Chapter 14: La Grotte

Paul no longer looked like a slave. He was clean, well-groomed and wore a loose-fitting, light brown colored shirt and pants combination underneath an open seamed dark brown dust cloak, that was so common on Alvor’s Cove.

The belt pouch contained an Alvor’s Cove resident license, officially purchased and verified. The colony officials selling these and a host of other permits and licenses only cared about the Iridium chips or the Fullweights they charged and did not ask any questions at all.

On his feet, he wore a pair of sturdy boots and he had a pair of dust goggles shoved into his forehead.

Sam came out of the one-story stone building at the edge of the wide-open landing field, that once was a river delta created by the long-vanished river that carved the canyon system behind it.

The tall black man dressed very similarly said.”Well, it is all settled, you are to board the Quampam, that is the old Poodle out there, next to that Karthanian freighter. It will take you to Kaliment as discussed.”

Paul was neither confident nor happy to be sent on such a trip on his own. He was actually quite afraid. As he had always done, in all his life he was hiding his true feelings behind a façade of self-importance. “I am getting lost, robbed and killed. I demand you to come with me. Protect me and get me to Union space.”

“I don’t have the resources, Paul. We must follow the trail of Martha, your wife. You are not a slave anymore. I gave you Iridium chips and a weapon/ Kaliment is not a lawless place like Sin 4 or Alvor’s Cove.”

“Martha is dead and gone. I am alive, I refuse to go alone.”

Dsm clenched his big fists. “No one pays that much to kill a slave. She is valuable for some reason. You have a choice.”Go and follow my instructions or don’t. I am done with you, Mr.Masters.”

Paul crossed his arms.”I could expose you to the locals, why not sending that metal servant with me? I need protection and that robot will have to serve and obey.”

Sam had enough.”That does it.” He hammered his fist into Pauls’s face, cutting the man’s lights.

==””—

A fast planet mover tube train connected Pishoir Port with the twelve klicks distant main settlement of the planet, La Grotte. Cara, Partner, and Roy had cleared local customs moments ago.

The train rushed through the vacuum tube and bridged the distance from the spaceport to the city in mere moments. The train was occupied by quite a few riders and did not allow Roy or Cara to exchange many words. Both were still quite stunned by the sudden death of that unknown man back on the space bus.

Both Cara and Roy were convinced the dead man and his partner had been on their trail. That made the sudden demise of one of them even more disturbing.

The train had reached the first stop, the main station of La Grotte.

Roy had learned that this city had been established in a huge subsurface cave. The settlement had long outgrown the confines of the cave and spilled out on the dusty surface on one side and deeper into the mountain and a confusing labyrinth of occupied passages and natural tunnels. This was not his first time in a settlement located beneath the surface of a planet, but Kappa VIII was small and consisted of a few tunnels, orderly planned and carved by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Roy started at the utterly complex and confusing map of La Grotte displayed a the exit of the train platform. There were Info Bots, Taxi bubbles and navigation aids freely downloadable to any PDD, but to him, it looked utterly confusing. “This is insane.”

Cara shrugged. “We won’t be here long enough to get lost in the outskirts of La Grotte. You should see the tunnel map of a Klack Nest colony.”

He sighed. “Where are we going now?”

“Straight to the next Fleet Office.”

“Union Fleet Office, why?”

“Every Union Fleet Office has a NAVINT officer and able to get us in contact with PSI Corps.”

“Isn’t PSI Corps an Army department?”

“There isn’t an Army Office in La Grotte. The army is much smaller than the Fleet and PSI Corps is the smallest Army branch. The fleet is everywhere and NAVINT works closely with us.”

Roy was glad to hear that. He knew nothing about the Fleet really, but like everyone, he put great trust in it, especially because he had the great fortune to meet the Eternal Warrior. He had about enough of all these clandestine events that seemed to follow him ever since he left Green Hell. True, the unseen enemy, he equated with the Kermac somehow managed to infiltrate a Prison facility and divert a Destroyer. He doubted the enemy could do this everywhere.

He gave Partner a nudge and said. “Alright, Cara lead the way then. I doubt I would find it even with a map on my Wrist Com.”

“It isn’t fair. We can take a bubble cab.”

--””—

His CITI identified him as Elon Rimmer. He managed to convince the Union Police officers that cam aboard the bus, that he had no connection to the dead man in seat 188-03 right next to him.

The first responders of the spaceport clinic confirmed the death of Barton Smolk and preliminary examinations pointed to the delayed reaction to a Bonglee sting. He had been questioned while scanned by a Poly Analyzer. His statement had been accepted and he was allowed to leave the bus. The investigating police detective asked him to remain available and on the planet, In case he would be needed for further questioning. The detective assured him that it would not take very long until the investigation was concluded.

Elon, having a very advanced Hypno implant managed to fool the Poly Analyzer and he was certain there was no traceable connection between him and the dead man.

This was however not the truth. While he did not know the real name of Barton, the man was assigned to him as a partner to follow Roy Masters.

He had lost the track of his target, despite the huge black thing, He rented a room in a low budget hotel under the name he had given the police detective and quickly changed his appearance with a new Bioflex mask and a change of clothing. Now looking like a Thauran, he left the hotel and after over an hour of randomly using slide belts, verti shooters and two Taxi rides, he reached the rental apartment that was set up for him and his now-dead partner.

The address was part of his instructions. Other than two beds, a table, and two chairs there wasn’t anything else in the small low rent apartment in an outskirt district of La Grotte.

He scanned the room for listening devices and activated the sophisticated privacy screen of his PDD and linked his implant with the device. This special set up linked him to his handlers.

His contact waited until he identified himself using his genetic-based code.

A blurry outline of a human shape asked with an obviously artificial voice. “Why are you breaking protocol with this unscheduled contact?”

“I was instructed to make contact if difficulties arise.”

“Proceed.”

“The assigned partner designated as Barton Smolk died while we landed on Phisoir. The medic said it was a delayed reaction to a Bonglee sting. I had to give a statement and they scanned my CITI.”

There was a moment of silence and then the voice asked. “Were you able to destroy the implant and the Bioflex?”

“How could I? The death occurred in the passenger compartment of a Space Bus at the moment of debarking. His death was completely unexpected. He did not mention a Bonglee sting or any sort of other health problems.”

“They will, of course, discover the mask and then dig deeper, finding the implant. Nothing that can’t be obtained with great difficulty, but it will alert Union Police to investigate deeper.”

“What about me? I can’t leave this world. My CITI is genuine no matter the disguise. It will be scanned to obtain passage for departure.”

“Remain where you are. We will send you a new partner and instructions.”

The connection was terminated. He wondered what could they do to get him off the planet, but then he knew his handlers had great resources. With a frown he deactivated the privacy bubble and immediately froze in his movements, there was a woman sitting on the bed with crossed legs. She wore a fashionable light gray skirt suit combination, had straight blonde hair and a beautiful but expressionless face.

He doubted his handlers to be able to dispatch someone so quickly, but then they provided him with this address, maybe she was very close already.

“Are you the one they sent?”

The woman waved her gloved hand. “Yes someone sent me, but I am not the one you are expecting. I like you to tell me everything about your interest in Roy Masters and every detail of your instructions.”

“Who are you?”

“What a silly question, you are not a Thauran and you are not Elon Rimmer. You should know better, but I make an exception with you. I am Cherubim.”

He never heard this name and it meant nothing to him. He blinked his teeth in a humorless grin. “And you should know that I can’t tell you anything.”

“Oh, but you will. I am doing this sort of thing for a very long time.”

--””—

They had to take two Taxi bubbles. There wasn’t one available big enough for Partner and two passengers.

Cara instructed the second bubble to follow and climbed into the bubble right after Roy.

A soothing feeling came over Roy, but at the same time his uncanny awareness of danger warned him before he passed out he noticed Cara was unconscious already.

--””—

Paul Masters became conscious and while he was pain-free, most likely due to the AutoDoc under his clothing, he noticed his face was swollen and felt numb.