The Mechanic

Black Market

A few moments later, a blue-green screen floated several feet in front of him and presented him with a Status Report. An underclass organization called the rebellion had sent this child to steal some advanced weaponry that Alta Corps. were developing in the bio-chem section. It turned out that the rebellion had captured a scientist that worked at Compound 19 and used his ID to gain access.

The mechanic made a mental note to revise their security procedures. Why would an organization as careful and as meticulous as the resistance, send a boy on a suicide mission? What was their endgame?

***

Right after meeting with the mechanic, the boss had another pressing affair to attend to. He hopped on a VacTrain and journeyed to the far reaches of Sector 14. He left his personal bodyguards behind. Thousands of VacTrain journeys took place every second on this planet alone. He would be just another one of those insignificant souls. Sector 14's edge was where the black market was strongest in the galaxy and where anything and everything could be bought if you were willing to pay the price.

They were surrounded by a vast sea of steel shacks and stalls. Two sheer cliff faces loomed above a narrow channel carving a path straight through the mountain. The steel shacks were carved into the twin rock faces themselves. They went up high into the sky forming a canyon of steel and twisted metal. Some hung in precarious angles suspended by cables set into the mountain top looming hundreds of meters above. Some were deeply embedded in the rock. Most were on top of one another battling for space. The air reeked of rancid, mildew, and smoke. The hazy night sky lit up with the kaleidoscopic light of a thousand stalls each begging for attention. Neon signs and holo-projections screamed at people's faces. Young girls with cosmetic augmentations skimpy dresses and that left very little to the imagination pranced around men of all ages. Their long legs and deep cleavage bare for all the world to see. The boss was ogling at a particular redhead and was slowly following her long tan legs accentuated by a revealing sheer dress up to the curve of her hips-

"He wants to see you". A black augmented man announced, tapping his shoulder and interrupting his daydream. Augmented bodyguards were expensive, yet efficient. The special neural prosthetics they wore dampened their humanity and greatly increased muscle mass. The boss followed the man to a rather nice-looking stall in a cave out of the throng of customers and the hollers of merchants.

The man waiting for him was of stocky build with blond hair and a kind face. He was lounging comfortably in an armchair with his feet on a coffee table and another chair facing him. He was reading a book. Old school ass hats The boss thought. With two augmented bodyguards flanking him and another surely hidden in plain sight, he wasn't one to mess around with. His name was Freeman. Though the ones who knew of his existence knew him simply as the leader of the resistance. The boss took the chair opposite to him.

"It's done".

"Did he suspect anything?". The man asked.

"Oh, I wouldn't know. I wasn't there when it happened. Although my team says the mission was a success. They cut off transmission halfway through. Although that might be to prevent tracking."

"Some might say that your interest in these recon missions is somewhat lacking," Freeman said, carefully.

"Do they?" the boss replied with an unwarranted cheerfulness. "Well Mr. Freeman, you can tell them that I am perfectly aware of the risks and rewards of these endeavors." The boss added with a slight smile. He put down the trinket that he was idly admiring on the merchant's table. The merchant was nowhere to be found. Freeman had seen to that.

"Good. Time for phase 2. Let's bring him in."

***

The Boss made his way through the winding catacombs of the black market. Many eyes were upon him as he wove through the crowds. Between the girls in skimpy see-through dresses and the haggard merchants in rags wrangling over prices, with his holo-suit, polished gleaming shoes, and aristocratic gait, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He got to the center of the black market and stepped into a device that resembled an upright glass cylinder that was missing half of its side.