Chapter 1 - The Lapse
Chapter 2 - A Past Life
Chapter 3- Old Friend
Chapter 4 - Pirate Spy
Chapter 5 - Dream Factory
Chapter 6 - Pirate Colours
Chapter 7 - The Ruse
Chapter 8 - The Other Face
Chapter 9 - Reflection
Chapter 10 - Cracks
Completed under the =====
Chapter 11
--
Caran said, “What have you found out about Eagle?”
“Nothing so far,” Lumar responded and watched while Caran rose from his seat and wandered over to wall baring the company logo. The argon agent touched a panel and a wide section of wall opened up to reveal a bar.
“Drink?”
“Are you sure Korec won’t mind you raiding his drinks cabinet?”
“All formal complaints will be investigated in due course after the appropriate forms have been filled in.”
“In which case I’ll have water,” Lumar said.
Caran filled two glasses and returned to his seat, “While you investigate what happened to the crew of the Colonial Star, you need to understand that the name Eagle is not that of an organization or a group of several pirate clans which have banded together.”
“So what is it?”
“A project code name the purpose of which still isn’t known.”
“With a name like Eagle, have you considered it might be for a new type of weapon system?”
“That’s been one suggestion, only it would not explain the attack on the TL,” Caran replied.
“Unless they have a factory in that sector they don’t want anyone to discover.”
Caran sat quietly for a while and Lumar waited patiently to let him consider the idea. Caran said, “It’s a possibility, if the pirates had destroyed the Colonial Star then that would have been a set back to the Goner but station kits can be replaced. By taking over the transport they might have modified the research scanners to ignore something as large as a station, but that would be very difficult to achieve. However there is another possibility, as you know the station was designed to search for energy sources that could include as yet undiscovered gates into new systems, in terms of commercial opportunities that information would be worth billions of credit, especially if it led to new friendly races who are technologically more advanced than us.”
Lumar responded, “I can see that might be of great interest to large commercial operations but a little expensive for your average pirate clan to take advantage of.”
“Knowledge is credits, but you’re right it is too expensive for Pirate clans to exploit new sectors. That’s why we believe Eagle has other backers, companies that are considered respectable but aren’t adverse to a few backroom deals.”
“Any idea which ones?”
“No, that’s what I need you to find out.”
“Sounds simple, but if it was you’d not be asking me to help. Where’s the catch?” Lumar said with the certainty that Caran was holding back information. He sipped his water.
“People who have gone asking questions, however discrete, are usually found floating in space without an environment suit. Our guess is the people running Eagle are the only ones that know its objectives and if you weren’t invited in at the start then you’re not welcome. Just to mention its name in the wrong place will get you killed.”
“Only you discovered a new lead or a place you could get information on the pirate base in New Income, which is when things went wrong, right?”
“Close enough. When something strange is happening, like Eagle, a lot of rumours and speculation starts to appear. Most are wild tales told by drunken pirates who revel in expanding the myth just in order to get a free drink from anyone daft enough to listen.”
“But you do listen don’t you,” Lumar interjected with a smile.
“Just occasionally you can pick up a snippet of truth, and one of those tiny gems of information mentioned the attack on the Colonial Star. That highlighted piece of data found its way back to the pirate station where our intoxicated informant was drowning his life’s sorrows away. Only before we could extract him for the sake of his continued good health they got to him and then they killed the agents.”
Lumar frowned with Caran’s last comment being a stark reminder of earlier events, he said, “Do you know who was responsible for the attack on the storage depot?”
“It’s funny you should mention that,” Caran said and took a long sip of water.
Lumar commented, “Strangely enough I’m not laughing.”
“They weren’t after you they were after some old archives. As you already know the Goner have an extended library on the planet which includes copies of all the old missionary journeys including all the strange encounters and various sectors they visited. There’s a lot of history describing the expansion of the races into, what were, the outer sectors at the time, but the library simply has copies of the logs. The originals can be found in purpose built long term storage facilities like the one in Trantor City. For some reason one, or possibly more, of the records is of special interest to the thieves but we don’t know which one or why. One thing we do feel certain about is the attack on the Colonial Star and the storage facility are related.”
“Eagle?”
Caran nodded and said, “I understand you know the receptionist has been located on the Anarchy Station.”
“Yes, and I was planning on having a chat with her before everything went wrong.”
“Good, because that’s exactly what we need you to do. Find out if she overheard anything that might give us a clue what’s really going on.”
“Fine, if you can get me docking permission and a usable ID with the station then I’ll have the chat. But before I go, I know your people have a device for neutralizing slave chips, I want one.”
“We can’t afford for you to play the hero by attempting a rescue,” Caran warned.
“Who said anything about a rescue, last time I tried to help someone people died. No, I need the device to prevent her from being terminated if I’m discovered before finding out what she knows,” Lumar said in a quiet voice and gave Caran the solemn expression.
There was the flicker of a smile coupled with a hint of doubt in Caran’s eye’s before he said, “I’ll get you the device, after that I’ll leave it up to you to do what you think is right.”
************
Lumar nodded slowly, “How much of this does Noah know?”
“Everything that relates specifically to the Goner,” Caran replied.
“Is he aware of where I’m going?”
“No, and I’m not intending to tell him. After all he may think it’s too soon to let you get near people that tend to bring out your darker side.”
“It’s probably better that way. So how do I get on board the Anarchy Station?”
“Octopus Raider, decked out in clan colours. It’s fully spec’d out and has cargo bay life support. Slightly faster than the Bat Raider, but less common in pirate circles, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s their ship of choice for shifting slaves. The station has the biggest market for slave trading in the universe with the base in Brennan’s Triumph being a close second.”
“How do I know she hasn’t been sold and shipped out already?”
“She was sold to a pimp on the station as a working girl, which should make it easier for you to get her on her own and find out what she knows,” Caran answered and picked up his datapad and tapped gently on the screen. He handed it over to Lumar, on the screen was the image of the pimp with the name below, it read Jolt Black. He did not recognize it and took a few moments longer to read the list of known crimes that Black had committed which ranged from petty theft to multiple murders, but he reflected there was nothing in the list that was out of the ordinary for a man in Black’s profession.
He handed back the pad and said, “Under other circumstances I would see this as an opportunity to improve the general state of the universe.”
“Under other circumstances I would encourage you to do so, but you must keep that temper of yours in check,” Caran warned.
“I intend to try.”
“See that you do. Now the ship is already waiting for you in the hold, but it you want the Slave Override Controller then you’d better wait here or follow me to the Equipment Dock in Argon Prime.”
“I think I’ll wait,” Lumar responded as he did not feel like boarding the small fighter quite yet and had a feeling that Korecmancketras had already made the jump back to The Wall system which would shorten the Caran’s journey significantly.
“Very well, I’ll see you again in a stazura,” Caran said and quickly left the briefing room.
Lumar sat in quiet contemplation and wondered if the brotherhood had any inkling of what was going on in the wider universe. What had started out as a simple investigation in to the disappearance of the Colonial Star’s crew was shaping up to be something far bigger. He made a mental note that he should investigate the goner archives in Trantor City after he had seen the girl and probably he thought, after he had spoken to Ber. While he thought about the private investigator he hoped he did not ask the wrong type of question and get himself noticed by unsympathetic members of the Eagle group. Korecmankcetras came into the briefing room and they sat and talked, catching up on old news and business before Caran returned with a small cloth bag clutched in his hands.
Placing it on the table the Argon agent said, “Don’t let the pirates get hold of that.”
“What’s inside?”
“An interface card for a tech-pad and three nannite kits. The interface card will be able to help you locate the chip and explosive device. It’ll analyse the coding and mimic both the locator transmission and seeker signal. The nannites can be injected close to the explosive and they’ll disarm it properly, but it will still take a small operation to remove the device.”
Lumar picked up the kit and found a deep pocket in his robes to stow it away, he said, “Thanks, now I’d best be on my way.”
“We’ll come with you to the docking bay.”
Mizuras later and Lumar was passing the haunting station wreckage of Presidents End. Khaak activity in the area was still prevalent but the continued presence of a number of fleet ships kept the fighting away from the freighter lanes. The small confines of the cabin behind him did not encourage him to leave the pilots seat, even though it had taken him only a brief while plotting his course and engage the autopilot. Instead he kept monitoring the sector traffic and watching for any fighters vectoring in on an intercept path.
The sector Elena’s Fortune emerged and had the appearance of a frontier sector, despite its proximity to the core sectors. To ease the tedium of the journey he pulled forward another screen and punched up the sector’s history and, after reading through the most recent turn of events, he wondered why the other races had not made much greater protests of the annexation into the Argon Federation of the former independent sector following the first Khaak assault in Omicron Lyrae. Before he could formulate any reasonable opinions he crossed into the next independent sector to be greeted by the unmistakable visage of a recent war. The sector map simply showed the occasional asteroid while out in the void he could see the dark skeletal remains of former stations, some surrounded by scavenger ships with their short range pale blue cutting lasers flashing through the burnt out hulls. A large converted station transporter, flanked by fighters, nestled close by to receive the chunks of metal as they were tractor beamed into the loading bay.
Quickly his ship passed by the scene and on he went through each of the sectors. In Nopileos’s Memorial a Pirate Bat tried to intercept him but after a five k’s chase he gave up and went to scout for easier and slower prey. Sometime later and without significant incident the ship’s AI reported, “Entering sector, Loomanckstat’s Legacy.”
=======
Ahead of him was the dense asteroid field and the ships HUD registered a number of potential hostile ships. He set the speed for maximum and kept his eyes on the scanner. “Run a sensor a sweep,” he said and almost immediately the threat warning indicator showed the presence of a squash mine and immediately he checked the distance.
After this point he was running the sweep every five stazuas and felt he should feel anxious, but he did not. The imminent danger as new mines suddenly appeared on the HUD made him feel alive. The presence of the nav sats guiding him though the mine field was ignored for the exhilaration that the threat of impending death made him feel.
A new style Harrier dived in towards him and a call came in over the comm, “Identify yourself.”
Lumar glanced at the speed of the incoming ship and knew he could outrun them but he would be in range of the Harriers weapons long enough for it to inflict significant damage. He glanced at the fake ID he’d been given and hoped it would work, then read the name again and said a silent prayer before saying, “The name’s Tofin Dye,”
“Hold current speed and heading.” Lumar let the ship drift on with his hands gently placed on the flight controls while he watched the instrument readings for any sign of hostile activity. He also made a mental note that his current heading was straight at an asteroid and before long he would, out of pure necessity, have to change vector. The sezuras rolled on and the asteroid was drawing uncomfortably close.
“Notify the hailing vessel that we will be altering course to avoid a collision,” He said and waited a short while and then adjusted his course without waiting any longer for an acknowledgement.
“You are cleared to proceed,” the Pirate voice came over the comm and Lumar saw the Harrier turn away on a new heading. He breathed a sigh of relief and was pleased to know he had not been sent on a pointless excursion. He considered what he would have done to Caran if he had had to turn back and then he started to contemplate what he might find and see on the pirate station. Without warning he felt as if a cold hand had close about his heart and his jaw muscles tensed.
“Docking permission granted.”
He switched on the autopilot and released the controls, in the darkness he caught the gleam of sunlight on a series of laser towers as they turned and tracked the Raider. Nestled between them and the asteroids was the station itself, and he could see it was a proper station and not a converted TL. The style of the construction reminded him of a trading station but he reasoned it was probably an old abandoned research station.
The docking lights blinked into life and the ship rolled into position to the sound of vector thrusters and the ship glided smoothly to the docking station where the docking arm reached out to grip the tiny vessel. Checking the lockers he found a set of fatigues appropriate for a pirate courier and a harness clipped with slave manacles and restraints. Checking the weapons locker he took the heavy assault pulse rifle and slotted a blaster into his holster. He found a tin of Paranid cigars and opened it. Gently he pealed back the covering Bellam leaf and gingerly lifted a cigar out from its resting place. With reverence he lifted it close and drew in its scent, and then placed it between his lips and picked up the lighter. With an old familiar gleam in his eye the flame sprang into life and he inhaled while the end of the cigar glowed deep amber. Pocketing the tin and lighter he turned to the airlock door and when the outer door opened his senses were assailed by a hauntingly familiar sounds and smells. This, he reasoned, was not the place for a priest and Creed stepped out.
A momentary lapse of reason - ch11 complete (25/08)
Moderators: TheElf, Moderators for English X Forum
A momentary lapse of reason - ch11 complete (25/08)
Last edited by Mercenary on Fri, 25. Aug 06, 17:41, edited 2 times in total.
-
Captain Chris sTc
- Posts: 991
- Joined: Fri, 6. Feb 04, 01:21
-
George Wills
- Posts: 546
- Joined: Wed, 6. Nov 02, 20:31
Re: A momentary lapse of reason - ch11 pt 1 (02/08)
Before I go however I know your people have ...Mercenary wrote:Before I go however I know you people have ...
Nice new part! I like the description of him speeding through the sectors. You provide just enough information for the reader to feel included yet not bored with the lack of action. 
Looking forward to the next part!
"but it you want" - it = if?
"shorten the Caran’s journey"
"and probably he thought" - comma after probably
Looking forward to the next part!
"but it you want" - it = if?
"shorten the Caran’s journey"
"and probably he thought" - comma after probably
Very nice finish to the chapter and soooooo time, too 
I can imagine going through a minefield in a pirate-infested sector in nothing but a tiny scout ship is rather discomforting. So, he is aboard the station, what is next? Did they recognise him and it is a trap or will he be able to roam around until he finds what he is looking for?
Looking forward to the next chapter!
I can imagine going through a minefield in a pirate-infested sector in nothing but a tiny scout ship is rather discomforting. So, he is aboard the station, what is next? Did they recognise him and it is a trap or will he be able to roam around until he finds what he is looking for?Looking forward to the next chapter!
-
Captain Chris sTc
- Posts: 991
- Joined: Fri, 6. Feb 04, 01:21
i do like it when creed steps in. mind you, your violance is always compelling. let's see if creed takes charge.
On a side note is any one else gonna show up. (mainly corrie) or is this mainly sbou creed. (i'm not fushed either way it's just i would liek to know what happened. and i'm a little( very) drunk.
i've now just had to rea read it woops. any how. it is a sweet ending. he dose tend to frequent the darker places for a goner.
On a side note is any one else gonna show up. (mainly corrie) or is this mainly sbou creed. (i'm not fushed either way it's just i would liek to know what happened. and i'm a little( very) drunk.
i've now just had to rea read it woops. any how. it is a sweet ending. he dose tend to frequent the darker places for a goner.
