Chapter 5: Sahara

David

I straightened the expensive suit and smiled at the beautiful women in bed watching me, “Thanks for last night ladies.”

The twins grinned and one waved, “You coming back to night?”

I smiled, “You have a shuttle to catch this afternoon remember?”

She blinked and her sister bumped her shoulder, “Dumb blonde.”

They laughed as I headed for the door. As I walked I slipped on the expensive glasses that hid my grey eyes. I touched my small comm and accessed my messages. I stopped as the coded text scrolled down on the inside lens of the glasses. I looked at it before erasing the message. I glanced around me before moving to a wall comm I input a number and waited before cursing, “Damn it Adam!”

I shut it off before walking away fast as I thought. I did not bother returning to my apartment and headed across the city. I walked into a clothing shop and crossed to the counter, “I need a fast vehicle and our bags Victor.”

The old man glanced around, “You said you would not need them.”

I glanced at the door, “Things change.”

He smiled, “Then I can repay my father’s debt.”

He turned and started for a back door, “Come.”

I followed him through a room filled with automated sewing machines and stopped beside a picture on the wall. The man in the picture had his arm around a stunning woman with an ocean view behind him. Victor pulled the picture off the wall, “Open.”

There was a click as the wall split and slid apart. I moved past him to grab the two large bags, “The vehicle?”

Victor grinned as he held a tiny fob up, “A Jaguar class flyer is parked behind the shop.”

I was stripping and left the expensive suit as I pulled a clean set of camouflage utilities out of one bag and started dressing. I added the combat vest with a thigh holster and then put the stubby assault rifle together. I loaded the pistol and rifle before slipping the long bladed energy knife into the left thigh sheath. The sling for the rifle went over my head and one shoulder. I closed the bag and shouldered it before grabbing the other.

I stood and smiled at Victor, “Give me a day and report the vehicle stolen. If everything goes okay I will try to leave it at the star-port.”

He nodded and I walked out the back door. I set the two bags in the passenger seat before starting the flyer. I lifted and turned the vehicle before starting out of the city. I kept to the traffic lanes and the speed limit until I was out of the city. I set down and opened the electronics panel to remove the AI cube. I lifted to just above the ground as I accelerated and turned to the southeast.

I was skimming the dunes at well over nine hundred kilometers an hour and knew it would still take me hours to reach the archeology site. It was getting dark when my comm clicked and crackled, “Dexter?”

I shook my head as I answered, “Get off the comm Wizard.”

“We have hunters after us.”

I sighed, “I am almost there, come to me.”

I was flying using my glasses in the thermal mode to see the dunes ahead. Ten minutes later I slowed and spun to the south to skirt the ruins. I dropped to just above the ground and a few minutes later settled to the ground. I opened a door and stepped out before glancing around and grabbing the bags and walking towards a set of ruins.

I knelt at a corner, “Adam.”

My brother cleared his throat, “About time.”

I smiled, “If you had kept your comm on this would not happen.”

He walked around the corner with a slim woman following, “I was busy.”

I tossed one of the bags, “Get dressed, the boss sent the message.”

Adam

I glanced across at Ally as she carefully removed the last few layers of dirt using a brush. The others crowded around to watch as she sat back on her heels, “Okay take vids and then carefully begin removing the dirt around it. We will try to take it out in the morning.”

The five thousand year old stone chest was carved with glyphs and symbols. She stood and turned to smile as she crossed to me and take my hand, “You have a good eye.”

I let her pull me out of the wide central set of ruins and walked beside her, “Right now my eye is on you.”

She grinned and glanced around before pressing against me and kissing me passionately. I held her until she pulled back with a sigh, “I have a hour or two.”

I grinned and pulled her after me and through the ruins towards the east. Just before we exited the ruins I turned in at a set with high, thick walls. After twisting and turning through rooms and a hall we stepped into a large tarp covered room. Ally grinned as she pulled me around and kissed me, “You are a strange man.”

I held her and smiled, “Why? Because I found this set of ruins and I am not a scientist?”

She shook her head, “No. Because you respect the find and at the same time use it to make your home.”

I grinned and started to kiss her when I heard the sound of a shuttle passing over. I lifted my head and listen, “Are you expecting someone in a shuttle?”

Ally shook her head, “We just received our bi weekly supplies.”

I slipped the safety off the holster and took her hand, “I think...”

I froze as our site comms gave off loud static. I looked at her and almost cursed before pulling her after me as I headed out. Outside I looked around before heading north west and deeper into the ruins, “I need to tell you something.”

I pulled her into a set of ruins and across and then around and in between two walls. I held her as I listened and finally looked at her, “A long time ago the emperor had elite soldiers to protect him and his government. When he died his son had a regency council to help him.”

Ally nodded, “I know the story...”

I squeezed her arm, “Just listen. The regency council made sure they would never lose power which is why they are still in power now. The new emperor though still commanded his soldiers, his commandoes. One of the things that helped them was enhancements and nanites. The council became afraid of his soldiers and started rumors. It was a campaign to make the public fear nanites and then they were going to go after the soldiers.”