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
Chapter 11 – Back on the Trail
Chapter 12 –
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Chapter 13 – Unforseen Talent
The door to the room opened and he looked towards the parade of young women that traipsed into the room, some smiling serenely while others simply smiled through a mask of fear.
He put down the selection pad but not in its holder and then picked up the glass. Removing the cover that trapped the expensive vapours from escaping, he breathed in the fumes of ancient smoked timbers with the rich sweet honey scent. The underlying aromas scored images of a wind lashed coastline, salt spray caught in an autumn air, through his senses and then he took a sip that washed like smoked nectar over his tongue before it hit the back of his throat like an explosion of fire that wiped out all senses, save those most basic of instincts that induced an adrenaline rush with endorphins to surge through every fiber of his body.
“Where’s the other two?” Creed only needed one answer but he was being watched and knew to keep from being too obvious to what he was after.
“Is there a problem?” A voice intoned over the speakers.
Creed removed the technical pad from his pocket and activated the uplink interface to slice into the controller for the image pad while he said, “I like my privacy. The fact you’re still listening is unacceptable.”
“There are private rooms available when you are ready, but for the security of our staff the introduction rooms are always monitored.”
Creed glanced down at the technical datapad that reported, ‘access gained’ he tapped in a request to locate Teaser and then turned his attention to the anxious looking women that watched him. He cast his eyes over each one with meticulous scrutiny and then picked out one young woman with a simple gesture. She glanced uncertainly at her companions and he could see them give her a sympathetic look but otherwise appeared relieved that it was not them he had chosen.
“You are too elegant for the likes of me. It’s unfortunate that your owner is the person who runs this place. Go with grace, I will choose another,” Creed said in a soft and gentle voice and smiled at the sudden changes in expression all around. The one he had picked out looked momentary relieved and then perplexed but left quickly without a word. Creed turned his attention to the others and could almost feel their confusion in not knowing if he would pick them in order to send them away or to stay.
He took another glance at the technical pad as it gave him the position of a viewing room and then the pre-booked bed chamber. The girl’s location was indicated as still being in the viewing room. Shutting down the display he slipped it back in its pouch and once again brought his attention to the parade of female flesh, “Get out of here, all of you. I need time to study today’s market and I’d like not to be disturbed, or monitored. My master will not appreciate paying over inflated prices for his new merchandise, and believe me, I know the price of flesh to know if I’m paying a fair price.”
Creed ignored the women and wandered to the balcony, he looked down and heard them shuffle out. His gaze shifted around the balconies and counted across and up, the lighting was poor at these levels making it difficult to see into other private boxes and he doubted the owners would consider anyone would risk their lives trying to search for non-existent hand holds. After a brief while he finished the drink and ordered a second. When the waiter appeared he took the refreshment and in a single move knocked the man out sending his body to collapse against the long sofa. Taking the lid off the spirit he saluted the unconscious man and downed the drink in one, pulled out the technical pad again and recalled a map of the station layout.
He searched and found the waiter’s security pass plus his small comm unit and slipped out of the room. There were no guards that he could see, so he strode purposefully along the corridors referring to the map when he was close to the shuttle lift door. All the time he was listening to the various security chatter, as far as he could tell his boldness simply helped reassure the monitoring team there was nothing untoward about his presence in the station.
The shuttle lift carried him to the right floor and he stepped out. A cursory glance assured him that he was alone and without hesitation he walked towards the assigned room. The technical datapad indicated that the girl was still in the viewing room and he closed his mind and thoughts, simply focusing on the allocated room. He stopped by the door and glanced each way taking then using the security swipe opened the door. The lights came on immediately to reveal a seedy room decorated in various tacky “mood” scenes as he saw them. He stood in thought as he studied the layout of the room. Once he located the room control pad he checked the technical datapad. It indicated the girl and her companion had not moved. He checked the controls and placed himself to one side of the door and with the controller in hand he turned out the lights. In the darkness he waited and every breath was a moment of reflection, questioning every moment of what he what he had done. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind, knowing he did not have the luxury to start doubting his actions.
He was calm and at complete peace with his inner demon when the door opened, his eyes barely opened as the light came on automatically and still he waited. Outside the entrance he heard the struggle and pleading of the girl and then the growl of the Split, “A fighter. We like that.”
Still he waited, and with half closed eyes he saw the figure drag the girl into the room before hurling her towards the bed as easily as if she were no more than a rag doll. The door closed and then the lights went out. A small scream touched the darkness, but that had no impact on Creed while he moved through the silky blackness, the silhouette of the Split framed in his mind, and there followed a deep grunt then a soft thud of a body crumpling to the ground.
By now the room could be made out by some background ambient lighting. Huddled on the bed nestled the girl, she appeared oblivious to what was happening. She asked in a quiet whisper, “Who’s there?”
“Someone who wants to ask you some questions.”
There was a quiet pause, and she said with caution, “Aren’t you a Goner priest?”
Creed was taken by surprise and took a few moments to collect his thoughts, “Have we ever met?”
There was a few moments delay before the girl replied quietly and Creed could sense a degree of hope in the girls voice, “Trantor City, you came to pick something up.”
“Really?”
“Are you here to rescue me?” She said and moved forward in the dim light.
“It wasn’t my first though,” Creed replied.
“I didn’t think Priests were allowed to hit people.”
“Let’s drop the priest thing, I want to know who took you?”
“What? You think they were stupid enough to tell me their names?”
Creed took a deep breath and counted slowly, “Did they say anything about what they were after or anything that was outside the usual chit chat.”
“What’s the usual chit chat for kidnappers and murderers?”
“Anything that doesn’t include murder or the price of slaves,” Creed replied in an equally curt manner and when a low moan escaped the Split’s lips he gave him a sharp tap on the head with the heal of his boot. The sound of a hard thud shook the floor.
“Will that information get me out of here?”
“Getting you out of here could get you killed sooner than you want.”
“Any more of this and I’d kill myself anyway.”
“You hold on to the hope of rescue, and that is a misplaced hope.”
“If I tell you something, will you promise to get me away from here?”
“That depends on what it is?” Creed replied knowing she would not be fool enough to chance giving up the information until she had been promised passage.
“They were worried, and said something about a killer called Creed being on the hunt,” The words tumbled from her with an air desperation.
“Did they now, that means they were worried,” He paused for a while and then added, “Do you think you would recognize their voices if you heard them again?”
“What makes you think I want to hear their voices again?”
“Would you prefer to stay here until they blow your guts all over the station and leave you to die in indescribable pain just because you tried to escape or refused to entertain?” Creed said but could not hide the bitterness in his voice.
“Not really.”
“Then you should know that all slaves are fitted with a tracking device that is fitted with an explosive powerful enough to rip your internals apart and the chances are it won’t be placed anywhere that will kill you instantly,” Creed said quietly. Even in the near darkness he felt as though he could see her blanch.
****************
“But you know how to stop it.”
“Yes, but there are risks.”
“Worse than it ripping apart my innards?”
“That depends on your long term point of view. The nannites have to be injected close to the device but once they’ve disabled it then you’ll disappear off the locator system and trigger every alarm in the station.”
“So you’re not going to take me out of here.”
“That could get us both killed, what do you think?”
“Please..”
Even in the darkness he could see the moisture glisten as tears rolled down her face. In the brief moments of silence he felt a twinge of warmth and in his minds eye he could envisage Creed stepping aside and with a sweeping gesture to Lumar saying, “Alone you could get out of here without a fight but she could be killed as a result of what’s happened here. With her you will probably have to fight and kill. The right choice might not be the decent one. Are you prepared to take the consequences of your decision?”
“You can’t leave me here .. please ..”
Pity welled inside him and he said in a quiet voice, “We’ll get you out of here.” His voice strengthened and Creed added all the time a growing sense of unease was creeping over him, “Shield your eyes.” He tapped the control pad and the main lights came on.
In the growing light the girl dragged a sheet around herself but not before he saw several purple bruises on her shoulders and midriff, and then he knew what was bothering him more than anything else and that was the comm. There was a diminished level of chatter and he seemed to remember hearing the same conversation in the background.
“I’m going to have to scan you to find the transponder, after which it’ll take a short time to diagnose and replicate the response signal. As soon as that’s done I can inject the nannites. Are your ready for this?” All the while he spoke he remained impassive although he now regretted concealing his weapons in the Introduction Suite. At the time it had seemed right not to trigger the alarms with a concealed weapon in a restricted zone but now he wondered if that with over cautious Goner influence.
“What do I have to do?” She said and there was a degree of certainty in her voice albeit cautious.
“Stand perfectly still.”
“That’s all?”
“Yes,” Creed said and surveyed the technical pad screen, he touched a few of the keys and frowned while the screen indicated that the station was on maximum threat alert. He glanced at the unconscious Split and could see that he had a pain stick hanging off his belt.
“Oh,” the girl responded and shifted off the bed dragging the sheet with her.
Creed switched to the interface card and within sezuras found the device located in her right above the hip. All the while the pad monitored and decrypted the transponder code he listened for any sound of movement outside.
The screen indicated the transponder had been duplicated and he surreptitiously removed one of the injections from utility belt. He said, “Hold still just a little longer, you’ll feel a brief sharp pain after which there’s no turning back. It’ll take a few mizuras for the nannites to do their job and until we get you off this station you’re going to have to carry this pad.” With his last words he stabbed home the needle and it released its contents. The girl gave a slight cry of pain but remained steady, deep in his psyche he could hear Lumar apologizing. He removed the needle and glanced at the pad screen while she turned to face him.
Switching the module to automatically remain locked in signal phase with the transponder he shifted the screen to interface with the station security system. It was only a consolation that the pad interface had not been detected when he saw the corridor outside was packed with security personnel, all apparently holding back from storming the room. After all, he reflected quietly to himself, no one would be stupid enough to want to be the first in.
“What’s up?”
“There’s a strong possibility that your freedom dies in this room. Take this.” He handed her the technical pad and then recovered the pain stick from the Split, “Stand there,” he said and pointed to the position he had occupied when he came in, “After the door opens things will get exciting, but stay exactly where you are and once the violence stops check the pad it will guide you to the Introduction room I was in, find my weapons and then try and reach my ship, it’s the only Octopus Raider on the station. By the way what is your name?”
“You don’t know?”
“It didn’t seem that important not so long ago.”
“What difference does it make now?”
“I’d like to know who I’m about to die for,” Creed said with a half hearted smile, and all the while his mind ran through images of how the battle would be fought. The odds were against him.
“Raish, what’s yours?”
“At the moment, Creed,” he responded and gained those moments of clarity which removed all doubts from his mind leveled the odds and made him the unflinching killer. As he lifted the body of the Split and threw it over a shoulder the only regret he felt was that he had not done more exercise during his time at the temple.
A momentary lapse of reason .. ch 13 complete (18/09)
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A momentary lapse of reason .. ch 13 complete (18/09)
Last edited by Mercenary on Mon, 18. Sep 06, 22:10, edited 1 time in total.
Excellent read. I like the changes of personality that are going on. It almost appears as though 'Creed' is actually turning more and more into 'Lumar' rather than having the two compete.
I guess getting into the girl's room is one thing but getting out of it with her in tow is a different story. Wouldn't it sound an alarm as soon as he disarms the tracking device? Or will they just think the Split has killed her by accident?
Looking forward to the next part!
"way taking then using"
"my first though"
I guess getting into the girl's room is one thing but getting out of it with her in tow is a different story. Wouldn't it sound an alarm as soon as he disarms the tracking device? Or will they just think the Split has killed her by accident?
Looking forward to the next part!
"way taking then using"
"my first though"
COOL! Great tension and certainly a great cliffhanger! That is going to be such a tough fight if he doesn't want to kill. A stun baton against a small army. 
Looking forward to the next chapter!
Noticed two bits that appeared to be missing a word.
"but now he wondered if that with over cautious Goner influence"
"from utility belt"
Looking forward to the next chapter!
Noticed two bits that appeared to be missing a word.
"but now he wondered if that with over cautious Goner influence"
"from utility belt"
He stopped by the door and glanced each way taking then using the security swipe opened the door.
I guess "taking" is a bit exra
questioning every moment of what he what he had done.
"what he" repeated 2 times
Nice reading, Merc!
I guess "taking" is a bit exra
questioning every moment of what he what he had done.
"what he" repeated 2 times
Nice reading, Merc!
Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
---Mark Twain---
---Mark Twain---