Relic Tech (Crax War Chronicles) (24 page)

I stood, gathered my thoughts, and said to Haxon, “Apologies for killing the two offenders, and thus making the investigation more difficult. I’m now even more convinced that there was little choice. It’s apparent that the two offenders lacked any inhibition with respect to killing, if they were related to the rogues.”

I looked at the chief. “It’s possible that one of the colonists is a target of a crime syndicate,” I lied. “Going underground into R-Tech communities isn’t unheard of, especially in larger cities.” I looked at the others. “I can think of three syndicates which would have the resources to infiltrate medical facilities on Earth, and would have the funds to entice otherwise loyal company personnel to illegal action.” I licked my lips. “Specialist Dribbs seemed advanced in age to be a C3 and he lacked the temperament to be a good sec-spec. Possibly that’s why he hadn’t advanced. It’s more likely he transferred from a different career track. I haven’t seen his file.” Everyone but Gudkov appeared to be listening. “Either would make him more susceptible to influence by unsavory individuals.”

Gudkov stood. “I would like to make a comment or two, Chief.”

The chief squinted just a bit, “Okay, Gudkov. Stay on topic.”

“All Keesay has spouted is unfounded fantasy.” Gudkov looked at his peers then back to me. “Chief, this Relic Tech is a liability. He didn’t even know what was happening when the offenders were attempting to access Specialist Tahgs’s clip. The company had to get a sec-bot to back him up.”

The chief nodded toward me.

“Auxiliary Security Specialist Gudkov,” I said, “I appreciate your candor. But you are allowing personal views to interfere with your reasoning. I suspect it never occurred to you that I just might have access to information not available to you.”

“Anything of importance anybody shares with you is a mistake, Relic.”

“Let’s get this aired out now,” said Chief Brold. He looked from Gudkov to me, and then the rest of the group. “What’s said in here, stays in here. Ends in here.”

This emboldened Gudkov, but I was ready. “Surely,” I said, facing Gudkov, “your assertion is based on more than your revered opinion—and by the way Negral acquired three sec-bots. What other two incompetents are they teamed with?” I knew one had been assigned to Club, and the other to standing patrol around engineering.

“You want facts?” asked Gudkov, reddening. “How about two Negral Corp personnel wounded in your botched rescue effort? If you had training with modern communications equipment and didn’t carry outdated firearms, you might be useful.”

Chief Brold acted as a gatekeeper, indicating my turn with a nod.

“Ignore the fact that I’m fully trained and competent with the model MP pistol you carry. Please clarify. How would you have done better?”

“First, I have an ocular.” He pointed to the contact lens in his left eye.

“Very advanced,” I said. “I am impressed.”

“I could’ve called up a schematic on the room to be entered. Second, your vast and in-depth training should allow you to know that the rate of fire of my medium duty MP pistol far exceeds that slab of steel you carry. I would’ve taken out both offenders in half the time it took you.”

“Is that a fact?”

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“No, I am stopping just short of calling you ignorant.”

“Would you like to see just how fast I am?”

“Gentlemen,” warned the chief.

I took a breath. “I have little doubt that you’re fast. And you may even be more accurate than me, but both of those points are irrelevant.”

“How could accuracy and firepower be irrelevant in a rescue situation?”

“They’re not,” I said. “Your equipment is the issue. If you’d been the one escorting Dr. Sevanto, you would have wandered past the abduction area without even knowing there was a problem. My communications gear isn’t implanted.” I pointed to the set on my belt. “It is larger and less modern, but even more pertinent to this incident, affords vastly superior reception.” I let it sink in. “I was barely able to receive Specialist Tahgs’ distress call. You, with your modern I-Tech equipment,” I said, tugging at my ear, “would have missed it. Am I correct?”

His eyes darted to Brold, then Club then Nist and Frost. He clenched his jaw.

“If you recall,” I continued, “my report stated Maintenance Tech Cox had been shot prior to my intervention. Interviews with Administrative Specialist Tahgs confirmed this.” I saw his mind racing to recall the details of my report. “And it’s not always how many rounds you fire, but where you place them.”

He gave up. “You were lucky.”

“Quite possible.” I figured I had better soften the landing. “You were correct about the ocular. Negral has one, less advanced to be sure, on order.”

“Don’t patronize me, Relic.” He clenched his hands into fists and sat down.

I stared at him. “You were a champion kick boxer. You didn’t achieve that by allowing emotions to run your thoughts and actions. Nobody can remain long in your career track who lacks above standard intelligence.”

“I’m tired of your lips flapping,” he said, again standing. “I was calm and focused enough to kill two opponents in the ring.” His grin was mildly intimidating. “I sparred with your pal, Pillar, last time we docked. He was almost challenging.” Gudkov cracked his knuckles. “Care to go a round or two with me?”

“When your body count is up to seventeen,” I said, resting my hand on my sheathed bayonet, “let me know.”

“Are you gentlemen done?” asked the chief. It wasn’t a question. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought you two didn’t like each other.” He stood and addressed the room. “On behalf of everyone, I would like to thank you for your first and final performance. If you gentlemen get into it, it’ll be more than the end of your careers.”

He looked at the chronometer, then scanned a file on his desk. “Well, Keesay, you were close.”

I felt Gudkov’s gaze and heard Nist suppress a snicker. The chief shot him a glance. Nist sat up, expressionless.

Complete order restored, the chief continued. “To end the mystery, the apparent target among the R-Tech colonists was eliminated. He’d been a whistle blower in a patent dispute and was in a witness protection program. They got a lead on him, possibly through a communication made by his son. According to medical, the chemical agent placed in the cold sleep drugs was genetically targeted.” He scanned the assemblage. “One for the bad guys.”

He tapped at his desk a few more times. “Anything else to add, Specialist Club?”

She stood. “No, Chief.”

“Good. Assignments are posted. Those scheduled for leave, forty-seven hours. Enjoy.” The door opened. “Welcome aboard, Haxon.” Chief Brold clenched the red stick between his teeth.

Everyone filed out except me.

“Keesay,” questioned the chief, “should I schedule time after each meeting especially for you?” He closed the door.

“Your call, Chief.”

“Let’s hear it, Specialist.”

“Your account of the slain R-Tech colonist was accurate?”

“About as accurate as your rendition. I just took what you had to say and gave it my own touch.”

“Would I be out of bounds to ask why, Chief?”

“Yes.”

Nothing more? I tried a different approach. “It’s just that there’s an awful lot of…activity. The incident exiting the shuttle, the planting of the A-Tech explosive, poisoned colonists and now the attempt to obtain files on the colonists.”

“Your point being, Keesay?”

“Although I have no evidence, I suspect there’s a connection.” I also suspected Chief Brold did as well.

The chief leaned back. “How do you figure?”

I recounted my conversation with Field Director Simms. “Dribbs was involved twice. He tried to kill the only surviving offender outside the shuttle, after wounding him. And of course, he abducted Tahgs and Cox.” No sense tipping my hand any more than necessary. “Can you tell me if the chemical agent planted in the cold sleep drugs was DNA specific?”

“I will not deny it.”

Interesting choice of words, I thought. “Was it targeted at the dead colonists?”

“I will not confirm that.”

“So, whoever was targeted is still alive.”

“It’s possible,” said the chief. “If you figure it out, Keesay, let me know.”

Either the chief didn’t know and, if I figured it out, he wanted to know. Or he knew and simply wanted to be informed when, and if, I figured it out. I suspected the latter. “Understood, Chief.” Was it that he didn’t trust me, or that I was only a C4?

“Keesay,” he said with a smile, “I understand that you’ve talked one of the maintenance techs into making a set of brass knuckles.”

The chief impressed me with knowledge of something so minor. “That is correct. I bartered away my other set.”

“These are titanium?”

I hadn’t received them yet, but titanium would do. “I traded a few gum wraps. Asked a maintenance tech to use whatever scrap he could find.”

“They won’t make a difference with Gudkov.”

“That wasn’t my intention.” I scratched my head. “Why does he put up with Nist?”

“Gudkov? I’m not sure. If you figure that one out, let me know as well. Dismissed.”

With a third of the
Kalavar
’s crew on leave, it was easy to find a seat for the evening meal. I recognized some of the maintenance techs, including Benjamin Cox.

“Chicken patty again, Keesay?” asked Maintenance Tech Segreti.

“Seemed safest.” I sat down next to him and across from Cox and Minapp.

“You don’t act like one who takes the safe route.”

“Only when it comes to my stomach, Segreti.” Benjamin Cox remained focused on his meal. “How’s your leg, Technician Cox?”

He looked up and stared at me a second. “Just fine. Call me Benny.” He went back to eating.

“Benny likes to savor the fine cuisine,” said Minapp. “He’ll talk after he’s done.”

“Have you gentlemen completed the colonist quartering?”

“Are you kidding?” asked Segreti. “Give us two more days.” He rummaged through a pocket. “Here.” He slid a bundled shop rag next to my tray.

“That’s all the time you have,” I said, before folding open the rag. “The chief informed me that you were working on these. Said they’re titanium.”

“Wouldn’t doubt it. Those cameras are everywhere.” He took a drink. “Say, Keesay, I was wondering. You’re having us install those security cameras and sound monitoring devices. But you only want half of them dropped and activated?”

“Some questionable individuals signed on as colonists.” They nodded, knowing I meant criminals who had their sentence commuted for volunteering to colonize. “They’ll figure on being monitored. First opportunity they get, they’ll attempt to locate and identify them.”

“So,” said Segreti, “after they think they’ve got the system mapped, you add to it.”

“Correct. Might catch them off guard.”

“Think it’ll work?” asked Minapp.

“They were caught at least once,” I said. “Proves they’re not infallible.”

“That’s why you wanted the more advanced units held back,” said Segreti. “It’ll be tougher to access and install them later on.”

I spied Haxon heading from the line, looking for a seat. I thought it might be good to find where he stands. “Specialist Haxon, you’re welcome to join us.”

He looked our way just as Gudkov’s voice echoed, “Over here, Haxon.” He was still fuming that he’d volunteered to assist Club.

Haxon was closer to our table. “Your choice,” I offered.

Gudkov bellowed above the room’s chatter, “How do you expect to soar like an eagle, Haxon, if you sit around with a bunch of turkeys?”

Segreti and Minapp looked at each other. Minapp shook his head, signaling ‘no’ to his friend who’d started to get up. Then, like Cox, they focused on their meals.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, Gudkov,” I replied. “But is not each and every remaining species of eagle endangered?”

“Yes. They are each a rare and majestic species, Keesay.”

“Quite true,” I said as the cafeteria conversation began to subside. “And the few that survive owe their continued existence to the vigilant protection of others, in isolated sanctuaries.”

“Are you insinuating that eagles are weak and unable to—?”

I cut in. “Wild turkeys on the other hand continue to flourish where eagles have not.”

“I’ve heard that hunting wild turkeys is an interesting and satisfying sport. They squawk a lot before they meet their end.”

“That’s not been my experience. It could be you’re more knowledgeable about squawking than me.” I took a bite of chicken.

He stood. “I’ll make you eat those words.”

“What? I am simply comparing one species of bird to another. What are you talking about?”

“There will be a Christian missionary on board,” announced Benjamin Cox, looking at me in earnest.

“I think even Benny knows what’s best for you,” laughed Gudkov and waved Haxon over.

The newly assigned security specialist turned his back on me, and sat down with Gudkov and several engineering techs. I wasn’t surprised. The exchange reminded me of two middle schoolers posturing in front of their peers. I decided to avoid his game in the future.