Chapter 4: Crystal Suite

I came to my senses and realized even before I opened my eyes I was naked and my hands had been tied to my back. I opened my eyes and looked into the face of a blue skinned Thauran teen with coppery metallic hair. “Hey Exa, your rich benefactor is awake.”

Then he turned back to me. “Now listen carefully, Rich Citizen Kid. We are the Port Roaches, the most bad ass gang on all of Twilight and I am the Roach King. You caused one of my roaches to be arrested. I don’t like that.

You interfere with my business and I don’t like that even less.

Now little useless Exa here, tells me you like little girls and pay for food and you got money. You can improve your situation by letting me see how much money you got on your credit chip and then I want you to transfer every micro cent into my credit strip. If you do that I let you live, release you, naked but alive up in the port and you can go back to whatever dirt ball you came from, poorer but alive.”

“I don’t believe you. You can’t let me go after I handed you my money. Union Police will tear this moon apart if they hear of a kidnapping, I am sure you know what the penalty for everyone involved is. It isn’t dust camp.”

There were four others similar dressed and dirty as the Roach king and Exa who was the smallest and most fragile looking of them all.

One of them said. “He is right King. This ain’t stealing anymore. We’re in deep trouble; they will hang us for this.”

Another squeaked. “I’ve seen a public hanging and I sure do not want to go like that. It was horrible, the guy was charged with murder and he kicked his feet for almost five minutes before he died. Roach king let’s cut our losses and let the guy go.”

“You all shut up. We did the deed and now we reaping the spoils. I am in charge here. This guy is rich. That is our ticket out of here. We all will have money and eat and sleep in real beds.”

The tallest of the bunch crossed his “You are in charge because you drew the black rock out of the bag. We can call for a new draw anytime.”

The others yelled. “We have a right to vote on that.”

I stoked the fire. “I sent a distress call with my PDD just before that lying brat sent me dreaming. I am sure if Port security can’t find me they call in Union Police or even Marines and Fleet Security. Taking a fleet member hostage is about the worst you could have done.”

Exa almost cried as she said. “He did tell me he was on his way to Arsenal. That’s Fleet HQ.”

Another boy said. “Messing with the Fleet, King, are you crazy? I am out of here. They bring in the PSI Corps to find him and anyone responsible for his death. There is no place we can hide from them.”

The tall one hissed “I quit. I go to the Filth Flies. They may not have a nice cave as we do but they stick with stealing.”

The Roach King screamed in a fit. “Alright let us discuss this but not before that rich boy. I kill him myself so no one is going to be hanged other than me if it ever comes to that.” He herded them out and closed the rusty door.

Now I had time to check my surroundings. I was in a small utility room. There were big pipes and hand wheels on one side.

The walls were made out of natural rock and I assumed this was some sort of maintenance chamber for the water supply systems. Across my current position the other side of the room was a railing about hip high and a sign attached to it read Fresh water holding tank 12. Pre-treatment.

I could see the wave like reflection of water at the rock ceiling.

The door croaked open again and the Roach king came back. “You will tell me the access code to your PDD and transfer the money.”

“No.”

“You still think you have a choice, rich kid.”

Two of his friends came in. “What we are going to do?”

“We toss that piece of shit in the water like we did with Serg and make him talk. They all talk after that.”

They dragged me to my feet, and over to the railing, now I could see a big and deep water tank fed by a pipe at on one end and grating covered drain at its bottom about ten meters below the surface.

The Roach King came close to my ear. “You see that Rich boy? That is real cold river water and it is deep.”

I had to bite my lips to make me sound terrified.” I can’t swim.”

“Swimming isn’t going to be your problem, shit. Getting air to breath however is.”

Someone kicked me in the knee pits and I dropped rather painful with my naked knees on the steel grading and two of them pushed me head first over the rim of the tank into the water, holding my legs. After only one minute or so they pulled me back up. “The PDD code, now.”

I knew I was acting real badly and as if I was out of breath and terrified.” No.”

They dunked me again and not much longer then the first time.

One of them whispered. “We are not really going to kill him are we?”

“Shut up you pansy.”

Then he leaned forward. “The next time I dunk you it be much longer. Maybe twice as long as before. The Access code now.”

I shook my head. “No if I do you kill me.”

“I do if you don’t.”

He dunked me again. I kicked them harder this time and I slipped out of their grip. I expelled all the air form the lungs kicked little for show and then let myself float. I could not help but grin to myself.

But then it was my own stupidity brought me into this situation in the first place and that was no reason to smile.

I kept playing dead. I heard them say.” If his body clogs the intake the engineers come down and find him they going to investigate.”

After about ten or fifteen minutes, they used a pole to get me and fished me out.

“We got to throw him in the river. Now get his clothing and the PDD so if did make that call they think he fell in the water or something and hopefully the river will drag him halfway around the terminator before they find him.”

The Roach King laughed dry “The word will spread that I am not afraid of killing. At least something good came out of it. Don’t forget to cut his ties. If they suspect a murder they investigate even harder.”

I risked a peek as the king came back with my things and the PPD. The other cut my bonds. The King said.” Go dress him.”

“I’m not touching a dead naked body, eeew.”

“You do or you going to be the next naked dead body.”

The Roach King laughed again and went out the door.

The one left behind cursed and turned me on my back. I kicked him as hard as I could directly under the chin, his head flung back and he actually lifted off the ground smashed backwards into the metal armatures behind him and slipped to the floor leaving a bloody smear on the pipes, he did not move.

I dressed as fast as I could and then took the knife and wanted to activate my PDD but someone had pried of the energy pack, probably to sell it. I opened the steel door a crack and peaked through.

There was a dimly lit corridor with two big pipes in the middle running into both directions. I could see the feet of someone behind the two pipes on the other side and risked opening the door a little wider. The corridor had been carved into natural rock. The corridor and pipes seemed to go on forever in to one direction, but ended at an elevator door in the other direction, only about fifty meter or so.

Now all I had to do was sneak up to that Elevator door and disappear and take the next possible space bus and leave Twilight as far behind as I possibly could. That was the sensible, logical and right thing to do. That wasn’t me however; I could not let this attempted murder on me go unpunished. I wanted to explain to that Roach King that I did not enjoy his kind of hospitality and had the strong urge to repay him with a typical Nilfeheim answer to such things. Calling it an urge was of course way more civilized than I felt.

This overwhelmed my better judgment and I was sure my aunt Freydis was right and following the heart was sometimes better than following the mind.

I was equally sure it wasn’t the heart I followed.

Of course it was a pile of Nubhir poop, following my instincts rather than what I should have done was the reason I was down here in the first place.

I wondered how many million passengers passed through Twilight every day and the worst thing ever happening to them was perhaps an overpriced meal or a stolen shopping bag, but I had to slide headlong into trouble on the very first stop on my journey. I wondered what would have happened if I had stopped at Holstein? Or if I would ever make it to Arsenal.

I sneaked out, the soles of the marvelous all terrains adjusted from metal floor to rock floor and I was able to walk silently. I climbed a short ladder and pressed myself as flat as I could against the incredibly dusty and dirty top of the metal pipeline. Then I inched myself forward ... I could smell the metal paint in my nose and the smell instantly reminded me of the old steel rafters of Hasvik ... There on the other side of this corridor dividing pipeline was a crack in the tunnel wall about forty centimeters wide and I guessed perhaps 100 centimeters tall. Very likely the entrance to the Nest of the Roaches Exa had described to me.

Not the Roach king but one of the older boys stood right next to it. I recognized him being the other guy I had first seen up in the space port lobby after I had grabbed Exa.

Some sort of homemade looking gun leaned next to him against the wall. I figured he was supposed to be a guard or look out, but he was a very bad one. He played with some sort of hand held game that made cartoonish noises.

A good guard would be right here on top of the pipes able to see in both directions on both sides of the pipes, without exposing himself.

Obviously neither strategy nor tactical planning went into choosing guard or guard position. I got into a crouching position and jumped. I landed right on top of that useless guard and slammed the guy hard to the ground He groaned and got my knee deep into his stomach pit. He made no other sound as he went limb, I looked left and right but there was no one. I dragged him under the pipes and stuffed him as far as in the crevice between lower pipe and rock floor and then checked his weapon.

It was some sort of pipe with a plastic stock. A cylindrical pressure canister attached to the top appeared to contain a pressurized gas intended to drive a piston to expel a ten centimeter long steel spike. It was a one shot deal and I had no idea how accurate or how strong it would be. Peeking inside the crack I saw a natural cave of about twenty meters circumference. I could see three roaches and the King. He was sitting on an elevated office swivel chair. The cave was lid by two light elements very rudimentary wired into the lights of the corridor outside.

One of the roach boys shoved Exa towards the King and I heard him say.” It was all your fault the things went bad. It was you that could not run fast enough and got yourself caught by that rich boy. And thanks to that drowned friend of yours, my best man Benjamin will be sent to the Dust Mines. I got five of the Roaches left. The others left to go to the Flies and all because you could not do even do a little thing right and use the Lights Out-stinger before he had a chance to use his PDD.”

She cried. “Please don’t make me do it again.”

“Oh but you will. My blue pecker needs cleaning. it will teach you a valuable lesson to obey and do what I tell you to do.”

One of the bastards forced her on her knees and the Roach King dropped his pants. I fired the crude weapon and the bolt nailed him through the left shoulder into the back rest of his chair.

As fast as I could I squeezed myself through the crack, rushed up and used the empty weapon like a club, hammered it across the head of the tallest, then I buried the dull end of that dart thrower with all force into the stomach pit of the other.

I kicked and hit them till none of them moved.

I looked around but did not see anyone else. I readied for a swing and said. “Your reign ends today Roach king. I take your filthy head of.”

“Stop it right there Citizen.” Bright light filled the cave and the edges of the crack in the wall began to glow white hot and a heartbeat later four armored Police men with blasters stomped in and crowed the small cave.

“Citizen drop that Air gun and let me scan your CIT.”

I complied.

The tall Roach I had seen when I first regained consciousness, appeared behind the cops.” I told you they abducted a Citizen. Do I get my reward now?”

“Run fast and disappear before we decide to arrest you after all, which should do for a reward.”

The policeman in front of me wore a bulky looking Ultronit segmented armor with Police stenciled across his chest. Two bright lights mounted to each side of his helmet made my eyes water and I could barely see a thing.

“You are Eric Olafson of Nilfeheim?”

“Yes Officer.”

“Please tell us exactly what happened. Be as detail specific as possible.”

So I told him pretty much everything that happened since I landed.

One of his colleagues looked at a hand held device

“The Poly Analyzer gives his story a 99. 21 percent truth level. Cyber Legal shows all green. Citizen has acted in clear self defense and self-preservation. No laws have been violated by the Citizen.”

I said angrily. “What I said was all true not just ninety nine percent.”

He turned off the glaring lights and said. “Mr. Olafson, we would have accepted seventy five percent. This machine can never give one hundred percent due of sampling errors, adjustments and calibration issues. I never have seen anything close to your results. I’d buy Big Ball from you and think it’s a good deal. So I assure you we do not question one word you said.”

His partner scratched his chin. “You sure cleaned house down here. Three dead, two seriously injured and that after being almost drowned to death.”

“Three?”

“The guy in Fresh Water Tank access room suffered a basilar skull fracture. The one you stuffed under the water pipeline has a crushed rib cage, and this guy right here blunt trauma to the temple, that cut his lights for good. The other is about to take the final trip and the Roach King bleeding a good deal.

I wasn’t very proud of my sad record. “What do I have to next?”

“Whatever you like you are free to go.”

“What will happen with them?”

“The ones alive are old enough and will be charged with kidnapping and attempted murder. I doubt the judge or the Jury will take long to come to a verdict. We got three witness accounts, Poly Verified and physical evidence. I figure they will be hanged in a week or so. The girl, well she is according to my Bio scanner twelve years old and a minor, but there is no family or verifiable place of origin. No worries she will go back to Mother Moore and then be on her way to Slammer Moon. She will be a real good citizen by the time she is eighteen.”

Exa starred with a hollow expression on her small face at the floor.

“Officer is there any way to prevent that? I mean her going to the Slammer moon?”

He tapped his PDD.”Well she is a Non Cit and technically if she paid her fines for her long string of theft charges, Legal Central could agree to a good will bond. Meaning she can turn herself in. But who would want to pay the 600 credits for something as worthless as her?”

“She is a sentient being and she should be priceless instead of worthless just for that reason. I guess the shiny and good Union has a dark and dirty Underside after all.”

“Nothing is perfect Citizen, besides we have places and institutions to deal with such, like Mother Moore and the Social Bureau.”

“I am going to pay her fines.”

He shrugged. “It’s your money Citizen, but she will be out in the Port Concourse tomorrow and steal and beg as soon as you are gone. She never keeps her bail condition.”

“Not if I can help it, Officer.”

I paid her fines and Legal Central verified that she was free to go, but has to report to Mother Moores within 48 hours.

I put my hand on Exa’s shoulder and said. “Let’s go girl.”

On our way to the elevator she said. “You are not angry with me? Do you want to kill me now that you bought me?”

“The idea had crossed my mind when you sent me to dream land, but you are a child and you did what others told you to do. I didn’t buy either.”

“Do you want me to clean your pecker?”

I shivered in disgust. “Of course not Exa and I am promising you we find a way so you never have to do that again.”

A Police man stood by the Elevator. “Press nine and it gets you to Sub-Level Nine Sir. From there you can find an Inter Port Transport to get you all the way up.”

“Thank you Officer.”

“Great work, Sir. Word will spread like wild fire and keep the ruts in line for a while. Teaches them to mess with a Viking Pirate”

“They still call us Pirates after all that time?”

He shrugged. “I guess it was the only thing your planet really did to stand out for a while. No worries Citizen a little bad-ass rep goes a long way these days.”

I sighed and shrugged and pushed Exa in the Elevator.

Then I said to her. “We still have a deal, right? You show me around and will be my tour guide and in return I pay you to take a bath and then we find you something better to wear as well.”

She looked up to me. “I will keep my bargain this time, I promise.”

“Good enough for me.”

“How did you survive the drowning?”

“It’s hard to drown someone who can breathe water.”

“Like a fish?”

“Well I was told more like a Sea turtle but basically yes.”

The Vertigo Bridge was an amazing sight. About fifty meters wide, about twenty high and according to Exa, exactly 1600 meters long. Except for the Metal frame work and slide ways on each side, the bridge was completely transparent. Rain pelted the roof. I could see the City on the other side.

Children were lying on the floor pretending to fly. Locals walked or used the Slide ways without hesitation, visitors and some tourists clearly stood out as some of them hesitated to take the first step. There was laughter and shrieks.

Exa walked a few steps out and said. “3000 meters below us is Twilight River. The river carved this canyon out of the very hard granite rock. The River fed by the perpetual rain and the canyon are almost 6000 kilometers long, making it one of the longest rivers on any known planet in the Union. It has the longest stretch of white water turbulence and there are 321 waterfalls of which the Skull Mist Veil seventy kilometers up river from here is the widest and the Giant shower 200 klicks downriver the highest with a 1400 meter drop. Twilight River is visited by over 6 million white water sports enthusiasts and we have thousands of river water sports related clubs, associations and equipment manufacturers.”

The river ends in the Foggy flats, and from there the water evaporates and ends up in rain again. The steep rock walls glistened wet. Dense green forests lined both sides; the river itself appeared like a small band of green snaking in a crackly line as far as I could see into both directions.

She turned. “Are you coming or are you afraid? We could use one of the Cable cars or the Swing tram. Or if you do not like heights at all we can of course also use the new Trans Planet Mag-tube.”

“No I am not afraid. It is the first time I actually see another world and I was taking in the sights.”

I followed her and now I could see a big A frame steel construct in the distance connecting the two sides and dozens of capsules attached to the apex of the A frame with thin cables swung back and forth.

She said. “That’s the swing tram. It belongs to the Amusement park and connects both sides of the park; there are no absorbers or anything. You feel the full effect of the swing and it is along with the bridge the most popular attraction.”

“You really know your stuff and you sound like a real tour guide”

She smiled proudly. “Sometimes I get lucky and visitors look past the dirt, and then they hire me as a tour guide and I can earn some credits in tips.

She pointed through the floor. “The river below teems with fish. None of them are native as there is no local animal life but they were brought in from other planets. Do you want to go fish? It also is very popular.”