Mana Pool Snippets - The Job

Part 3

"I want to know what he told you," he said with distaste.

I set my pen down. "Okay. He told me nothing about Benali."

"Assumed he would."

"But before coming here," I said. "He said a Red Flagged planet experienced a catastrophe and made the species docile. I can agree." My main focus was to not enrage a human to the point of murder.

"Anything else?" Jaruka asked.

"Oh yeah. You were involved, the PCPA was broken, humans gaining magic which I laughed a little about, but no, nothing else. He hired me to report it."

Jaruka was quiet for a moment until he said, "No Benali? No Reapers? Or my imprisonment? Or the fact that an odd-looking Reaper nearly slaughtered me, a small portion of the Endeavour crew, and the terrans? Not even this whole country attacked by enthralled zombies and die right when the reaper was nearly blown apart by terran magic?"

I did not move for a few seconds. I pulled myself to say, "What? Reapers? The Malcar'Ji are here?"

The Malcar'Ji, a magical reptilian-insectoid species from deep sectors of the galaxy. Most revered for their nature when exposed to magical energies. Halcunacs and Malcar'Ji share similarities in hiding from the Republic, except the Malcar'Ji set strict practices to stay neutral and non-threatening, naturally evolving out of their current state. A reaper committing violent, genocidal acts was not common by any means.

"No...he didn't," I said.

Jaruka sniffed. "Just like any other person in the Council." He pulled a few dreads back. "I'll get into the Reaper later, less you want to feel sick from your snack."

"Oh, I'm certainly interested, Mr. Teal. Malcar'Ji violence is rare, almost extinct, and that information can tip balance with those clans and their political affiliation with the Republic. It's pure silver for every journalist. I need to know the why, the how, the what, just...everything."

"Same here, but I still have nightmares to ask. Go to Scott, he had front row seats to that monstrosity."

"Monstrosity?"

"Later. I'm bored."

I shook my head and took up my pen. "Right. So back to Benali. You accepted the job."

"Do the stars twinkle at night? Obviously, but I had time to think before accepting it. Get this: before I left for the system for four months, he gave me a year's supply of Slipspace crystals."

I gasped so loud it might have caught attention from the humans and terrans.

"Knew you would react to that," Jaruka said.

"A year's worth?" I exclaimed. "Tha-That amount is for starships and government-sanctioned cruisers. With that much, you can travel just about anywhere in the galaxy. How much?"

"An unmarked fifty kilo case."

I gasped again.

"But not to travel with," he said. "Each crystal was big enough for communication between Creos and Terra Firma. I had my own travel crystals if you were wondering. From the math I did out of pure boredom one day, that crate, one year it looked, was four months of coms."

Jaruka leaned forward over the Terra Firma food. "No markings on the crate. No numbers. Black market supply. Funny, huh?"

All too funny, and familiar, this reminded me of a similar case. A fleet of colony ships with thousands of unregistered Slipspace crystal crates, all bought off on the black market, nigh impossible to trace. The colony was fined, but it was impossible to trace the buyer or supplier. Most of the crates went missing during processing, but that was what the officers assumed. I must look up that when I get home.

"Do you still have the crate?" I asked Jaruka.

Jaruka shook his head. "I looked all over for it. Somebody at Area 51 must've took it. Maybe Griffon. Who knows?"

"Griffon? What's this Area 51?"

"I'll...explain later," he said. "Now it's my turn. Are you going to eat something?"

I blinked. "Sorry?"

"Look, Katie brought this wine and food just for you. I can drink the wine, but I'm not going near the food. I have reasons."

I looked down at the untouched platter, it was filled with local cheeses like Bleu, Gouda, and Cheddar, sourdough bread slices and tiny French rolls, and an assortment of nuts and dried fruits. All of it complimented the winery's best seller, I think it was Cliffhanger Port.

"I'll get to it," I simply said. "I think it'll last. This is more important than the food."

"You sure?" Jaruka asked.

"Very sure. You got my interest. Now tell me, what happened after the restaurant fight?"