Deeper Darker

Chapter 25: Swing Shift

Second Quadrant.

Planet Lenworth.

Ring Airspace.

Point-Two was used to cold methodical thinking. He liked a plan to be worked out in advance and followed as closely as possible, with the most likely obstacles already considered and prepared for.

On the Liberator Garu, there were limited options for yourself or your opponent. You might not be able to predict exactly what move they would make, but you could narrow it down to three or four.

He realised that kind of thinking was only really suitable for a game, where everyone had the same restrictions and were bound by the same set of laws. And where infractions were dealt with severely. You might be able to circumvent the rules, but it would take great skill and gamesmanship, and it was hard to resent a player for pulling off inconceivable moves, even if they occasionally crossed the line.

This wasnt a game. You couldnt just decline a challenge. There were rules, but when you had so many players on the field of play at the same time, how was it possible to police them all?

Being part of a small community had warped his idea of what it took to compete against others. Not only could he not call on System, he recognised the desire in himself to not want to engage if no one else was going to behave correctly. He hadnt thought of himself as so prim and petulant.

He forced himself to his feet and towards the front of the steeply inclined craft by grabbing onto anything that stuck out enough to offer some purchase. Now the unkempt state of the cabin turned out to be ideally suited for his needs. Was that why the inside of the ship had so many struts and wires sticking out all over the place? Was Tendu able to foresee requirements to such a degree that his genius made him appear to be crazy?

Lets go bitches. Lets-a-goooo. Tendu hit a button and all the walls turned transparent.

They werent actually see-through, they were screens the floor, the ceiling, the back wall he had just shut. Cameras on the outside were transmitting pictures from all angles. The effect wasnt like you were standing in the middle of the sky you could still see parts of the interior that werent part of the screen but it was a very disorienting experience.

Behind them, coming out of the smoke still spewing from the explosion, three small craft were chasing them. They had green and red lights flashing on the front and on the roof.

Point-Two couldnt stop thinking how hed be able to handle all this much easier with System here to back him up, to warn others if they tried to cheat, to catch him if he fell. He couldnt stop himself. He was like a child clinging to his mothers skirt, which was ironic since that was the one thing hed never been able to do.

While he was sure Hollet One hadnt intended to send him to his death, he could see a certain devious strategy at work here. He could have sent Point-Two off very quietly with no problems at all. A seat on a passenger cruise, nothing very remarkable, his identity lost in the crowd. But no. He had chosen a far more intrepid exit for Point-Two. It seemed unlikely to be a coincidence. Little brother needed toughening up fast.

This is your last warning! the speakers blared with heavy distortion garbling some of the words. Stop now or well blow you out of the sky! Shit, hes heading for The transmission cut off.

The angle of ascent wasnt quite so vertical now. Point-Two made it back to his seat and looked at the ring that circled Lenworth. They were pointed right at it.

Tendu grinned and looked across at Point-Two. They wont follow us into the ring. Wouldnt dare.

Wont there be more security up there? You were supposed to get me out of here quietly.

No need to worry. When you feel the urge to panic, just take a deep breath and hold it, ten, fifteen seconds, then let it go. Haha, youre doing great, man.

They were still going up, the gleaming ring growing bigger, a giant chrome rainbow. From this high up, Point-Two could see the ring as a tube, the top half made of clear material, like an elongated glass dome. He could glimpse inside fields and forests, large bodies of water. It looked clean and fresh and utterly out of place so close to the soiled and contaminated environment below.

Point-Two looked back over his shoulder. The chasing security ships had turned around.

Theyve given up, said Point-Two. Why?

Because they know theyre outclassed, said Tendu, his voice full of laughter. And also

Unauthorised vessel, you are in restricted airspace. This is Ring Police Interceptor Division. Turn around and return to the surface. Non-compliance will be met with lethal force. We are fully sanctioned, weapons are live. The voice sounded far more dangerous than the security guys from the port.

Approaching from the ring were three slim craft with four wings apiece. On each wingtip was a red cylinder with black holes in it a shred gun.

I think we should do what they say, said Point-Two. The Garu used similar weapons and he had seen what they could do to shieldless targets. The Garus were bigger, but there were twelve of these, and they were coming closer to keep the spread nice and tight.

Just need to get the right angle, said Tendu, not changing course.

Point-Two was floating again. They had broken through the atmosphere and were surrounded by stars. The interior of the ring was even more astonishing from up here. Beaches, crystal mountains in different colours, people flying he could see people zooming around with devices strapped to their backs.

Last chance, said the voice. Three two

One, said Tendu, and hit a button.

The screens around them buckled and fractured, like a hall of mirrors being smashed to pieces. Then they warped back.

Where did they go? The voice no longer sounded cool and authoritative. Now it was confused.

Tendus ship had stopped moving but they were still in plain view of the approaching vessels.

What did you do? said Point-Two, keeping his voice lowered for some reason he couldnt quite put his finger on. It felt like a moment to keep quiet.

Tendu waved a hand at him. The three approaching ships were slowing down. At this range, their sleek design and artful paint jobs were even more impressive.

Screens inside, screens outside, said Tendu. Were showing them whats around us, so they think weve vanished.

If he understood correctly the ship was covered in screens on the outside of the hull, too. Pictures of what was behind them were being shown to them so the ship was invisible. It was a very low-tech cloaking shield.

But their sensors, said Point-Two.

Cant see us either, said Tendu. In one ear, out the other.

The whole thing was so janky it was hard to understand with a proper education. Why would you go to these lengths when there were so many better options? You had to be really dumb to make something like this work.

There! said the voice on the speaker.

Point-Two saw something on the screen, in between the other ships. It was a copy of the ship he was in, shrinking.

What is that?

Thats us making our getaway, said Tendu.

From the polices perspective, the image was meant to look like a ship flying away from them. How could anyone fall for something so ridiculous?

Its not showing on the sensors, said the voice. Should we chase it?

Lets go see how they pulled that trick, said another voice on the speaker.

If they change angle or go past us, theyll see its not real, said Point-Two.

Tendu hit a button and the ship on the screen shot out a green ring from its rear and then shrank even faster, disappearing in under a second.

Was that a jade drive? said the first voice. How the hell

We just escaped using our jade drive, said Tendu, chuckling. Latest in hyperspeed technology, waiting list as long as your arm, if you got arms like a Delphidian worm.

Delphidian worms dont have arms, said Point-Two, floating around. How much air does this thing hold? He hadnt seen any oxygen tanks.

More than enough. Well just wait for our envious friends to go back to their comfy offices and then we can be on our way. Shame I cant give you a better look inside. Oof, its nice.

Tendu stretched out his legs and put his feet on the console or floating just about the buttons. It made Point-Two uncomfortable. One accidental slip and their homemade invisibility cloak might get turned off. He took a deep breath and held it. The police ships were still sitting there.

Nice moves back there, by the way. You jump around like one of those space monkeys.

Point-Two let the air out. What?

Space monkeys. The first people in space were monkeys, didnt you know that? What kind of history do they teach you on that ship of yours?

Point-Two vaguely recalled what a monkey was, some kind of rodent with hands, but he was pretty sure they hadnt invented spaceflight.

Thats how they got their own planet. Youve heard of Planet of the Monkeys, havent you?

Point-Two felt like he was having his leg pulled. How did you know there were explosives in my bag? Your organic?

Tendus hair was back to normal (for him) and his eyes werent glowing. His organic was off now, but it had somehow warned him about the bomb on board.

No, I just had a feeling. Man gets to know his ship, you know?

Where did you get the organic. Theyre quite hard to get hold of, arent they? And also expensive, but he didnt say that in case it was taken as an insult. A man like Tendu probably had ways of getting hold of currency. That would probably be insulting, too.

Hard? You dont even know. I used to run with a group, delving ruins. This was back when there were still plenty of Antecessor sites that hadnt been claimed by the big corporations. They sweep them clean with a hundred-man teams now, we used to do it with five people, and at least three of us would come out alive. Thems good numbers.

There are still sites left, though, arent there?

Sure, sure. The ones even a hundred-man team cant do anything to. I dont recommend it, organics arent all theyre cracked up to be. Terrible pains, they give you. Overheat the body, too. Better off buying yourself a nice warm coat and forget the whole thing. Ooh, theyre moving.

The three ships swung around and headed back to the ring. They watched them grow smaller just as the police had watched their ship grow smaller.

Nicely done, eh? Lets get you to that wormhole.

Point-Two finally relaxed, and then wished he hadnt. I think I need to use the bathroom.

Well, open the back and fire away, said Tendu.

Point-Two looked at the back wall. You really want me to open the door in space, with no suits? It was a terrible idea, but then what so far haadnt been?

No, haha, Im just kidding. Here. Tendu pulled out a diaper from under his seat. Put this on and get comfortable. I think Ill join you. Now, where did I put that air freshener?