First draft
The Undercity. Two days later.
Returning to Daxum was a strange experience for Dia. Only a couple of weeks had passed since she'd left the planet, but the Undercity was a completely different place. Darker, quieter, gloomier. The industrial zone, in particular, still looked like a warzone. Most of the buildings lay in ruins and the acrid smell of burnt corpses still lingered in the air, a definite sign that the air recycle system wasn't working as intended. The streets were mostly empty and dark, though there were a few scavengers searching the ruins for valuables, wandering furtively between dust and debris.
"The mechs have been very thorough." Willis commented. "There are very few buildings left standing."
"That's no coincidence." Omen said. "This was Gun Nuts' territory."
Dia pricked up her ears at that. "Do you think they were targeting Gibson?"
Omen gave a curt nod. "Definitively."
"Whatever their reasons, this will have long-term repercussion on Daxum's economy." Sarah interjected.
Omen nodded darkly. "Agreed. It will take a long time to recover."
No one was in a talking mood and even Fanning was unusually quiet. Things only started to improve when they left the industrial zone. As they approached downtown that ghastly atmosphere faded a little more with every block. Although many shops were still closed, most of the buildings were in pretty good condition, all things considered. More importantly, there were people around.
"I still think this is a bad idea." Willis started grumbling when they were about to reach the meeting point. "We got a gunship. Why don't we just nuke the place from orbit?
"You know why." Rodriguez said tiredly. It was clear they'd had this discussion before. "We need Collins alive."
"This is insane." Willis continued, acting as if he hadn't heard. "The whole city is crawling with the Umbra's goons."
"Come on, Jacob. No one is even looking at us. But if you're getting cold feet..." She goaded him.
"Don't be ridiculous." Willis gave her an indignant look. "I'm not afraid of anything."
"Glad to hear that." She patted his shoulder. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me."
"Of course!" He halted, raising his chin up a little.
He looked quite proud of yourself, but then Rodriguez added, "Jacob, you're still lagging behind."
Willis cursed under his breath, hurrying after her.
"That's it." Omen said quietly a couple of minutes later. "The meeting point."
"What about the Spider's men?" Dia enquired with a look of increasing anxiety. "Do you see them?"
"They are already here." Omen moved his head sideways.
Wearing pristine suits, gold cufflinks and expensive - though outdated - prewar wristwatches, the Spider's people looked more like corporate businessmen than gangsters. The leader of the delegation was a short, middle-aged man who wore a perpetual smile on his face. When he saw them he made a ninety degrees bow, and welcomed them like they were old friends. Despite the situation, he didn't look the least bit awkward. They called him Mr. Katsuragi and as the name suggested, he was of Asian descent. He looked like a career diplomat and behaved politely with everybody. Maybe that was why Dia instinctively distrusted him. Although Mr. Katsuragi's manners were impeccable, his bearing formal, and his appearance quintessential respectable, he also looked like a politician. As far as she was concerned, that was a major red flag.
Judging by the look on his face, Omen seemed to agree with her, though for a completely different reason. Mr. Katsuragi talked and talked, and talked nonstop. Worst of all, he seemed to have mastered the art of talking without actually saying anything. Oddly enough, he completely ignored Fanning. They both acted like they didn't know each other.
Katsuragi was still speaking nonstop when the train arrived on the platform. Omen and the others eyed him warily, probably wondering what he was up to, but Katsuragi didn't seem to mind. His soliloquy continued for a while, then gradually, almost seamlessly, he started asking questions, bringing the mercs into the conversation. Since the topics were very general, nobody thought much about it. Nobody except Omen.
Dia saw him frown, then scowl. But it was when Katsuragi asked Fanning a question that his gaze grew sharp.
"I think we've talked enough." Omen interrupted before Fanning could answer. "Don't you agree, Mr. Katsuragi?"
His tone was brusque, challenging, in stark contrast with Katsuragi's politeness.
Mr. Katsuragi's smile didn't even falter. "Of course." He replied, giving a small bow.
Omen took a few steps back, distancing himself for the Spider's delegation. Although they didn't know what was happening, Dia and the others followed suit. After that, the atmosphere became awkward.
"What just happened?" Dia whispered to Omen when she was sure they were out of earshot.
"He was fishing for information." He whispered back.
"Are you sure?" Dia glanced at Katsuragit, puzzled. "As far as I could tell, he was just making idle conversation."
Omen snorted softly. "That's exactly what he wanted us to think."
Their conversation was cut short by a familiar beep. The train had arrived. As soon as the doors opened, Dia understood why Fanning was so confident no one would recognize them. The Palace's yard was swarming with people. There were thousands of them, maybe more, and only a few dozens guards.
"What are all these people doing here?" Dia wondered aloud.
Fanning, who had been on his best behavior so far, shrugged. "They are beggars. They do what beggars do best: beg."
Sarah gave him a dirty look. "They are not begging."
Fanning snorted. "They are asking for money without giving anything in return. That's the definition of begging."
Ignoring him, the doctor explained to Dia, "A lot of people lost everything when the Collective invaded. That's why they are here. They are applying for compensation"
"Compensation?" Dia looked astonished. "Do they really expect the Umbra to pay them back?"
"They expect him to make things right. This is not the Empire, Dia." Sarah reminded her. "Everyone can own a gun."
"The Umbra has to make sure that any discontent or unrest does not turn into open revolt." Omen seemed to agree with Sarah.
That gave her pause for thought. Maybe it was because she had grown up in a Core world, but the idea of rebelling against the established authority still seemed unthinkable to her.
After walking through some kind of weapon detector, they had no choice but to wait. The Palace guards were frisking visitors, searching for potential threats. Needless to say, the process was extremely slow.
"This will take forever." Willis complained.
Dia had to agree with him. The line was endless. She was just about to sit down, making herself comfortable, when Mr. Katsuragi came forward. He only said a few words to the person in charge and the guards stepped aside to let them pass. Dia couldn't help but open eyes wide, marveling at the power of connections. Maybe the people standing in line were already used to it, or maybe they recognized the Spider's men - whether the case, no one complained when Dia and the others jumped the queue.
Once inside, Dia noticed the situation was more or less the same. The lobby was literally littered with people. Some of them were eating, others were lying down on their bedrolls, but most of them were standing in line, waiting for their turn.
"Now what?" Willis asked her.
Before Dia could answer, Mr. Katsuragi spoke up.
"Well, this is where we part ways. it was a pleasure meeting you." Mr. Katsuragi bowed.
He didn't even look at Fanning
then he and his retinue left them without another word.
Dia narrowed her eyes. "He left just like that?"
That didn't seem right.
But then Mr. Katsuragi did something unexpected. He started waving to the crowd, nodding his head and even shaking a few hands, just like a man running for political office.
"What the hell is he doing?" She hissed to Fanning.
Fanning looked at her, confused. "Why are you asking me?"
Dia stared at him for a few seconds, then clicked her tongue in annoyance. She really couldn't tell if he was playing dumb or not.
"On the bright side," Rodriguez interjected. "everyone's attention seems focused on him."
Dia sneaked a glance at the post guard on her left and nodded.
"You're right." She said eventually. "Also, there were a lot more guards around last time I was here."
Rodriguez nodded. "Security is pretty lax."
"Don't drop your guard." Omen warned. "This is just the ground floor. The servant quarters are down in the basement."
"By the way, how are we supposed to go there?" Dia eyed the elevator. Two pirates clad in exoskeleton were guarding it.
Rodriguez followed her gaze and commented, "I suppose the turbolift is out of the question."
Omen nodded. "Agreed. Let's take the stairs."
While everyone was focused on Katsuragi, Dia and the others headed for the stairs. They proceeded carefully down the angled steps, but contrary to their expectations, no one tried to stop them. The area was unusually unguarded.
Dia gave a worried glance upward. "Fanning, are you sure there are no cameras?"
"I'm sure." Fanning said. "Collins' clients value their privacy." Fanning's lips curled into a smirk. "Not a surprise considering the kind of place he's running."
"Clients?" Dia asked.
Omen's face suddenly darkened.
Dia glanced alternatively between Omen and Fanning, "Why do I feel like I'm missing something?"
Omen sighed. "It's a brothel, corporal."
"A brothel? Here? In the palace?" Surprise startled the comment out of Dia.
"It's more like a strip club, actually." Fanning injected himself into the conversation, earning himself a glare from Omen. "But all girls offer extra services, if you know what I mean."
When he winked at her, Dia gave him a disgusted look. "How can the Umbra allow it?"
"The Umbra gets a cut of course." Fanning grinned. "The troops are happy, and Collins makes a lot of money. Everyone wins."
"Everyone except for the women who work here." Dia said caustically.
Fanning shrugged. "No one is forcing them. Besides, most of them are off-world immigrants. They should be happy they didn't end up in the slums."
Dia glared at him. She was still trying to come up with a rebuttal when Omen said, "I hear something."
Dia halted and realized he was right. It was some kind of old disco song. They were definitely on the right track. As they went down, the music started getting louder and louder. When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, they saw that there were three guards.
Two of them were standing before a door, probably the brothel's entrance, acting as bouncers, while the third one, a wiry soldier wearing sergeant stripes, was sitting behind a desk. They looked bored and half-asleep but they all wore body armor and were heavily armed with laser rifles. They seemed pretty tough.
Al least they are not wearing exoskeletons. Dia consoled herself.
"Alright, Fanning. It's your turn to shine." She said, then suddenly nudged Fanning forward.
The pirate was startled at first, but he recovered his wits quickly. He cleared his throat, trying to attract his attention. The sergeant was busy doing things on his datapad, while the soldiers downright ignored him.
Having no other choice, Fanning approached the table and said, "Hey there."
The sergeant looked up at Fanning, frowning with annoyance. "Show me your pass."
"Pass?" Fanning raised a brow. "What pass?"
While the two of them talked, Dia took a look inside. She couldn't see much from where she was, but at first sight, the place looked more like a mixture between a strip club and disco than a brothel. Half-naked girls were pole dancing on stage and the dance floor in the middle of the room was so crowded, Dia felt breathless just watching it.
"No, you can't buy the pass." The sergeant was saying in the meanwhile. He looked obviously annoyed.
"Come on, man, don't make me look bad with my friends. They came all the way from Vis II." Although Dia knew Fanning was just spouting nonsense, he sounded so convincing, she almost believed him.
The sergeant, though, didn't look impressed. "That's your problem. Now, show me your pass or get lost."
"I know you have a job to do," Fanning replied with his most ingratiating smile, "but can't you make an exception?"
Fanning kept buttering him up, but the guard didn't budge. Omen and Dia shared a look. Then he made a few hand signs. After a moment of hesitation, she bobbed her head in acknowledgment.
While the guards' attention was focused on Fanning, Dia and Omen steadily approached them, until they stood toe-to-toe. One of the guards, probably realizing something wasn't right, reached for the gun, but it was too late. Confused cries mingled with pained ones when Dia and Omen sprung into action. Omen grabbed one of the guards by his throat and lifted him off his feet before throwing him against the wall, while Dia kicked the other in the solar plexus. When the guard folded in half, groaning in pain, she finished him with a right hook to the jaw. By the time the sergeant realized what was going on, his comrades had already fainted.
He sprang to his feet and started shouting, "Alar...!"
Luckily, Rodriguez was quick to act. She lunged forward and delivered a kick to his face, knocking him out. The music did the rest, swallowing the shrieks of the guards.
"We don't have much time." Dia said, her voice still breathless. "Let's tie them up."
"And then what?" Willis rebutted. "We can't just leave them here."
"We can hide them behind that desk." Omen suggested.
"Sooner or later someone will notice that they are missing." Rodriguez remarked.
"By then we will be long gone." Dia said trying hard to sound convincing. I hope so at least.
"Well, at least we are armed now." Rodriguez said as she picked up a fallen guard's gun. Omen and Willis followed her example.
They had just finished tying up the guards when Dia realized something was very wrong.
"Hold on a second...where is Fanning?"
Everyone froze. Then they started looking around but Fanning was nowhere to be seen.
Willis cursed. "He must have slipped out while we were dealing with the guards."
Dia ran inside just in time to see Fanning entering the dance floor. Then Fanning turned and smiled smugly at her, raising his hand to wave goodbye before vanishing into the crowd.
"That piece of..." She took a step forward, intending to chase after him.
Omen grabbed her arm and held her back. "Let him go. Finding Collins is more important." He added, as Dia opened her mouth, most likely to object. "Besides, we can't risk drawing too much attention."
"Damn it!" She cursed through gritted teeth. "Fine. Let's find Collins."
"Agreed." Sarah said. "The sooner we get out of here, the better."
The doctor looked clearly uncomfortable.
"Oh, I don't know." Willis eyed the half-naked dancers with obvious lust. "I kinda like this place."
Rodriguez gave him a dirty look. "Jacob..."
Willis faked a cough. "...you're right, of course. Let's find Collins."
"This way." Omen said. Then he started leading them away from the dance floor.
Dia lifted an eyebrow. "Have you been here before?"
"A couple of times." Then he noticed everyone was staring at him and added. "...for business reasons."
Something between a snort and a laugh escaped Willis' lips. "Sure."
Ignoring his comment, Omen led them through a corridor, with rooms on either side. It was anonymous, just like the hallway of a crappy motel, but moans were coming from the rooms, sometimes with screams interspersed.
Willis chuckled. "Looks like someone is having fun."
Clearly uncomfortable, Dia quickened her pace a little, intending to leave that place as soon as possible. Only when she followed Omen into the next room, some kind of pretentious great hall, she realized how naive she had been.
"Woah." Willis whistled. "That's not something you see every day."
Everywhere Dia looked, people were doing things that would have gotten them arrested anywhere else. Couples, threesome, foursome were fully engaged in sexual activity. A few working girls were lying on couches, laughing wildly for no apparent reason. Everyone, including the personnel, was so high that when Omen and the others entered the private premises no one tried to stop them.
After leaving that display of debauchery behind them, Omen led them into another hallway. The music petered out, though her ears were still ringing. while he slowed down. He approached a door, hesitated for a few seconds, then announced. "This is it, Collins' office."
Dia looked around for potential escape routes. "Is there another exit?" She asked quietly.
Omen shook his head. "This is the only access." He said while he leaned against the wall. "Go on. I'll keep a lookout."
While Rodriguez drew her gun, the sergeant's former sidearm, Dia approached the door. Then she turned to look at the merc, wordlessly asking if she was ready, and Rodriguez nodded. A second later, Dia kicked the door open, and Rodriguez barged in with her gun blazing. The Chamberlain, who was sitting behind a desk snorting onocaine, blinked, startled, his expression almost comical.
"You..." Collins shook the finger at her, his fleshy face flushed with anger. "Can't you see I'm busy?! Get out!"
Rodriguez was pointing the gun at his head, but Collins was so out of it, he didn't seem to care.
Dia and Willis chose that moment to make their entrance, "How cold, Collins." She said. "Haven't you missed me?"
When he saw her, the Chamberlain paled, panic spreading across his face, then utter fear. He whirled around, searching for a way out, only to find himself face to face with Willis.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The merc warned, patting the stock of his gun as he smirked at him.
Collins, of course, didn't listen. When Willis tried to grab him, Collin backtracked, showing considerable agility for a man of his size, and even managed to avoid him. Then he went for the door. He almost made to the exit, when Dia kicked him, right in the face. Collins went down with a thud.
"My nose..." Collins pinched his nose, "You broke my nose!"
"Stay down." She ordered.
"This sack of lard is quicker than he looks." Willis commented. "But I got him."
"Really, Jacob?" Rodriguez asked, a teasing smile on her face. "Seems to me that he would've escaped if it wasn't for Dia."
Willis scowled. "Nonsense, I had everything under control."
Willis was still talking when Collins stood up and staggered toward the door. He'd barely taken a couple of steps when Dia kicked him again, this time in his back. Collins hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. Still groaning for pain, he immediately started crawling toward the door.
"I told you to stay down." Dia hissed, crushing his head under her boot.
Collins let out a high-pitched squeal, the sound a dog makes when it's trying to submit beneath an attacker. "D-Don't hurt me! I surrender!"
Dia shook her head, looking at him with disgust.
"Tie him up." She said to Willis.
Although the merc usually didn't like being ordered around, this time he was more than happy to oblige. He tied him tight, venting his frustration on him. When he was done, Collins was close to tears, whimpering pathetically like a pig a the slaughterhouse.
"Can you keep an eye on him while I go talk with Omen?" Dia said to Rodriguez.
"No problem, Sweetheart."
"Thanks, Maria." She said, then went out to check on Omen. "Omen, is everything alright?"
"For now." was his laconic response. "Did you get him?"
"Yeah, it wasn't a problem."
"Good." He grunted. "You can leave the rest to me."
"You know, I thought about it and I think it's better if I do it."
Omen halted, frowning. "I've done this before, Dia."
"I know but...I still think I should do it. We have history, Collis and I."
Omen's expression changed subtly. "True. I didn't think of that." He regarded her silently for a few seconds, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I'm sure." She assured him. "Don't worry, I'll make him talk."
"That's not what I'm worried about." Omen said softly. Dia gave him a questioning look, but he just shook his head. "Fine then, I'll watch the corridor. Oh, and Dia" Omen added when she was about to enter. "try to make it quick. We don't know how much time we have left."
"I don't think it'll take long." She muttered while she closed the door, her gaze fixed on Collins.
The Chamberlain's cheek was swollen, and blood was dripping from his nose, soiling the flashy embroidered tunic he was wearing. He looked pretty pitiful.
"You've wasted a trip." Collins acted tough, but it was clear he was just feigning courage. "The Umbra is not here."
"Good to know, but we're not here for him." Dia tried restraining herself, but it was hard. Collins literally smelled of fear. Dia could feel her other half stirring. She wanted to come out to play. Dia closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath as Omen had taught her. When she opened them again, the bloodlust had receded a little.
"The Greenhouse," She said and the Chamberlain paled even further, if possible. "where is it, Collins?"
"I don't know what you're talk..."
"Don't." Her voice was like a quiet growl. "Don't lie to me."
Collins started shaking his head, while sweat kept dripping down his temples and his neck. He was obviously scared out of his mind. "He'll kill me if I tell you."
"Not if I kill him first." She felt that tingling sensation in her hands and gums but paid no attention to it. "Besides, right now you shouldn't worry about him." She said, her eyes flashing red as she bent down toward him.
Collins seemed to shrivel before her gaze, just like a cockroach before the light.
"Last time they interrupted us just before we could get to the good part." She whispered in his ear. Her voice had acquired that smoke, chilling tone again. "Today no one will stop me." She traced the contour of his cheek with her absurdly long fingernails but didn't draw blood yet. "Unless you give me what I want, of course."
"T-The southern pole!" Fanning shouted. "It's in the southern pole."
"That's a big area to cover." Rodriguez pointed out.
Dia nodded in agreement.
"We need more." She said to Collin. "I know you have the coordinates."
Collins hesitated. Dia hit him on the face, hard.
"I won't ask you twice." She threatened.
Collins rasped for breath, his double chin quivering like jelly. "My datapad! I have the coordinates on my datapad!"
Dia stepped back a little. "Where is it?"
"T-the cabinet." Collins answered in a small voice. "Third drawer on the left."
"Rodriguez, can you...?" She asked, without taking her eyes off him.
"I'm on it." Dia heard Rodriguez rummage in the cabinet, then the merc exclaimed, "Got it! It's not locked. Seems like our friend here wasn't expecting visitors."
"The coordinates?"
"Wait a sec. Let me search and...found them."
As soon as Dia had ascertained they had what they were looking for, she executed a knife-hand strike to the side of his neck, knocking Collins out on the spot.
Rodriguez grinned. "Sweet dreams."
"We got what we came for. Time to leave." Dia headed for the door.
"Wait, what about him?" Willis asked, stopping her in her tracks. "What if he warns the Umbra?"
"So, what do you want me to do about it?
Willis looked at her like she was an alien. "Take care of the problem, of course."
Dia stiffened when she realized what he expected her to do. "What about the guards? They have seen us. Do you want to kill them too?"
"It's not the same thing. The guards may or may not have recognized us, but we know for sure that Collins did."
Dia glanced at Rodriguez. "Maria, tell him he is wrong."
The merc looked at her sadly. "I'm afraid I can't, Sweetheart."
Dia looked hurt. "Even you, Maria?"
"Sorry, but I'm with Willis on this." "You know it's not a good idea to leave Collins alive."
"I know but...I can't kill a man in cold blood, Maria."
"Even if he deserves it?"
Dia nodded firmly. "Even in that case. Maybe Collins deserves it. Hell, he surely does, but I...I can't. I just can't do it."
"That's alright. You don't have to do it. I..."
"No, Maria. You can't do it either." She said firmly.
They stared at each other for a few seconds, then Rodriguez sighed. "You won't budge on this, will you?"
Dia shook her head.
Rodriguez let out another sigh, longer than the first. "I know I will regret it but...fine. Have it your way."
Willis looked at the two of them, incredulous. "You can't be serious!" He half-shouted but they both ignored him.
That was when Omen opened the door. "Is everything..." He started then his gaze fell on Fanning. "Is he...?"
"...alive. He is just unconscious." Dia answered, looking anxiously at him.
Luckily, Omen didn't say anything about it, though his gaze lingered on Collins for just a beat longer than necessary.
"Come on. Let's get out of here."
They left the club quickly and they were on their way up when someone barred their way. It was Ferguson.
"When my deputy told me someone knocked out three guards I was surprised." Ferguson said, pointing his rifle at them. "But I never expected it would be you."
"I thought there were no cameras down here." Dia remarked.
"There aren't." Ferguson answered.
"Then...?"
Ferguson shrugged. "Somebody saw you and gave the alarm."
After that the conversation stalled. There was a very long and tense moment while Dia, Ferguson, and Omen stared at each other. Then Ferguson lowered his weapon.
"Go." He gestured toward the stairs.
"Are you sure?" Dia asked cautiously.
Ferguson nodded. "You saved my life. Now we are even."
"Ferguson..."
"Go before I change my mind." He repeated. "And don't worry about the guards. They won't say anything."
"Thank you." Dia said, then gave him one last look before following the others.
"Why do you think he let us go?" She asked Omen when they were out.
Omen furrowed his brow. "Didn't he tell you? You saved his life. He was just returning the favor."
"But he already did." She objected. "After I escaped from Gibson, he helped me. I would be dead if it wasn't for him."
Omen shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, Dia. Ferguson is a bit rough around the edges, but he is not a bad man. Maybe he is just trying to do the right thing."
"He is taking a big risk." She said, a sharp tinge of guilt flooding her thoughts. "If the Umbra finds out, he will kill him."
"He won't have the chance." He promised. "I swear it."
They were about to return to the ship when someone asked, "Aren't you forgetting something?"
It was Fanning.