Space Pioneer 2 - The Titan Plot - 2. Chapter 2

Lest went to see Perez after the cargo had been unloaded.

"I heard there was quite a commotion on Alpha And," Perez said, completing the payment on a payment device. He handed it to Lest to let him check on the paid amount for the transfer of the cargo.

Lest reported what they had seen. "Alliance ships were in the area," he said. "Alliance played space police again, I suspect."

"The Sirrah system is a no-go zone because of some disputes in the past," Perez said. "The Alliance, the Titans and the Oreans claimed the system their own because of the ore on the planet Rand. They were hard on the brink of war."

"I heard the titanium resources were only minor," Lest said.

"The system is no longer of interest for mining since the discovery of the titanium asteroid belt in sector 269," Perez replied. "The discovery settled the war before it began, but, of course, neither nation wants to leave the system to another. Alliance ships in the sector are not a surprise, but neither is the Titan warship you saw."

"Why did they meet on Alpha And? Have you heard something, Perez?" Lest asked.

"Rumors spread quickly. Information is faster than light," Perez replied with a chuckle. "I heard of the event a couple of days ago. Spaceship crews are discussing it in the bars, but their talk is mostly speculation."

"But you got a few bits of true information?" Lest asked.

Perez smiled. "I have far-reaching connections," he said. "I spoke with a source close to the investigations. A Cleus commercial ship went missing. It approached Alpha And, but did not contact space traffic control center. It made a few odd flight maneuvers, zig-zagged through space and finally went on a straight course into the no-go zone."

"An accident? Some catastrophic onboard system failure?" Lest asked.

"Barely," Perez replied. "My source told me they found the Cleus ship and towed it in. The Cleus crew was found dead on the ship. Shot. The perpetrators are gone."

Lest gave a whistle. "A sophisticated plot, it seems," he said.

"Do you think so? I consider it a desperate act of someone on the run. They laid a false trail to buy them time and get out of the area unseen," Perez replied.

"True," Lest said. "The perpetrators barely vanished in thin air. Do you think they landed on Alpha And with a shuttle?"

"You’re a quick thinker, Lest," Perez said. "Yes, there’s evidence for the theory. Spaceport security detected an empty shuttle. It was mag-locked to an Orean cargo ship."

"I met the Orean captain in the spaceport bar," Lest said. "A plot like in the old pirate days, it seems. Haven’t we left those days behind?"

Perez smiled ambiguously. "The stunts maybe, but not the operations. Things have changed a great deal."

Lest nodded thoughtfully "Do you have another job, Perez? I need to refill the ship’s account," he said.

"Have you already spent the credits I paid you?" Perez asked with a laugh, but then turned serious again. He leaned over the counter and locked his eyes with Lest’s. "I’m currently negotiating with a private vendee. I need a ship that can fly in full stealth mode. If you’re interested, let me know. I can guarantee 150,000 credits, maybe more," he said.

"That’s quite a sum," Lest said. "You need a warship for a flight in stealth mode? Tell me more about the deal," he said, leaning against the counter and looking around in the room.

Perez’s office was small and messy and did not give away the man’s successful broker career.

"Why don’t you move into more impressive rooms?" Lest asked.

"Who should I want to impress?" Perez asked back. "I need not fake anything. I have real power."

Lest turned his head to Perez. Perez was smiling.

"What’s the destination of the trip?" Lest asked.

"Rho 59," Perez replied. "A dwarf planet on the edge of the Empire of Titania."

"Titan territory?" Lest asked, straightening. "I beg you, Perez, I’m not insane."

"You have a warship, overhauled and equipped with the latest equipment. You bought the equipment from me," Perez said. "Do you feel disappointed with the purchases?"

"No," Lest replied. "But 150,000 credits are a lot of money. The sum gives away the plot, and the destination even more so. What did the private vendee order? The latest plasma guns?"

Perez smiled amiably. "Wrong, Captain Lest," he said. "We speak of electronic devices for entertainment purposes."

"It depends on perspective. Some people find war games entertaining," Lest replied. "I’ll sign the deal on condition of unloading the cargo upon arrival on Rho 59 and immediate take-off after unloading."

"This should not be a problem. And if anything unexpected should happen, you can always shoot your way out. You have a warship," Perez said. He took a device from the counter and checked the display. "I will contact you, captain," he said finally without raising his eyes to Lest.

"Have a nice day," Lest replied and left the office.

He went down the corridor and entered a hallway. Lest pushed through the crowd and stopped in front of a store that sold guns for personal use. Lest entered the shop. The slyly smiling vendor showed Lest various plasma guns. Lest picked an Alliance gun that the vendor said was the latest model used by Alliance military forces. Lest tended to believe him as the man produced some evidence that supported his claims. The vendor asked Lest for a license that confirmed he was permitted to carry a gun for personal use.

"Sorry," the man apologized. "The law is Alliance law and this is an Alliance gun. I just need to make sure I won’t get into difficulties."

Lest cast him a doubting look and shrugged. Since he was wasn’t able to produce a license, the vendor, with a resigned sigh, finally retrieved one from a drawer, filled in the form, and stamped it. Lest watched him, not exactly shocked at the illegal act, but perplexed by the actual requirement of a hand-written form. The vendor finally handed him a wrapped parcel. Lest left the shop and walked on. He met up with his crew in a diner. The men looked curiously at the parcel. Lest placed it on an empty seat.

"Have you already wasted you personal credits?" Doctor Midad asked seriously, but then winked at Lest.

"A plasma gun for personal use," Lest replied. "I saw it in a shop. It’s the latest Alliance model. It looked good and it felt good in my hands. I wanted it and so I bought it."

"We were in the shops, too," Midad said, pointing at several bags on the floor. "Shopping on Cyrus makes for a nice change."

The waiter came to their table and the men ordered a multitude of fresh meals.

"I’m waiting for Perez to contact me," Lest said after they had finished eating. "He’s currently negotiating a deal."

Lest told the others what Perez had said.

"This operation is dangerous, captain," Midad said.

"It’s not a gray market operation. It’s clearly illegal," Jeff said. "We’re talking about the transport of weapons."

"Quiet," Lest said, looking left and right to see if anybody had overheard them.

The diner, however, was almost empty. It was already late in the morning, but still too early for most species to have lunch. Five men were eating in the far corner, a couple was standing by the counter, talking to the bartender. The waiter was nowhere to be seen.

"I can’t step away from the deal," Lest said. "It’s illegal cargo, yes, but the credits would save us at least six trips to the Mohic Empire."

"This clearly speaks in favor of the operation," Corr said with a grin.

Le’Ton and Jeff nodded. Galven and Forrit, the engineers, also agreed. Hulton wasn’t around. He had volunteered to stay on the ship.

***

The group left and went back to the hangar where the Horus was parked. There was a commotion at the entrance to the next hangar. An Atkon gunship was being hovered out of the hall.

"A lot of Atkon gunships lately," Lest said.

"Why are they hovering it out of the hangar? To take it elsewhere for repair?" Jeff asked.

"No," a man said, turning to them. "I heard it was stolen. The owner has claimed it back."

"Interesting," Lest said.

"Do you think it’s the same ship we saw on Alpha And?" Jeff asked.

"I have no idea," Lest replied. "One might think it is."

The crew moved on and went to the ship. The Horus was currently being re-fuelled. Hulton stood next to the ship and supervised three men loading crates into the ship. He greeted the others.

"Fresh food has arrived," he said. "I checked the software of the ship and found nothing wrong with it. Once Galven and Forrit have checked the hardware, we’re ready to go. Have you arranged a new deal, captain?"

"The deal is under way," Lest replied. "Perez will contact me as soon as the terms of the deal are settled."

"Where will we go?" Hulton asked, motioning to the men with the crates.

"Rho 59," Le’Ton replied, walking up the ramp of the ship.

"A dwarf planet on the edge of the Empire of Titania," Corr said, following Le’Ton up the ramp.

Hulton turned to the captain. "Rho 59? It’s an old mining station, long closed. Why are we going there?"

"A private vendee ordered cargo. Electronic devices for entertainment purposes," Lest said.

Hulton raised an eyebrow. "No need to elaborate on it, captain. I can tell it smells," he said.

Lest grinned, then moved up the ramp.

"Who’s the vendee?" Hulton asked. "Does the man even have a name?"

"Not yet," Jeff replied. "Honestly, I don’t understand why the negotiations take so long and Perez has not yet contacted the captain."

Doctor Midad interrupted them. "Have the medical supplies arrived?" he asked Hulton.

"About an hour ago," Hulton replied. "Three big crates. They’re in the cargo bay."

"I’ll go and check them out," Midad said and entered the ship.

"Don’t you want to go to the malls, Hulton?" Jeff asked. "Cyrus is your home planet. Don’t you want to meet up with friends for a drink?"

"I don’t have any friends on Cyrus," Hulton replied. "I have dwelled in this place far too long. What is so attractive about this shady planet with its multi-storey constructions? You’re always inside, never see the sky or the sun, and the air is stale and smells bad."

"Is being confined to a spaceship for months on end any better?" Jeff asked.

"A spaceship is less crowded," Hulton replied. "But you’re right, Jeff. I’ll go and get some new equipment. I know where to go and get what I want. I won’t be long. Send a message to my neural implant if you want me to get back on the ship."

"Okay," Jeff said. "I’ll handle the crates. Enjoy yourself, Hulton."

Hulton gave a nod, then walked away and left the hangar. Jeff turned to the men with the crates.

"What’s the problem? Why does it take so long to get these crates on board of the ship?" he asked.

"The captain must confirm the delivery," a man replied.

"Why didn’t you ask the captain when he was entering the ship?" Jeff asked in annoyance.

"We couldn’t decide on who is in charge. You look all the same in your leisure clothes. You don’t look exactly like the crew of a warship," the man said.

Jeff eyed him in disbelief. "I suspect you have only recently started your work on Cyrus," he said.

The man smiled insecurely. "Uhm, yes. I came here two weeks ago. A food company hired men. I worked on Alpha And previously."

"We’ve just come back from Alpha And," Jeff said.

"I guess you understand why I left the hub and accepted the job offer on Cyrus," the man said drily.

"In fact, I do. That hub is antiquated, " Jeff replied. "But now, please, get these crates on board of the ship. I’ll go and send the captain out."

***