimly lit room sat the holy one, or so Martyn’s elders would have called him.

The source of the light was an artificial fire just a meter in front of Faiwu’s chair. Four others surrounded it. The small black and red amphibioid gestured for Martyn to take one. “Welcome to my home. Please join me in the sacred space.”

It was like he had stepped back over four thousand years. Nothing here was artificial or so it seemed. For everything to be truly natural would be difficult and expensive. That would be in character for one like Faiwu. He wouldn’t even tolerate artificial clothing in this ‘church’. Vregonian’s really didn’t have anything like a religion. They worshipped no gods like the humans. Perhaps in the dimmest recesses of their history they did, but this wasn’t about a higher being. It was about the potential of the many becoming one being.

Respecting the wishes of his host, Martyn took a sit across and to the right. Lowmaster took the similar position to his left. Martyn tilted his head sideways. “My thanks for your welcome. I will only be here for a few days, but I wanted to give you my respects.” He brought no gifts. That was a human tradition he was fascinated by. They didn’t al do it, but it seemed to him that humans didn’t believe that someone could provide for themselves. That was the message a gift of any sort communicated to his people.

“What brings you here Martyn?” Faiwu continued to look into the reddish light source.

“I am with a human. She and I escaped our security forces and together we came here. We are business partners.”

Fiawu looked up. “You add your work to a human’s? What is the point of that?”

“I needed a contact among her people. She and I were in the same cell. It was expedient.” Most older Vregonians believed that humans were non-entities. They simply hadn’t evolved to the place where they were anything worthy of consideration. If it weren’t for the other sentients in the galaxy or for the danger that some said humans represented they would have simply ignored them. Martyn didn’t agree, recognizing some worth in the odd looking species.

“Interesting.” The warrior Lowmaster rumbled. “And now that you are here will you still work with her?”

“So long as she is useful.”

Lowmaster let out a long low groan, a thoughtful sound. “Well, if you need information on anything about this settlement, you only have to ask. If that will relieve you of your burden. The humans think I am as one of their drunkards.”

That explained the alcohol smell. Vregonians couldn’t actually metabolize it and it had no effect on them. Humans likely didn’t know that. He looked over. “I thank you Lowaster. That may be useful.” Humans tended to ignore things they didn’t understand, even more so if they thought they did. “At the moment we are looking for a job. I need funds since I was unable to acquire them prior to our escape.”

“What crime did you commit?” The question came from the consul.

This would be a little tricky. Crimes against a human would be considered no problem. You couldn’t really commit a crime against a non-person. Any crime against his own people may bruise the relationship he wanted to build here. It could be useful, especially if Lowmaster had overheard anything about the shipment of eggs. “A brother and I conspired to collect an excess tax on trade between us and some human settlements. We would keep the difference.” That wasn’t a very severe crime against his own people. Most of the harm would be on the humans and it didn’t ultimately harm their own. Still it was likely that the more modern government would treat it as a crime since it would harm long term trade agreements.

Faiwu looked disappointed. “Ahhh greed. It would seem that this has become our peoples greatest sin. We mar the face of our great mind with it. We want everything that our technology can bring us.”

Martyn interrupted. “No disrespect intended sir, but what is the point of having all of these things if we aren’t to use them. Your house is no thatched hut from one of our home worlds and yet here you have all of the comforts you could possibly desire. It is as though you never left home.” The sort of backwards thinking Faiwu was displaying was ultimately more harmful than any petty greed. He couldn’t help but be a little disappointed himself and his words bore from that seed. “Not that you left home precisely. If you are here then surely it’s because whatever ‘sin’ you committed was no less egregious than my own?”

The larger one began to rise, seeming to grab for a weapon that wasn’t there.

Faiwu raised a hand. “Be at ease Lowmaster. He is right in a way. We three are here not of our own free will. We have been sent here and must make the best of things.”

Lowmaster took his place again but shot a warning look at Martyn.

“I agree.” Martyn nodded his head in the human gesture. “And as I said, I mean no offense. I want my time here to be pleasant and my time with you two mutually rewarding. I don’t know how long I will be here or what is in store for me.” He paused. “In fact I am hoping perhaps you can help me with that.”

Faiwu leaned backwards. “I am listening. I would be glad to help a brother with any problem he may have.”

That was one bonus of working with someone who believed as Faiwu did. When he called Martyn a brother it wasn’t in that way that humans seemed to use. While there was not doubt a significant amount of separation between them genetically, he did genuinely view anyone of his species as a brother and extended a certain level of trust that humans would find hard to extend to a complete stranger. Martyn felt no similar compulsion. He didn’t really trust Faiwu or Lowmaster, but could mimic the ancient customs well enough and take advantage of them.

“Good. You see the human I am working with was arrested for being in charge of a shipment of some of our eggs.”

Lowmaster hissed violently and Faiwu grimaced. Imagining the fates of a large number of their people in the hands of the clumsy humans was unsettling to say the least.

“Patience my friends, patience. I too was angry at her until I realized that she had no knowledge of the shipment. She did not know what she was guarding. The law makers of course did not trust her word and there was talk of sentencing her to death.” There was no death penalty for Vregonians themselves. The did occasionally carry it out against other sentients. This was a bit of a problem with their allies so they tended to keep it quiet. It was only used in the most extreme cases though and smuggling eggs could qualify.

“That is why we felt it necessary to escape. She is seeking those who were behind this smuggling operation and bring them to justice. Personally I don’t think she will be able to do this on her own and it is a worthy goal to seek the persons behind it, so I will help her. In the meantime we are both also looking for meaningful work. Anything you could do for us in either arena would be useful.” He stopped and looked back and forth between the two, gauging their reactions.

“You are very trusting of this human. Why?” Faiwu looked puzzled.

“Ah, well you see I was trained to be an agent for the Collective and as such am a good judge of their character and whether or not they are lying.”

Lowmaster rumbled. “And yet you use this training to deceive the very ones you are sent to work with? I do not understand this. It seems a breach of trust.”

Martyn felt some pity for the large warrior. They weren’t widely known for their intelligence or quick thinking, outside of a battlefield at least. “Sometimes my work called for deceit. it is the way of things. You understand how to use the blades or massive energy catapults that your calling leads you to master. This is simply one of mine.
Lowmaster nodded slowly, seeming to understand.

“It all serves the ultimate purpose of those I once worked for. Unfortunately they did not see my activities in that light and I lost my status as an agent when I was put in jail.” No such thing was likely to happen. Losing your status as an agent was difficult at best. You almost had to kill the wrong person to do so and there weren’t that many wrong people. The Collective was such a large and convoluted organization by its very nature that even its own higher ups didn’t entirely understand its purpose, much less all of its by laws. Every agent he knew and there weren’t that many he knew, used that to their advantage. That and the number of missions and agents made identifying his fellow operatives difficult to say the least which was why even killing a fellow wasn’t an act that would get you much more than a stern reprimand.

“Well, if it is a job you are seeking I do not think we can be of much help. We both have our contacts here but very little in the way of pull.”

Martyn cocked his head in submission. “I know. It must be difficult here for you.” He sympathized with the consul. As much as he disagreed with his worldview it couldn’t be easy living in the midst of this artificiality, cut off from his kin. “You must feel so disconnected.”

“No. No not at all.” He gestured at the room. “I have all of my needs met. And I am very much connected with the mind. Our ancestors and my connection with them knows no physical boundary.”

Martyn nodded again. It wasn’t a spiritual phenomenon. Even the consul didn’t believe in life after death as some humans still did. It was the wealth of experience passed down through teaching and genetics that he spoke of. But there was something more, a component too esoteric to be passed around outside of the true believers that was almost that ethereal. “Well as I said, whatever help you can give would be appreciated.”

The big one shifted in his seat. Martyn looked over at him. Lowmaster was as old as Faiwu, that was certain. Both were well into their second century at least. The warrior caste was far more pragmatic than most others and as a result, since there weren’t many large wars they had to fight, they had become more bureaucratic. Sitting on this station with only Faiwu for company was grating on him. Martyn needed to find out why he was here and leverage that. It could only be done in private though, it would seem.
Martyn stood. “I hate to leave, but I have some other business to attend to.” It was slight breech of social protocol. The whole meeting had been rushed, that was certain.

Faiwu stood as well. “Nonsense. You should stay. Have supper with us. I can only provide an approximation of a real meal for you, but it’s the least…”

“No, I’m truly sorry. I must go.” They would chalk it up to his youthful carelessness That was true, as far as it went. He didn’t want them to think him completely without manners. That might reduce their level of helpfulness. Still they were somewhat hostage to him, since as he said he was free to come and go, criminal or not. His exile was self imposed. He could use that and planned to.

Lowmaster saw him back out and as Martyn dressed, he spoke. “So, general, why are you on this outpost?” The question was abrupt and presumptuous.

The bulky militarist looked down on him with the equivalent of a smirk. “You are a brash one. I will answer your question though. I ran in to one such as you on a mission. I determined that he was standing in the way of the betterment of our species and I snapped his neck like a rotten branch.” There was no subtlety in that message.

It took Martyn aback, though he worked hard not to show it. “Ordinarily that would not end in a banishment.” Martyn was no expert on law an their judges had quite a bit of latitude, but killing someone alone with malice didn’t end in much more than a long imprisonment or perhaps a reprogramming. It sounded like he may have actually had a reason, though a gray one at best.

“He was the brother of an influential politician. It was only thanks to a friend that I got off planet at all. My long term of service to our people made the friend sympathetic.”

“You must miss home?”

The general made a guttural sound, near laughter. “That place has become a cesspool. The word and life of a general means nothing compared to the life of one barely more than a hatchling and a hatchling with poor manners at that.” His dark eyes twinkled. “I have no desire to return. There are other plans though. If you find yourself unable to return home and you find yourself missing the comforts of it, return here and perhaps we can talk about it.”

Other plans? The general didn’t feel a need to elaborate and Martyn was now sufficiently intimidated that he didn’t want to press the issue. “I will. Thank you.” Intrigued by the offer, it was more than a casual dinner invitation, he nodded and turned to the outside door. It was then that he remembered that he didn’t tell them where he was staying. He turned back. “I’ll be at Mae’s Chop House if you need me.”

“We will talk soon.” The general turned and went back through the maze entry, leaving Martyn to help himself out.