Cavaras, Corti Directorate Core World
The receptionist looked at Adrian with the same pure contempt that he recalled Bekmer possessing. He also recalled just how much he had wanted to crush that snide little Corti. To this snide little Corti he directed a tight smile and hard gaze.
“You need an appointment to see the senior employees,” the Corti said. “Do you have an appointment?”
It was clear what answer the Corti was expecting. If he thought Adrian had an appointment with a senior employee he would be treating him with a touch more respect.
That cheeky little fucker didn’t know who he was messing with. Adrian kept his own cheeky grin on the inside.
“An appointment?” he asked, feigning confusion and revelling in the Corti’s rapidly escalating sense of self-satisfaction.
“I am sorry to inform you that without an appointment-“
That was the moment to interrupt. “I don’t understand. Goftk didn’t say anything about needing an appointment. He just told me to come in and show all the senior employees my awesome idea.”
The Corti hesitated. Adrian had done his research – or had Askit do it for him – and Goftk was one of the bigger names amongst the senior employees. His was the kind of name you dropped when you wanted to scare the shit out of the prick on the front desk.
“You’re acquaintances with senior employee Goftk?” the Corti asked with a great deal more respect in his voice.
“Close friends with his children,” Adrian claimed. “We practically grew up together.”
The Corti had managed to achieve a lighter shade of grey. “And you have an invention…”
“That’s right,” Adrian replied cheerfully. “It’s a variation on the ‘Cornetto’, which I’m sure you’ve heard of. I mean you’d have to have been living under a rock not to have, even if you don’t own any.”
The Corti hesitated again. This time he smiled thinly. “I happen to own several.” he said so uncertainly that it was nearly a question. Adrian had correctly determined that a large part of Corti society was pretending to be important until you managed to actually become important.
“One is never enough, is it?” Adrian asked. “I myself have had many over the course of my life. Fortunately my invention is backwards compatible with older versions as well, so if you were to want to upgrade it would only cost you about a thousand credits. Very reasonable, all things considered, yes? Of course even if it wasn’t we’re all about to be so rich you could just replace your collection with new models!”
The Corti agreed with as much enthusiasm as any Corti could manage.
“So,” Adrian said, “can you tell me where to find Goftk? I don’t like to keep him waiting.”
Askit had been listening through the micro-comm that Adrian had hidden under his mess of blue fur, waiting for the human to be alone before speaking his mind.
“What is a ‘Cornetto’ anyway?” he asked. The way the human had been talking it sounded like a must have item of great expense. “Is it really as valuable as you said?”
The human gave a soft chuckle over the link. “Mate, there were some days out in the desert where I would have just about killed for one.”
Askit made a mental note to acquire several should he ever find a supplier.
“Right now I am coming up on the security section,” Adrian continued, and Askit was back on task. “More fucking robo slugs”
“You’re unarmed so they won’t pay you much attention,” Askit told him. “But they won’t let you near their consoles, and those ‘robo slugs’ rarely need to move. What are you going to do? “
“Mate,” Adrian replied, and Askit could hear the smile in the human’s voice, “this next part is down to you.”
“Me?” Askit asked, not understanding. His part was supposed to start after Adrian had inserted the wireless jackpoint.
“I added a driving path to the cabs nav system,” Adrian explained. “Check the databank for the file named ‘Ram Raid’. You’ll want to get out of the vehicle before running it. Take your stuff and be ready to get clear. Once I get to the roof you will need to get your own way back to base.”
Askit wasn’t sure what was about to happen, but he did what the human said and exited the small electric vehicle. Part of him didn’t like the surprise change in plans, but the rest of him was curious and while he retreated a short distance it was only to slip into cover from which he could watch but not be seen.
The cab drove its way carefully around the road laid out before the headquarters, and at first Askit wondered how that would be of any use. Surely a simple streetcab couldn’t provide anything helpful?
That was when that simple streetcab underwent a sudden burst of acceleration, far faster than anything it was designed to handle. It shook so hard that it roared as it raced up the staircase at the front of the building and gained flight as it reached the top.
Moments later it crashed through the foyer in a thunderous blast of destruction and the elegant framework that had served as the entrance was crumpling around it to the horrific screams of people and twisting metal.
“What have I done?” Askit asked himself in horror, unable to pull his eyes from the scene. This was the most destructive thing he’d ever done, the most irresponsible and public as well. He was a little shocked to find that he also slightly enjoyed it.
“Sounds like you’ve caused a big fucking scene,” Adrian replied appreciatively, reminding Askit that the communicator link was still active. “Even the Robo Slugs needed to go take a look. Fuck, I’m half tempted to myself, but there’s work to do mate, and now you’re really up. Time to do what they’re paying you for.”
Askit shook his head to clear his thoughts, there would be time to consider what had occurred later. Right now there was just the work they’d planned out and nothing else. Not if he wanted to stay free, at any rate. “You’ve attached the jackpoint?” he asked. “Oh, wait… I see it now. Leave this to me, and head up. I’ll guide you when you get to the executive floors.”
+++++
Goftk sent a message downstairs for another report on what was happening and received back the same nonsense answer as before. An unoccupied streetcab had gone haywire and launched itself through the entrance to land in the foyer, causing enormous amounts of destruction and injury but thankfully no deaths.
They’d said it was an accident, but Goftk wasn’t that naive; streetcabs didn’t just shoot themselves into buildings, it was far more likely that it had been some sort of attack. He had acted accordingly, ordering corporate security to take care of the scene and not allow anyone to use the confusion to enter the building without identification.
He kept his kinetic pulse gun ready just in case – you could never be too careful, after all – but he poured himself a full glass of ckforti nectar, dripping a single droplet of nahakh’kk venom into the thick syrup to give it a sharp stimulating effect.
He needed the kick; he was sure that today wasn’t going to get better before it got worse, and he took up careful watch from his office window. The corporate headquarters for Iridis Industries was one tallest buildings on Cavaras, eclipsed only by the enormous Star Spike tower that breached the atmosphere at the equator. That might be the tallest building on the planet, but Goftk’s tower was still tall enough to enjoy the view.
That was when the light gunship uncloaked outside his window.
Goftk dropped his glass, barely registering the fact that it shattered as it hit the floor, turning it slick with nectar. Instinct took over and, although in the back of his mind he knew there was no escape, he still turned to flee.
The floor at his feet was very slick indeed.
Goftk fell, facing his office door as it burst open with the force of a cannon to reveal a blue-haired biped with an angry demeanour.
It pointed a furry hand at him. “You Goftk? Bad day to be you, but at least it wasn’t Plan B!”
Without further hesitation, the creature drove Goftk’s expensive office table through his big glass window, and the room was filled with the deafening screams of the high altitude winds outside.
The last thing that Goftk was aware of was the creature picking him up without even the slightest hint of effort, and a great leap into the open sky towards the gunship.
Goftk blacked out from terror. It had seemed easier that way.
Irbzrk Orbital Factory Main Station
Jennifer Delaney did not want to be here. At Irbzrk Orbital Factory that was, although she supposed that she would feel that way anywhere outside of her little home back in Belfast. It was probably repossessed now, with all those missed mortgage repayments, but for a little while it had been hers.
And unlike space it hadn’t held any total psychos who were trying to kill her, or any dangerous Australian badboys to develop complicated relationships with.
There had been a lot of murders in the past few days. Sick and twisted incidents that revealed a deranged mind, and a lot of them had come with personal messages for Jen. She didn’t want to think about them, but it wasn’t the sort of thing that you could get out of your mind.
It was obvious that he was showing off for her. What he did was to get her attention – how could it not? – but what was less obvious was why.
“He’s only writing messages to you,” Zripob had observed. “Do you have any ideas why that is?”
“I have fears about why that is,” Jen said. “Like maybe he’s working his way up to me. Or maybe he’s toying with me to show me how much more clever he is. Or maybe he has ‘other’ plans, but if he tries anything like that he’ll be nursing his jewels for a month.”
“This behavior of his is insane,” Zripob said. “We cannot predict him, and yet we have to stop him. Jen, you are also a human and this is why we hope you can understand and predict him for us. Tell me what you think and I will pass it on to the others.”
That had been another problem; the rumours had spread further and increased in viciousness to the point where Jen could no longer walk freely on the station. She’d been confined to the ship since they’d docked in an effort to mollify public outrage but as the days progressed and the killer remained uncaught the mood had further deteriorated. It was already impossible to find anyone willing to do business with them and that wouldn’t be changing until there was justice.
“There have been no sightings of any human on the station,” Zripob continued. “They’ve got hover cams patrolling the streets, like you suggested, so that if there was another murder maybe we’d see something.”
“But he keeps killing and all we’ve got is what he leaves us,” she replied. “It’s like he knows where-“
She stopped. The thought had come suddenly and it seemed so obvious that she was angry at herself for not thinking of it earlier.
She’d been distracted by other things. Chir had been right, she shouldn’t have gone to the Zhadersil. Maybe then she would have thought of it earlier.
There would be time to blame herself later. “I know where he is!” she said abruptly, and to Zripob’s great surprise. She carried on before he had a chance to recover. “At least I think I do. Look, I already told you about how I think he’s in disguise. But what if he’s also hiding in plain sight? “
“You think he has a personal cloaking device? ” Zripob asked. “Possibly, but the power requirements-“
“I think he’s joined the militia!” she continued, cutting him off. “That would give him full access to everything! He’d know all our plans, and behind his mask he’ll be laughing at us.”
Zripob was silent for a long while, although several times he began to speak only to stop before making any sound. It was clear he was struggling with the ideas she’d presented, but that at the same time he was considering his objections before voicing them.
Finally he spoke. “I think you’re right.”
“Really?” Jen asked in surprise. Then quickly recovering her confidence and continuing. “I’m glad.”
“That was a remarkable piece of reasoning,” he said. “That would be a very clever way to avoid being found, but how do we use the knowledge against him?”
“Right,” Jen said. “I have a plan.”