In the Shadow of the Starships

Chapter 1 Strange Operation

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I carried a heavy case through the hallway of a rather rundown building. What could anyone have possibly wanted with a spaceship database this old? This thing was so outdated that it still had manual override switches on it, and they'd demanded it be purged of all data not just once, but three times.

It had taken me weeks to track down this specific model even with all my connections, so it was no wonder they hadn't been able to find one. But the payment they offered was quite generous, and if they were doing something shady, there were all sorts of rewards nowadays for giving the Enforcement agencies information on criminal rings and their activities.

I avoided staring directly at the clumsily hidden cameras as I looked around in a fashion that I hoped resembled me searching for the landmarks they'd given me. Landmarks! Not even a real address!

Whoever had installed their security system had clearly taken them for a ride with the woefully outdated security cameras and sensors. These things were so old they ran wires instead of using wireless transmitters. I had thought some of the tech I owned was close to being antiques, but at least I'd kept them updated and serviced.

I paused and examined a painting of three mangos. The seams in the walls on either side of it were far too obvious. Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I knocked on the wall beside the frame twice. With the faint squealing of rollers that the installer had likely forgotten to grease, the "hidden" door slid to the side.

Two guards stood in the opening. Or I assumed they were guards due to the large phasers they were carrying. They had some muscle, but it looked like they spent plenty of time just sitting around watching security footage.

"Jennisa?" asked one of them.

"Yes, sir. That would be me," I replied politely, using the same customer service voice I'd picked up after working far too many shifts in a call center.

Who else was going to stroll through a rundown building like this just to knock on a wall beside an ugly mango painting? Had I just entered a film set for a poorly funded spy movie? If so, I was demanding royalties or something else worthwhile out of it.

The guard picked up a security scanning wand and barely got within three steps of me before it started screeching an alarm.

As he frowned at me, I hastily bowed my head. "My apologies, sir. I have metal rods in my bones from an accident. You may search my pockets if you wish."

He hesitated, then did the barest tapping of the fabric over my pockets, like he had no clue how to search someone. Stepping back, he asked, "Do you have any phones or devices on you?"

I held up one arm to show a clunky tech bracelet. "Just an old bracelet with music and some downloaded maps to find this place. The internet connection had been switched off. I was told that was acceptable when I inquired."

Without even asking to see my ID—what kind of guards had these people hired?—he waved me inside. I followed him to another room where two men in business suits waited. Why were there six cameras in this small room? Either the security installer had scammed them or something was fishy around here...

Feeling more and more like I was on a film set, I placed the bulky case on top of the table and opened the latches. The guard waited by the door as the two men in suits came forward and pulled out the database, scrutinizing all the labels and cross-checking their phones. I felt mildly offended; did they really think I would bring a database if the serial numbers didn't match their request? What kind of hack did they think I was?