At long last, the next chapter. Sorry it took me so long to repick this up,
but events in my life made writing slow for the last few weeks, and I
finished some other stories earlier than I thought. My intention is to keep
writing these semi-often until it's done, though there will still be
interruptions in the form of one shots and such.


Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot
Chapter 8

Any and all C+C is appreciated. You can contact me at
sommer@3rdm.net

All of my fics are stored at the following:

Larry F's new address at:
http://www.rakhal.com/florestica/d_b_sommer/index.html

At fanfiction.net:
http://www.fanfiction.net/

Or R+C books at:
http://www.fanworks.org

And Angcobra is now storing some of my fics, at
http://dbsommer.web1000.com/dbsommer.html

A special nod to Mike Baron for the joke in one of the later parts. People
that read 'Badger' will know what I mean.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kei felt like ramming her face into the flight console as her ship hung
motionless in space, a miniature star to those a hundred kilometers away,
and invisible to any beyond that. It wasn't her fault her ship was so
insignificant. The independent, single person spacecraft that had had been
issued to the Lovely Angel was embarrassing, and would never have been used,
save the company that manufactured them gave the 3WA such a good deal on
selling them in bulk.

The rounded vehicle resembled a silvery beach ball and had earned the
ignominious nickname 'Bouncer' since it looked like it could bounce off
anything it crashed into. Kei could testify firsthand that was not the case,
and their metal would buckle under a direct impact the same way any other
vehicle would. She hated the damn things, from their uncomfortable seats to
comical look to their lack of decent weaponry. All it had was a lousy
single-barreled laser ball turret mounted on the bottom. It could barely be
called a weapon. Opening the cockpit and using her sidearm would be almost
as effective. All right, the vehicle wasn't intended for combat, just light
travel, but they could have placed something with more kick on board.

Kei wouldn't have been so frustrated if those idiots at 3WA Headquarters had
agreed to her request and requisitioned her one of those new single-seater
Mustangs. Now there was a fighter. Some designer had used a throwback design
reminiscent of the early Earth propeller driven aircraft of the same name
innumerable centuries ago. They were armed with six forward laser cannons
mounted in the wings, a pair of plasma cannons in the nose, and still had
room for missiles! It was the perfect single pilot fighter craft as far as
Kei was concerned. So what if the Lovely Angel's bay didn't have enough room
to launch one? They could have modified it or something. How much could
retrofitting it really cost?

Annoyed more than ever at being thwarted in her designs, Kei stared off in
the distance at the refueling station suspended above one of the moons
circling Karpathia, the single gas giant planet at the edge of the system
Myce was located in. While the Bouncer's fuel capacity wasn't the greatest,
she still had enough she could have flown straight through and refueled
planetside while she was on her mission, but the rates were cheaper in orbit
and headquarters had been getting on everyone's cases about needless
expenses with fuel.

So, being the responsible agent she was, Kei waited among the numerous space
vehicles that surrounded the ten mile long pylons that spun around each
other like a giant mobile above a child's crib. Each of the pylons had a
number of spacecraft attached to them, pumping them full of whatever type of
fuel they needed. Further off in the distance, she could just make out large
containers, each miles long and linked umbilically together, that contained
the rest of the fuel. Once the pylon stations emptied their stores, they
would bring up one of the containers and refuel from there. It was a sound
and simple operation, but the station could only handle so much traffic at
one time. Currently Kei was being forced to wait for two hours, going on
three, to get a position at one of the 'pumps'. It was infuriating.

The anger made Kei more irritable. She hated this. Why the hell did Iria
feel compelled to send her to Myce and force her to personally ask this
super hacker (who would be some pimply-faced loser kid, like all computer
geeks were), when Yuri could have done the job? Or better yet, simply send
him the information over sub-space channels, like any normal person would?
Iria was just being paranoid about their information being compromised, even
if it felt like someone was one step ahead of them in the race to kill
Zeiram.

To make things worse, Kei just knew that in her absence Yuri was going to
slut her way into Killgore's bed. It wasn't fair! Kei wanted to do it first.
Though with more style than Yuri would, of course. She was a lot classier
than her partner was. Yuri might have put on the airs of a discerning
connoisseur, but was in reality little better than a common streetwalker
when it came to men. Kei was much more discerning, though it felt like
forever since she had been with a guy, and the whole birthday thing had
taken its toll on her feminine pride. Killgore would have been the perfect
cure for that, aside from being Iria's ex-husband and everything. But
really, that was a minor sticking point. Just because it didn't work out for
those two didn't mean it would be the same for  Kei and Killgore. Anything
was possible.

No, it wasn't possible at the moment, since she was stuck in the middle of
nowhere, destined to rendezvous with a cyber-geek whose acquainted with the
female gender was through pixels rather than actual flesh. Her life was
really sickening. It was enough to give her a mid-life crisis at the age of
thirty-four.

Kei slammed her fists onto the console. Saving money wasn't worth the wait.
If those service station idiots didn't call her ship in the next five
minutes, she would head toward Myce. Besides, what difference did saving a
few credit chips mean when the Lovely Angel was going to need a complete
overhaul anyway?

Just as she charged up her engine, a movement from the rear caught her eye.
Someone behind her was moving toward the station. That was odd. Given his
position, he would have dropped out of hyperspace after her, and had a
longer wait than she did. At least he better have. If he had some connection
that enabled him to cut in front and get refueled before her, she'd close
the whole operation down for illegal business practices. No one line jumped
Kei and got away with it. No one.

As the ship drew nearer, Kei drew a visual on it and her jaw nearly dropped.
It was one of those Mustangs she had just been fantasizing about. She
practically drooled at the sight of elegant death as it made a direct line
toward her. Seeing it in real life made the promotional sale holos of it
pale in comparison. Once the mission was completed and she returned to
headquarters, it didn't matter who she had to kiss up to; she was having one
of those beauties permanently assigned to her.

It was as she genuflected in the spacecraft's presence that something about
the way it neared tickled at her conscience. Its approach vector was off. If
she didn't know any better, she would have sworn it was heading toward her
rather than the refueling station. And the way it was swooping in, it was
identical to an attack run she would use if her Bouncer was the target.

Reflexes took over as Kei fired up her already primed engines. The ship
lurched forward the instant she hit the button. One thing the Bouncer had
going for it was an ultra-fast reaction time.

Kei's one concession toward her vehicle's prowess proved to be the
difference between life and death as a sextet of ruby colored lances of
energy filled the space her vehicle had occupied a moment earlier. The
Mustang, traveling at such a high rate of speed toward what had been a
stationary object, swooped past before it could fire a second volley.

The whine of the Bouncer's engines filled the cockpit as they reached their
maximum output. Kei tried following the Mustang in order to turn from hunted
to hunter. Much to her annoyance the pilot's skills were more than capable
as he banked his craft and quickly returned to his 'kill' position on Kei's
tail. She had no choice but to run in the hopes he would provide an opening
for her.

Numerous bolts of energy flew past Kei's vehicle, crimson streaks sailing
off into the distance only to disappear into the darkness of space. Her
vehicle was small, made a pitiful target profile, and was as nimble as
grasshopper trapped on a hotplate. She evaded the hail of fire using her own
considerable skills picked up from years of dealing with people trying to
kill her.

The bolts drew closer as the enemy pilot began to take her maneuverability
into account. Worse, Kei knew that if she remained in open space, and if her
foe had a halfway decent targeting system, it would eventually lock onto her
and all of the dodging in the universe wouldn't do her a bit of good. She
used her own defenses to pivot her ball turret around so she could retaliate
while fleeing. Unfortunately, the enemy fighter easily dodged her pitiful
return fire, his wings continuing to spit red death at her. The action would
only buy her a few extra seconds. She needed to come up with an alternate
solution. While she couldn't negate the pilot's skills, she could deal with
the targeting system.

The Bouncer rumbled as Kei made a power dive and headed toward the pylons
that hung in space above the moon. More lances of energy peppered space
around her. With their change of position, instead of disappearing into the
void, they continued onward until they struck one of the rotating pylons in
space, melting the hull and causing the exterior to bubble where they hit.

So much for hoping this guy had a code against firing among civilians. Kei
would have preferred to not fly among the station and numerous ships
surrounding it like flies around carrion, but it was her only hope. If the
enemy pilot had her in open space for more than a minute, she was dead. It
was his fault for pulling the trigger. The only thing she was guilty of was
trying to survive.

Within seconds Kei found herself among the thickest part of the ships and
station. Some of the pilots of the ships, upon discovering someone was
opening fire in their area, chose to pull away from the station. Not
bothering to clear their flight paths, they immediately began colliding with
one another, causing more damage amongst their number than the lasers could
have done in twice the time.

Kei was in the middle of the veritable flotilla, continuing to duck and
weave both enemy fire and the increasing number of ships that were trying to
flee. With that kind of chaos, there was no way the targeting system could
lock down on her. The enemy pilot would have to blow her out of the sky
using only hand eye coordination, and do it while weaving among the ships
himself.

Unfortunately, her opponent remained on her tail despite her evasive
maneuvering. The best she could manage was increasing the distance between
them slightly. And the laser fire drew closer, despite the range, though
every stray shot seemed to hit something in or around the Bouncer. More
ships blew up, and the refueling station suffered more damage as chunks of
it floated off into space. Kei upped the assessment of her opponent from
pretty good to experienced combat flying. It was a good thing she had a lot
as well, or she would have been atomized by now.

She followed up the side of each pylon, hugging the surface in order to
avoid a target lock. She jumped from one to the next in the hopes of shaking
her pursuer loose and turning the tables on him. Still he persisted,
following her while maintaining his high rate of fire. There was no way even
a normal Mustang could blast away like that without depleting its energy
banks. It had to have been modified for heavy combat, indicating whoever had
come after her had money as well as top notch training. It would narrow down
the list of potential suspects once she got rid of her pursuer, because
whoever had sicced this bastard on her was going to pay.

After finishing with the latest pylon, Kei suddenly found herself clear of
the station's structure. She was unable to circle back around due to several
crashes that had occurred in space since the dog fight began. The
obstructions forced her away from the protection of the station and the
cover it provided. The Mustang remained hot on her tail as she emerged from
the ensuing conflagration.

Aware there was no hope of outrunning him, Kei gritted her teeth as she
tried the old but effective trick of speeding up, then slowing down in the
hopes her foe would pass her by and she could find herself dogging him from
behind. She increased her velocity, hoping to trick him into thinking she
was going to hit her afterburners, then used the retro-jets to arrest her
speed. Instead of shooting past, her foe reacted as though he had expected
the move and cut his speed almost as quickly. Kei found the distance between
them cut by two thirds, and worsening by the second.

Suddenly her foe began to drop back. Kei smiled as she figured he must have
hit the limit on his engines, perhaps overheating them, or foolishly
draining them of too much energy if he had rigged his engine and guns to the
same power supply. That was the way most people rewired things in order to
increase their firepower.

The joy at what appeared to be an advantage disappeared as she saw two
previously unnoticed cylinders detach themselves from the fighter and speed
forward, orange plumes of fire spitting from their rears. It only took her a
moment to realize the distancing was intentional. He had wanted enough room
for the missiles' independent targeting systems to lock on her before
sending them into her oversized ball.

This was bad. They had to have been seekers of some kind, and given the
quality of the equipment used against her so far, probably damn good ones.
She didn't have any type of countermeasures in the Bouncer, other than 'move
quickly back and forth and make them miss'.

Or scraping them off something, as she saw the giant metal containers coming
up in front of her. It was about time she had a bit of good luck. She had
shot away from the station at just the right angle to be heading in the
direction of the fuel reserves.

The missiles bore down on her, correcting their course as fast as their
sensors could react to her movements and closing fast. The only thing truly
going in her favor was that her opponent had stopped firing for fear of
shooting down his own missiles. She juked and wove, making them pass her by
once before they arced and returned to their former trajectory. Their arcs
seemed to be a touch wide. Perhaps they were using Falvaian Systems. Those
always had wide arcs when course correcting. That could only help her plan.

The container became increasingly larger in the front viewport, until it
took up nearly the whole thing. She was almost there. She wanted the timing
to be just right. She had to be right on top of it....

At the last second, Kei veered to the left, practically losing her paint job
as she came incredibly close to striking the container. But she pulled out
in time, Bouncer groaning in protest at her rough treatment of it. The
missiles followed, one after another.

There was a tremendous explosion as the contents of the container exploded,
taking both missiles with it. Kei gave a cheer at her ingenuity in losing
the persistent buggers. She had escaped death once again with a smile on her
face and a cheer on her lips. She was going to get seriously drunk when this
was over with.

Lights of red cut across her path. Kei darted out of the way, but a couple
glanced off the side of the Bouncer. They only inflicted the barest of
superficial damage, but it was enough to make Kei curse at her jubilation
and forgetting that the craft that had fired the missiles was still trying
to kill her. The error had almost cost Kei her life, and might yet if she
couldn't figure out how to down him before he did the same to her.

Again she tried outmaneuvering her foe, realizing it was only a matter of
time before he got lucky again and hit something more vital on her ship.
There had to be some way to lose him. There had to be.

An explosion lit the darkness of space. Kei thought at first it was the
refueling station, the damage from the dogfight taking its toll. Instead she
saw that it came from the direction of the exploding container. That made no
sense. There had only been two missiles, and both had hit the same target.
Even if there had been a third, it would have detonated long ago.

She spared a glance and noted it was the container next to the one that had
already exploded. That was odd, since the distances involved should have
prevented 'birthing', a term used when volley of missiles was fired at an
opponent and the detonation of one would cause those next to it to explode,
which in turn caused others to explode, and so on until none were left.

Then there was a third explosion from the container next to the one that had
gone up. It took Kei a second to figure out what was causing the rash of
detonations: the umbilical connecting them to one another. The fires must
have been traveling through the connecting cable and causing them to blow up
in order. They should have had automatic safety features to cut the cables
loose when one of the containers exploded, and manual overrides on the
station failing that. Of course, something might have gone wrong at the
station, and the safeties were out of commission. Not at all impossible
considering how shot up the Mustang had left them. And there were all of the
ship collisions would only have worsened things.

The fourth in the line went up. It was then the plan occurred to Kei. The
containers had proven useful once before. They would do so again in their
death knells. She mentally calculated the timing between explosions, which
was even. Yes, that might do it. If only the enemy pilot was concentrating
solely on her rather than his surroundings.

Kei changed direction again and headed to the line of containers. The
Mustang followed close, continuing to spit fire at her. She could still
evade that, though not by much. She had to lure him in just the right spot.
The only way to do that was to give him the perfect target. Her window of
opportunity would be brief, and if the safeties activated and cut loose the
umbilicals, it was all over for her. But it was a chance she had to take.
Her only one.

She saw the next one in line explode just when she thought it would. Her
timing was on. She took a deep breath and spun under the next container,
coming up high on the other side and heading off in a straight line. Just as
she hoped, the Mustang pilot followed in her exact path rather than trying
to anticipate where she was going and taking a different way. Now all she
had to do was pray he didn't hit her before the final part of her plan came
into effect.

It didn't as the container the Mustang flew under detonated and the fighter
disappeared into the red and yellow cloud of fiery death. Kei gave a
whooping war cry at the success of her plan. Only an expert like her could
have timed it right while dodging heavy enemy fire that she was unable to
return. She was really going to rub Yuri's face in it when she returned to
the Lovely Angel. And maybe her expertise would catch Killgore's attention
and they could go out or something.

Suddenly Kei's ship was rocked by a laser blast. More crimson bolts shot
past, barely missing her Bouncer. Kei once again took evasive action trying
to look behind her to see who was firing.

It was the Mustang. Somehow it had survived the explosion, but just barely.
It was scorched black, and she could see a good portion of its exterior was
melted. One of the wings was half the size it had been before, and fires
spurted from its fuselage in various places. It was a miracle it could still
fly, and looked like it would blow up or disintegrate at any minute. Only
one laser was still functional, but its pilot seemed determined to carry out
his assignment and end Kei's life no matter what.

"I've had enough of this!" Kei snarled, changing her flight path so she was
heading directly at the Mustang. She pivoted her ball turret to the front
and returned fire, now that they were on even ground. She was going to take
this persistent jerk down no matter what.

Both ships flew unerringly at one another, firing repeatedly but missing
since each anticipating the other would veer off in another direction. Kei
grit her teeth. Now it was game of chicken, the first one to turn away would
probably end up dead. Well it wouldn't be her. She had never lost a game of
chicken with anyone. The opposition always turned away since they lacked
Kei's nerves. She'd stay true and wait for her opponent to turn and reveal
some vital part of his ship. She just had to anticipate which way it was and
nail him.

Only he didn't change course, he kept heading straight for her as well. A
small line of sweat decorated Kei's brow. Most pilots would have turned away
at this point, both ships speeding toward one another, poised on the brink
of mutual annihilation. This guy had nerves, to be sure.

They were almost at the point of no return. Kei concentrated. She would only
get one shot before he flashed past her. She had to make it count. She held
herself steady. Waiting for it. The moment was coming up.

And then it was past. Kei's eyes goggled as she spun the ship to the right.
It turned just enough to strike the edge of the nearly broken wing. That it
was in such bad shape and barely hanging on was the only reason her Bouncer
wasn't destroyed on contact, and instead only lost 90% of its maneuvering
jets and all of its communications gear.

The Mustang fared worse, the collision proving too much for its battered
form to hold together. Its wing tore off, causing an explosion to rip
through the side of the spacecraft. The rest went up in a ball of red and
white smoke and pieces of debris were hurled off into deep space.

Kei took note of it in the back of her mind. Her ship's condition was almost
as bad. The breaking jets were a pale joke of what they were supposed to be,
and she was moving at top speed. Systems were crashing, and she didn't like
the way the fuel converter on her ship was acting up. It displayed bright
red warning signs that it could explode at any time.

Under ordinary circumstances, she would have bailed out, but the Bouncer was
too small to afford an escape pod. Her communications were down, so there
was no way to send an SOS, and waiting to get picked up was too risky.
Besides, she thought there were going to be plenty of SOSs to go around as
she caught sight of the refueling station breaking up from all the damage it
had taken. There weren't enough rescue ships in the entire system to take
care of that mess.

There was only one chance left; land on the only habitable planet in the
system: Myce. At least it was her intended destination in the first place.
Now all she had to do was find somewhere flat and hope her ship rolled
better than it bounced.

xxxxxxxx

Kei felt her stomach lurch in conjunction with the movement. She turned a
deeper shade of green and felt the metallic taste of bile rise to her
throat. She mentally noted that this form of travel was the worst, and
prayed to all the gods that she never had to have such torture inflicted
upon her again.

The taxi driver looked over his shoulder to the passenger in the back and
said, "Hey, lady, don't even think of hurling on the backseat. Bad enough
you did it all over the outside of the door. I don't need to reupholster the
interior as well."

"I'll be fine," Kei shot back, popping her fifth anti-gastric capsule since
the ride started. The urge to vomit passed, though she still felt queasy.
Rolling on the inside of a giant ball, like a redheaded hamster in a plastic
bubble, for fifteen kilometers tended to make even the most cast iron of
stomachs a little shaky. At least the Almoth Plain had lived up to its
reputation as being "The Flattest Place in all of Myce." It was the only
thing that had saved her when she made planetfall. She had slowed her speed
enough to keep from burning up on reentry, but there was no way she could
slow down enough to land safely. Had the Bouncer been anything other than
round, she probably would have ended up a smear decorating the landscape. As
it was, she only left the contents of her stomach, as well as the broken
remnants of the ruined Bouncer, behind. It was turning out to be... well, a
normal day for Kei's life as a Lovely Angel. No matter where she went,
trouble, and a body count, followed.

And the day wasn't over yet.

She had some measure of good luck. Someone had flown out to the desert to
see what had plummeted through the atmosphere and picked her up. After
leaving her outside Myce (her old hometown, and capital of the planet
bearing the same name), she picked up a taxi and headed for her meeting with
the hacker, Mikael.

As Kei headed to the city, and dealt with her upset stomach, she considered
current events, like who was trying to kill her this time. There was no
shortage of people who wanted her dead: criminals, terrorists, overthrown
dictators, religious zealots, evil masterminds, angry wives and girlfriends
of some of the guys she dated, even her superiors now and then. But this
felt different in a way she couldn't describe. Years of being a
troubleshooter made her listen to her instincts, and she was willing to go
with them rather than logic. Sometimes it got her into trouble, as Yuri
would enthusiastically point out, but sometimes it saved her life.

How did the pilot know she was heading toward Myce? While it could have been
coincidence, perhaps someone hired to put a hit on her and he happened to
come across her, she doubted it. Only Yuri, Iria, Bob, and Killgore should
have known her destination. She would have trusted the first three with her
life, so that left the last one suspect. But that didn't make sense. Why
would Killgore save Iria and want to join forces, just to kill them?

Perhaps there was some leak on the Zeiram end. The guy in charge of him was
a genius, and he was working for the Tormand Confederation. Had they somehow
anticipated her destination, or tracked her? Had she been chosen for
elimination since she was on her own and theoretically easy prey? There were
too many questions and no way to get any of the answers. It served to upset
her temper as well as her stomach.

As the scenery passed by, Kei concentrated on it and quickly found the
warmth of her homecoming dampened. Originally, she had been excited at the
prospect of returning to Myce for the first time in over fifteen years. It
was the first place in her life she had truly called home, with Iria as her
defacto mother and Bob her sage (and bodiless) uncle. Many years were spent
learning fun things, like firearms, explosives, unarmed combat, and how to
drive at excessive speeds. It was a blissful childhood, and she couldn't
have asked for more, even if she went on to outgrow the place in the end.

Unfortunately, the reality of what passed by the window failed to match the
memories of Kei's youth. Myce had changed in her absence and not for the
better. When Kei had first arrived on the planet as a penniless street
orphan that had only lived on the backwater world of Taowajan, she had been
awed by the magnificence and splendor of a megalopolis that had exceeded her
wildest dreams. Everything had been bright and fantastic, all full of
vibrancy and hope. The city had been like a living, thriving organism, and
the people residing in it symbiotes that only fed its power.

Now the gild from the crown jewel of her youth had worn away. Tedan Tippedai
had been the major business that had supplied the off world money
responsible for the majority of the city's wealth. When they eventually went
belly up from the Zeiram debacle, no other major off world corporation had
been interested in using Myce as their headquarters, Zeiram having made the
planet a business pariah. The loss of Tedan Tippedai hadn't been apparent
when Kei departed her home for good, but now a decade later, its effect
could be seen wherever one looked.

The buildings looked dirty and remnants of garbage could be seen in once
spotless streets. People wore sedate clothing that matched their dark and
dour moods. Hunched over bodies seemed to bear the weight of the heavens on
their shoulders, and their gaits held not a wisp of pride. Even the air felt
flat and stale.

There were some places that seemed to hold onto a lingering sense of hope,
sporadic oasis in the middle of a desert of depression, but even they showed
signs of having been worn down with age. While the city wouldn't die, its
indigenous population had enough resources to see to that, it had suffered a
wound that made the whole become jaundiced  and weakened. It was painful to
see.

Kei cut off that line of thought. She was here on business, not vacation
reminiscing about the old homestead. There was a rendezvous to keep with
that hacker Iria wanted her to feel out. It was supposed to be at a bar
called the Olgarion, named after some mythical figure from the days when
Myce was a dead hunk of rock being transformed into a proper colony. It had
something to do about a man saving a town from a flood by building a dam
with only a sledgehammer or something. Kei had paid little attention to such
tall tales, preferring to make people talk about her own actions. Well, they
did, just not in the way she had envisioned growing up.

"How much farther?" she grilled the driver.

"Another ten minutes," he said just a touch too fast.

Kei didn't like the way he gave his estimate. There was something off about
it. It was too thought out. Even after more than a decade, she was familiar
enough with the city to have a general idea of where the bar was located.
This road was not the quickest way to it in her day. "We are taking the most
direct route, aren't we?" she prodded.

"Of course," the driver assured her.

Kei fished her ID out of her belt pocket with one hand and her pistol from
its holster with the other. She waved the ID against the clear safety shield
between her and the driver. "This identifies me as an official
troubleshooter with the 3WA. This," she tapped the barrel of the gun against
the safety shield. "Gives me the power to shoot trouble. Giving me the
runaround is a sure way to cause trouble."

"Silly me. I think I know a more direct route," the driver said with a touch
of panic in his voice as he made a U-turn in the middle of the road, hopping
lanes. The abrupt action made several hover cars in the other lane to hit
their breaks, causing a pile up in the middle of the busy highway.

"Not my fault," Kei muttered from the back seat, deciding tacitly to not
look out the rear window. It only proved her theory that on any planet, taxi
drivers were all crooked and nuts.

Within minutes they pulled up to a building with the bright neon lights
surrounding the name "Olgarion." She opened the door and exited the vehicle.
She started to go for her money card when the driver gave a panicked,
"Nevermind, glad to be of service, officer." And pulled away, kicking up a
cloud of putrefied air from his ill-maintained exhaust system. Kei was left
coughing in the pus green cloud for a minute.

"Idiot," she grumbled once she was over the coughing fit. At least she
didn't have to pay for the ride.

Now that Kei had arrived at the rendezvous point, she gave it a closer look.
The bright red neon lights surrounding the doorway leading to the interior
were blinding. She had to squint past them to see the crumbling edifice of
the two-story structure that housed the bar. It was in as run down shape as
the rest of the neighborhood, but at least they went to the effort of
masking the fact with the lighting.

Cries of grinding metal and blowtorches came from within. Kei recognized the
sounds of the construction agony as belonging to the latest music fad to
pass through this arm of the galaxy 'Death Metal' in the most literal sense
of the word. The noise (which was all it was) was people destroying metal in
a variety of ways. Oh, its supposed 'higher meaning' was the representation
of the destruction of modern society on the basis it was a bloated mass of
dying flesh that needed to be put out of its misery, but it was literally
composed of 'musicians' hammering, ripping apart, and otherwise destroying
pieces of metal. To Kei, it was the surest sign there were no more worthy
musical art forms left to be discovered in the universe.

As Kei approached, she passed by a couple rows of hovercycles lined up
outside of the bar. They were massive vehicles, all customized with
additions to promote speed and power. Each bore an identical insignia on
them: a blue star hovering around a brown and white planet. Something about
that tickled at Kei's memory. Where had she seen it before? It probably
belonged to some local gang she had seen growing up, and that was why it had
registered as being familiar.

Dismissing the unusual symbol from her mind, Kei entered the bar. As she
passed through the entryway, she moved between by a pair of seated bouncers,
one human, the other a robot, standing within easy striking distance of the
door. Both had inhumanly built physiques, one sculpted by weight and
chemical enhancement, the other by fusion cutters and machined parts.

Posted by the door was a sign that indicated there was a cover charge. Kei
started to go for her money card again when the human saw what she was doing
and said, "It's ladies night. You can get in for free."

"Wednesday is Ladies Night," the robot corrected.

"For girls as attractive as this, it's always ladies night." He gave her a
leer.

Whatever pleasant thoughts Kei had regarding the hulk were stomped out by
the smile of purely golden teeth. She hated gaudy features like that, and
teeth that really did gleam always made her feel creepy. They were too
artificial.

She thanked him politely and made her way to the bar, passing by several
tables full of raucous men clinking bottles filled with some alcoholic
beverage together as they toasted to some "bitch named Haruka." As Kei
strolled past, she noticed the rough-looking men all wore jackets with
insignias identical to the ones on the bikes. She also noticed the dance
floor, such as it was, filled with numerous others with similar decals or
tattoos. It appeared it was Biker Night as well as Ladies' Night.

Since she was in a place that offered drinks, Kei drifted toward the bar to
knock back a few. It was a tradition, one she had no intention of breaking.
She went up to the bar, saw what condition the seats were in, and decided
she'd remain standing while she drank. With any luck, her contact wouldn't
show up until the eighth drink or so.

The bartender finished serving a couple at the opposite end of the bar, then
walked over to Kei. "What'll it be?"

Kei considered that. She looked at some of the bottles that lined the wall
behind the bar. One in a solid container caught her eye, and she pointed to
it. "That one called Paint Thinner sounds interesting. I'll have some of
that."

A curious expression passed over the bartender's face. He turned in the
direction Kei was pointing. "Oops, that really is a bottle of paint
thinner." He removed it and placed it out of sight under the bar.

"How about some Johnny Walker Fuchsia?" That flavor of whiskey was one of
Kei's favorites. Actually, all three hundred and ten flavors were favorites
of hers. It was hard to believe at one time there had only been Red, Black,
Gold and Blue labels. Time and technology had come up with other forms of it
since then, each more potent than the last. Fuchsia, the latest and
strongest one, was the best yet in Kei's estimation.

The bartender considered that. "You might be better off with the paint
thinner."

"Hit me," she insisted.

A hand fell on her shoulder, spun her around, and a fist connected with her
jaw.

Kei went sailing to the ground, her body colliding with a couple of the
stools and sending them careening away as she crashed into the alcohol --and
other unnamable substances-- sodden floor. She had rolled reflexively with
the blow, but enough force had still gotten through to cross her eyes and
make the room lurch.

As she rolled over onto her back, she realized her assailant hadn't moved in
for the kill. When her foes did that, it tended to mean they were either
very stupid (but strong), something had interrupted their attack (but were
still strong) or were going to shoot their mouth off and brag (usually about
how strong they were).

Kei recovered enough of her wits to see the largest of the bikers looking
down at her in contempt. The smug look on his face told her he was in the
latter category. That was good. Braggarts tended to be the first choice as
well.

Kei decided to help him along, as well as buy herself time and find out why
he had attacked her. The last was mostly just to satisfy her curiosity. The
reason didn't matter. She was going to kick his ass no matter what. "What
was that for?"

"Revenge, of course!" the man snarled.

Kei looked him over more closely. He was tall. He was bald. He was ugly. He
had tattoos. He had big muscles that looked like that could produce Death
Metal music without any tools. And his breath was just awful. "You used to
date my partner, dumped her when you fell for me, and I turned you down?"
she guessed. He was the sort of guy Yuri's taste ran towards: pure loser.

"Of course not! I'm Nick 'Big Man' Kincaid."

Kei shrugged helplessly. "Big Man is a nickname used by half the bad guys in
the galaxy. Give me something more to work with."

"How dare you not remember me!" The man slammed his fist down on the bar,
cracking the top.

"I've arrested a lot of people over the years. It's hard to keep track of
them all," Kei explained as she rose to her feet.

The man was in an epilepsy. "You arrested me five years ago outside of
Valencia for smuggling!"

Kei scratched her head. She had busted lots of smugglers over the years.
Valencia? She remembered that planet. Nothing bad and highly destructive had
happened there when she and Yuri busted up the smuggling ring. It was rare
that a job didn't besmirch her good name Now the symbol had clicked. The
gang had been using it back then. She remembered this overly large moron.
Barely.

"Okay, you were the ringleader, liked working with your fists," Kei
supplied.

"That's right," Kincaid said, placing his hands on his hips and laughing.
"I'm the best fighter in this arm of the galaxy. And I've only improved over
the years, waiting for my shot at revenge and beating to death the bitch who
threw me in prison to rot."

Kei shook her head. "The only thing I remember about your fighting abilities
is that you had a hole in your defense, and I took you down like this!" Kei
lashed out with her foot, planting it between his legs.

Kincaid looked down at his crotch as Kei withdrew her foot and smirked. He
then continued laughing.

Kei was left staring in open-mouthed wonder.

 He bellowed even harder. "Stupid girl. The joke's on you. I had my gonads
removed."

"You had your gonads removed and you think the joke's on me?"

Kincaid's laughter died abruptly, as though he suddenly realized something.
Something bad, that he couldn't undo. His rage doubled and he took on a far
more dangerous stance. "Time to bleed to death, bitch."

"I hope you had your internal organs removed too, because they're the only
thing that can protect you from this." She went for the weapon in her
holster. She just pulled the sidearm free when the hand of one of the other
bikers flanking her lashed out and something blurred in front of Kei. The
front half of the gun inexplicably fell to the floor, leaving her holding a
now useless hunk of metal.

"Laser wire," the man bragged. "It can go through anything."

A confused look crossed his eyes as he tilted to one side, then inexplicably
fell to the floor. Kei stared at him curiously, then saw the reason for his
fall: his leg had been severed at the shin, the wound neatly cauterized by
the laser wire.

"I told him he needed more than a couple of weeks practice with that,"
Kincaid said tiredly, while the man writhed on the floor in pain, screaming
about his leg.

Kei frowned. That had been her only weapon. Now she would have to do it the
hard way, hand-to-hand. This guy might have thought he was hot stuff, but
Kei had been in more fights than she could count where she only had her body
to rely on.

Kincaid held out his hands. Two of his cohorts handed up a pair of black
pieces of metal, each a foot long. Touching a stud at the base, bands of
electricity arced between the tips.

"I thought you said you were practicing using your hand-to-hand skills in
order to beat me to death," Kei protested.

"I've expanded my repertoire." He banged the sticks together, producing a
larger spark.

Kei grimaced. If it was this moron alone, she could handle him. Probably.
She hadn't seen how good he was yet. But he had at least twenty thugs with
him, not counting the one that had dismembered himself (well, technically
Kincaid had dismembered himself too, but it wouldn't impair his fighting
ability). Her best bet would be to get the weapons away from him and use
them on his lackeys, unless the sticks were keyed to his vital signs or
something. Then they'd only be in the way. Too bad she hadn't had that
drink. She sure could have used one now. Maybe even a half dozen. It was
looking like it would be a long night.

Just as Kei prepared herself for the onslaught, a loud roar came from the
entrance. The roar grew louder, making the bottles behind the bar rattle as
a hovercycle burst through the aperture, its passage knocking over the pair
of bouncers who had been making certain they saw nothing of the fight about
to take place inside the club.

The hovercycle charged in like it was on a race track, bowling over tables
and bikers alike. Kincaid barely leapt over the bar in time to avoid being
mown down by three hundred pounds of metal traveling at a high rate of
speed.

The cycle, which Kei identified as a B-1300, came to a stop not more than a
half meter from her. The air kicked up from its hover jets brushed across
her boots. It was either a sign of daredevil skill or blind luck he hadn't
either wiped out entering or ran Kei down.

The driver held out a hand. "Hop on!" he shouted over the still running
jets.

Now that he was no more than a meter away, Kei got a good look at the
driver. He was young, probably about twenty, a touch slender, but not too
skinny, and appeared on the tall side, though it was difficult to be certain
since he was sitting astride the hover cycle. What really drew her eyes was
his face. He was a very good-looking man, with a sort of roguish charm and a
killer smile that reminded her of Killgore's. Despite the gravity of the
situation and the potential injuries he could have suffered had he an ounce
less of piloting skill, he appeared he was having fun. In many ways it
mirrored how Kei would have been had their positions been reversed. He was
her kind of guy, if a bit younger than her.

Kei accepted the hand and hopped on. It wasn't every day a damsel in
distress was rescued by a handsome knight on his faithful mount, even if the
knight was dressed in leather and his noble steed was manufactured by a
company whose primary specialty was household appliances. She'd settle for
the handsome part, which was the thing that interested her the most.

In a feat of skill that made even Kei gasp, her knight didn't bother turning
the hovercycle around, he simply reversed directions, though he did consent
to peering over his shoulder to make certain he didn't crush them both
against the walls framing the doorway.

They cleared the opening with casual ease. This guy must have been conceived
as well as born on a bike. That was the only explanation for how he could be
so good.

"You're a hell of a driver!" Kei shouted over the roar of the engine, all
the while securing a grip on her rescuer with only one hand high, and the
other a good bit lower, though she was careful not to squeeze.

Rather than reacting surprised at her grip, he looked over his shoulder,
smiling at Kei. "It's one of my three passions."

Kei couldn't resist the invitation. "What are the other two?"

"They're a secret, but I think they might be of interest to you. Maybe
you'll find out."

Kei's smile broadened. Young or not, he knew just how to make himself
interesting while not being too cocky. Either he was a hell of a player, or
being sincere. She vowed to herself to find out which it was before she
returned to the Lovely Angel.

She was about to say more when their path was cut off by a number of bikers
speeding in front of them from a side street. Her rescuer reacted by darting
to another side street that was little more than a narrow alleyway. She
caught a glimpse of the starburst insignias on the hovercycles in front of
them as they speeded away.

"Crap, how'd they get in front of us?" Kei cursed.

"Late arrivals to the party. They were probably radioed by the others back
at the bar." He cut down the alleyway and veered to the left.

Kei heard the sound of other cycles behind her. She looked over the shoulder
to see the bikers had followed them down the alley. She had hoped they would
take a longer route rather than risk scraping themselves against the wall,
but it appeared they had measure of driving skill as well. Though she noted
not as much, as there was now some additional space between them and their
pursuers.

"Think we can lose them?" Kei asked.

"Not on speed alone. I might not think much of the slobs, but Kincaid's boys
have pretty good machines. I'll bet my skill against theirs any day, though.
We'll ditch them."

A laser bolt shot past, well to the left. It hit the front of a building,
shattering the glass.

"That'll make things more difficult," the youth worried.

Kei was about to go for her sidearm to return fire, when she remembered it
was still laying on the floor of the bar. "You don't happen to have a gun?"

"Not on me. I'd blow my own foot off if I tried to use one. Riding bikes I
know. Shooting firearms is a good way to get me killed."

"Shit!" Kei hissed. More laser blasts joined the original as they exited the
alley and hit the open street, giving them some cover for a moment. Luckily,
trying to fire from a hovercycle at another hovercycle, while both were
moving at high speed, made for poor marksmanship. Still, Kei fretted they
might get lucky and a stray shot might either one of them or damage the
bike.

"There's a gun stowed on the bike to the left of the seat though. It's got a
concealed catch next to the main strut supporting the seat to the body. I
assume it still works. I haven't had it out since it was put there."

Kei found the catch in question, her fingers deftly flipping it open and
finding the handle of the gun. She extracted it from its concealment and
examined it. An L-18. Designed for sleekness and accuracy rather than power
or quantity. It was still a reliable piece that did what it was intended to
do. It was a dependable, and expensive, choice.

"You can't use a gun but you have one?" Kei asked.

"What can I say? I have an overprotective mother," he quipped, despite the
situation.

More lasers flashed past, one nearly singing the hair on Kei's head. She
twisted in her seat, keeping one hand firmly across her rescuer's chest
while firing behind them. Her first three shots missed, but the fourth one
struck home, hitting the lead biker right in the head and sending his body
flying. The hovercycle continued forward, stopping only when it slammed into
a building and blew up against a wall.

The rest of the pack, numbering seven, continued firing. Kei noticed that
half of them had fixed weapon mounts in the front of their cycles. Horrible
for accuracy, but they could fire at will without worrying about steering
with only one hand, and they had hellish firing capacities.

With one of their number fallen, the others dodged faster and fired more.
Shots went wild, hitting nearly everything in the street save the people
they were aiming at.

Then a stray shot hit the rear of the hovercycle. Immediately smoke began
trailing from the tail and the youth cursed. "That was an engine. We're
going to lose speed."

"Shit!" Kei cursed. Better the bike then her, but the odds for the gang
coming out on top suddenly improved.

She snapped off another trio of shots, conserving her ammunition. Another
biker clutched at his wounded shoulder, causing his bike to veer of course
and into a parked car. Both ended up decorating a good portion of the
pavement.

"I have an idea," the youth shouted over his shoulder. "Think you can do
that again?"

Kei looked at her magazine. "Yeah, I should have enough shots left."

He nodded. "Wait until the next turn. Once they turn the corner, all you
have to do is hit one of them in the lead."

Kei was uncertain of what her rescuer was up to, but put her trust in him.
She had so far, after all. She didn't like placing her fate in anyone other
than Yuri's hands, but sometimes circumstances left no room for preferences.

They made it around the next corner. Kei kept her attention  riveted to what
was behind her. Once the gang made the corner, she opened up on the leader
of the pack. More shots closed in on her as they found their range, but
Kei's marksmanship won out, and she nailed the lead biker.

"What now?" she asked.

"Now this!" the man made a sharp turn, nearly causing Kei to go flying off
the cycle. She watched as the riderless hovercycle continued onward,
crashing into some sort of fuel station.

There was a tremendous explosion as the vehicle caused a spark that ignited
the fuel. A fireball billowed outward. Kei felt heat wash over, and saw the
remainder of the bikers, following too closely to adjust their course,
consumed in the conflagration.

The youth pulled to a stop, surveying their handiwork. "Nice job," he
complimented.

"You're the one that was driving." Kei swatted him affectionately on his
shoulder. A guy who kept his cool under pressure. He was becoming more
interesting by the minute. Once she had concluded her business with the
hacker, and she was going to conclude it very quickly indeed, she could
spend with this hunk. And she already had an idea of what she'd like to do
to him.

A hissing sound reached Kei's ears. She looked up the road they were on just
in time to see something black and with a vapor trail heading right toward
them. "Move!" she shouted, tackling her comrade hard enough to take them
both a good distance from the bike.

A second later the missile hit. They were caught at the edge of the
explosion, but were fortunate in avoiding the shrapnel. The detonation
continued what inertia started and the pair were blown clear of the fiery
wreck.

Once he was able to sit up, Kei's rescuer moaned, "Aw, I liked that bike."

"And I like your ass, now move it or you'll lose it!" Kei hauled him to his
feet, trying to spot where the missile had originated. A sinking feeling hit
her stomach as she saw exactly where it had come from. Kincaid and the rest
of his gang had located them. He was in the lead, a missile side car
attached to his hovercycle, and there were plenty of missiles left in its
carriage.

Kei assessed the situation and the best way out of it. "This way!" The
tables were turned as she became the savior, shooting open a door to a
nearby building and kicking it in. It was some sort of clothing store. She
half dragged her companion to a counter, all but throwing him behind it as
she leaped over it after him.

Another explosion came from directly outside the building, throwing glass,
metal, and mortar inside. Luckily the counter shielded them from the debris,
just like Kei had planned.

Kei poked her head over the counter and checked her remaining ammunition.
She had expended a lot nailing the last biker, and any reloads were scrap,
along with the bike. A pity they hadn't leaped into a firearm emporium. Then
Ballless Kincaid and his pack of smelly tattooed freaks would be so much
scorched flesh.

 Kei's companion grabbed her by the arm. "I think I know a way out."

Having no desire to die in a standoff with some chunk of brain dead flesh,
Kei followed. They went toward the back, the younger man leading the way.
Roars could be heard from the front as the gang moved in to confirm the
kill. Within seconds Kei's rescuer found what he was looking for: a back
exit.

"Even if we get out of here they'll just run us down," Kei said. At least in
the narrower confines of the store the gang couldn't use the superior
maneuverability of the hovercycles. Of course they could just bring the
building down around Kei's ears and render the whole thing moot. It was not
one of her better days.

"I know where we are. There's a way out, but we'll have to cross an open
street," he told her.

Kei sighed. She'd rather die trying to do something than allowing herself to
get backed into a corner. She held the gun up for cover. "Lead the way."

He did so, bolting down the back alleyway and out to the adjoining street.
He hesitated for a moment before spotting what he was looking for. He ran
down the street toward a building.

Kei's fears were realized as a single hovercycle made a turn around the
corner and spotted them. Immediately he opened up with a mounted laser in
the front while shouting into his radio that he had spotted them.

Kei stopped running and took careful aim. A single shot from her pistol took
him in the head. She doubted she'd get so lucky a second time. Already she
heard the roar of vehicles coming from more than one direction. They were
flanking her, which is what she would have done had their positions been
reversed.

Kei caught up to her rescuer, who had stopped in front of what appeared to
be a hardware store that was closed for the evening. The situation hadn't
seemed any different to Kei from the one they had left, but they didn't have
any real options now, since they were in open without any hope of cover.

She brought her pistol up and was about to shoot out the lock when her
companion said, "Wait!" He pulled a cyberlink from his jacket and hooked it
up to the back of his neck. Now Kei caught a glimpse of the cybernetic
headjack implanted at the base of his skull. It looked fairly high grade
from what she could see. Curious, she hadn't thought someone like him would
bother with an implant. He was full of surprises. She only hoped she had the
opportunity to delve into them more deeply.

The door popped open. He immediately shut it behind them, then led her
hurriedly inside. He seemed to know where he was going, making a beeline for
the rear of the store.

"How did you do that?" she asked as she found herself being led deeper into
the building.

"I set up the security to this place."

"It doesn't seem all that secure if you can just walk in," Kei pointed out.

"Every security designer that knows his stuff always puts in a backdoor in
case they need to come in unannounced to beef up security."

"Uh huh," Kei said unconvincingly.

As they walked, he began to explain. "This building is owned by Artus
Millious, one of the largest indigenous businessmen in the city. He has, how
shall we say, some very powerful connections to powerful people, not all of
them legitimate. They're the kind that could eliminate a pesky biker gang
with the same effort it takes to rub their noses. Most people know that. It
would be annoying to the Artus if someone was to attack his establishment.
Annoying in the way that makes him want to rub his nose. "

There was the sound of an explosion from outside.

"And if said biker gang decides to take their chances and storm the place?"
Kei asked as she brought her gun up.

He kept dragging her along. "Actually there's a secret about this place. You
see, of all of Artus's holdings, this is the only one that loses money."

"And this has a bearing on our situation how?"

He led Kei to a back office, obviously where the man in charge ran things.
The youth went to a back wall and began feeling around a tasteless light
fixture that made even Kei recoil. "The reason he keeps this place is for
one simple reason: location."

"Because it's on top of a secret armory?" Kei asked hopefully.

There was a click and a section of the wall slid away. "It has a secret
passage that leads to his favorite bordello. It's the only way he can get
around without his wife finding out. She's from Lyrnya."

"Oh." Kei now understood the need for secrecy. Lyrnya was a wealthy planet,
and nearly anyone that married off-world came from money. Culturally they
took marriage vows seriously. Infidelity was a capital offense, and they
were quite happy to apply their laws to other planets. Death was usually
preceded by the removal of certain organs that tended to be responsible for
getting the marriage-breaker into trouble in the first place. Not many
people married Lyrnyans.

Kei was led into the secret passageway. The door sealed itself automatically
behind them. Lights flickered on, revealing a staircase carved from stone
leading downward. A foul odor wafted up from deeper within.

"It smells like something died down here." Kei pinched her nose shut.

"As an additional security precaution, the passageway leads to the sewers
rather than directly to the bordello. Mr. Millious really didn't want to
take any chances."

"Ugh!" Kei spat out as she forced herself to move forward. It wouldn't be
the first time she had to sneak through a sewer to get around. Of course,
she hated it every time she had to use one.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Three hundred meters later, they came upon the secret doorway leading to the
bordello. Three hundred meters of filth and grime that would have made even
a pig recoil in disgust. It was just Kei's luck that the sewer had fallen
victim to poor drainage and there had recently been a storm. It made the
water level three times higher than what it should have been. After slogging
her way through waist deep refuse, her savior tapped a few stones and a
secret passageway opened up. Kei emerged from the foul substance with an
aroma that made her want to toss up her cookies. Every single one she had
eaten in her lifetime. Why did she have to have all the luck in being driven
into such a disgusting environment?

And then she remembered exactly why she was here.

"Aw, crap."

"Don't worry about it. I waded through some too. It'll wash off, probably,"
he reassured her.

Kei shook her head. "It's not that. In all the confusion, I almost forgot
why I was sent here."

He stopped walking. "Oh?"

Reluctantly, Kei said, "As soon as we're out of this, I'm going to have to
go. I was supposed to meet some nerdy hacker and give him some material to
look over for me and my friends, which is the last thing I want to do.
Believe me, I'd rather spend my time with a stud like you than some geek
who's surgically attached to his keyboard. But business is business, and it
has to take precedent. His name is Mikael or something."

Her companion smiled. "Maybe I could help. It just so happens my second
great passion is computers."

"Oh, is that so? And what's you third great passion?"

"Maybe you'll get the chance to find out."

That forced Kei to smile. After all they'd been through, he could still turn
on the charm. Not that she had any intention of giving the information to
him. Handsome he might be; someone that could be trusted with vital
information, probably not. "We'll see," Kei said non-committally.

They arrived at a doorway at the end of the stairwell. Her companion moved
aside another hidden recess that revealed a concealed keypad. He thought for
a moment, then hit a ten number sequence. The panel chimed and retreated
back into the recess. A second later, the door slid open.

"You set up security here?" Kei asked.

"I've been here from time to time," he answered as he entered the brightly
lit chamber beyond....

....And found a beautiful woman in a business suit pointing a gun at his
face.

"Looks like you made quite an impression," Kei said as she surreptitiously
went for her own pistol.

"Hey ya', Mari," her rescuer said affably to the woman pointing then gun at
him.

"Mikael! You should have let us know you were dropping by." She smiled
warmly, and more importantly, holstered the gun. Despite her affectionate
tone she refrained from embracing him. She then peered over her shoulder and
spotted Kei. "Who's your friend?"

Mikael introduced them. "Kei, this is Mari, head of security here. Kei,
Mari."

Mari nodded, though she didn't smile. "Well, Mikael, this is a first. A man
who brings a date to a bordello."

He laughed easily. "Could you get Madame Fortuna and let her know I'm here?
She always insists I stop by to greet her first thing, otherwise she gets
cross with me, and you know what she's like when she's cross."

"That I do. I'll see if I can't get something set up for you. And your
friend," she added, giving Kei a frosty look that bordered on a glare.

Kei shot her back in equally disdainful look as the woman exited the room.
Once she was gone and she and her companion were alone, Kei turned to him.
"Mikael?"

"The nerdy geek." He held his hands out helplessly.

Kei laughed, her anger at not being informed of his identity offset by her
unwittingly shooting off her mouth and insulting a guy she wanted to score
points with. "You're not what I thought you'd be like." It would have helped
a whole lot if Iria had shown her a picture of him, or at least mentioned
the guy was a hunk. Kei would have been a whole lot more eager to meet him.
Maybe Iria was getting old if she hadn't noticed his looks. Now Kei was left
in an awkward position. She tried lightening the mood and hoped he'd forgive
her remarks. "I guess it explains your timely arrival."

"I like making a good first impression," he said easily, letting her know
everything was all right.

Kei relaxed. "Why didn't you identify yourself right away?"

"I was sort of busy," he  reminded her. "And if you think you had it bad,
Bob didn't even give me the benefit of a name. All he told me was the place,
the time, and said, 'Look for a hot redhead. Don't worry, she'll be easy to
find. She'll be in the middle of trouble.'"

Kei frowned, mostly because Bob's less than savory description had turned
out to be accurate. She'd have words for him as well when they she got back.
"Yeah, thanks for the help. I mean, I could have gotten out of things on my
own, but you made it a lot easier."

"And you saved my ass a couple of times back there too, so I'd say we're
even."

And mighty proud she was of saving his fine ass. Things were turning out
pretty good, despite the rocky start. "You seem to be a well known guy
around here."

This time Mikael blushed faintly. "I practically grew up here. The girls
treat me like a favored son, since most of them don't have any of their
own."

"So it's completely innocent?" Kei asked, doubt in her voice.

"Well, I'm lots of things, but I don't know as 'innocent' is one of them."

Kei considered that. It wasn't like she was what would be termed 'innocent'
either, and that rakish smile was fit for someone naughty rather than nice.
And it wasn't as though Kei was uptight, like Yuri was.

Kei was still thinking things over when a woman entered the room. She was
older, at least in her fifties, with graying hair tied into a bun. She wore
a tasteful dress that spoke of money and class, accentuating her femininity
and sexuality, despite her age. Every one of her movements was poise and
elegance personified. Kei actually felt a pang of jealousy upon seeing her.
It was the first time she had ever felt jealous of an older woman.

"Miki," the woman cooed, strolling up to him and pecking him lightly on the
cheek, one of the few spots of his body not covered in grime. "It's been a
long time."

"Madame Fortuna," he said, returning the kiss on her cheek.

She retaliated by pinching his. "How many times have I told you, it's Nadia,
Miki, my sweet?"

"Ow, ow, all right, Nadia. Nadia."

Fortuna released her grip and patted his cheek affectionately.

Kei smiled at the exchange. Mari might have regarded Mikael with something
more than motherly affection, but this Fortuna saw him in that sort of
light.

As if picking up Kei's thoughts, Fortuna turned to her. "And you are?""

"Kei." She suddenly felt uneasy under the woman's piercing gaze. It was
obvious she was being evaluated. She didn't like being evaluated, even by
her superiors, and that was their job. Of course, there was something about
this 'Madame' (no doubt in every sense of the word, since she was in charge
of a bordello) that reeked of a sense of superiority. A feeling that came
from within rather than being bestowed upon by others.

After looking her over with a critical eye, Fortuna smiled. Kei was
uncertain if it held approval or something else. In either case, the older
woman turned back to Mikael. "So, what brings you here?"

Mikael told her all of the events that had happened that night, leaving out
only the specifics of what he and Kei were supposed to discuss.

"Rest assured, you'll be safe here." Fortuna waved at the room around her.
"This is the one place where all men of power, both of legitimate and other
questionable means, agree that they need and want, and therefore falls under
their protection. My home is probably the most secure place in all of Myce.
You'll both be safe here, no matter who is after you."

That surprised Kei. When she had been on Myce, she had no idea that such a
place existed, or that it was held in such regard. Of course, neither she
nor Iria had hung out in bordellos, so the ignorance could easily be
excused. Still, it made her uneasy to realize she had been unaware of the
internal workings of the city's underworld, especially since she was a top
of the line troubleshooter and expected to sense such things.

Fortuna wrinkled her nose in the pair's direction. "Now, you'd both best get
cleaned up. I'd say you should use," she looked Kei over carefully again.
"The Blue Room. I think that would be appropriate. Leave your clothing
outside the room and I'll have someone clean them for you."

"Thank you," Mikael said sincerely.

"You're always welcome here. My doors are open for you, and I think most of
the other girls' are as well, and not for a fee." She gave him a knowing
wink.

Kei felt a bit of temper flare at the comment. None of 'the other girls' had
better try putting the moves on Mikael while she was around, or they'd find
out what it meant to interfere in a 3WA agent's mission. And Mikael was part
of the mission now, since he was her contact. That meant he was hers and
hers alone until she was finished with him. And she wasn't in any hurry.

Mikael thanked Fortuna again and led the way, apparently not needing
directions to the Blue Room. As they reached the doorway leading into the
building proper, Fortuna said, "By the way, have you seen Fujikuro lately?"

Mikael turned. "Yeah, he's in good shape and as busy as ever. You know what
he says. 'Old bounty hunters don't die, they just get meaner'."

"He's never been mean with me," she said, amusement in her voice. "In any
case, the next time you see him, do tell him to drop by. I've missed him
terribly, and I'd wager he's missed me too, unless I've lost my touch. And I
most definitely haven't done that."

"I will," Mikael promised, then led Kei from the room.

As they made their way through what was obviously servants quarters, Kei
asked, "Fujikuro? That old fart? He's still alive?"

Mikael turned to her in surprise. "He sure is. Do you know him?"

Kei nodded. "I grew up on Myce, actually. I'd see him every now and then. He
was like a hard around the edges uncle. He tried to pretend he didn't care,
but he'd look out for me when I got into trouble."

"That's him," Mikael confirmed. "He hasn't changed much over the years. I
don't think he's ever changed. He and Madame... I mean Nadia, have had a
thing going for almost as long as I can remember. I mean, it's not official,
but it's obvious they got eyes for only one another. I think she'd like to
marry him, if he'd offer, and get out of the business completely. I think he
just can't grasp the concept of settling down. But I'm pretty sure he loves
her enough for it. It's hard to say. I don't try to stick my nose in too
far. Fujikuro is the type to bite it off if he thinks it's sticking too far
into his business."

"Huh." Kei had problems seeing Fujikuro as the type to marry. He was just so
ornery and contrary, even if he had helped every now and then when she or
Iria had a problem.

As they went past the kitchens, Kei noticed several attractive women that
obviously weren't typical house staff, dressed in risqu� clothing, milling
about. They smiled in recognition of Mikael and greeted him with sultry
purrs. To Kei they shot suspicious or downright hostile glares.

Once they were out of earshot of the girls, Kei said, "My, you sure are
popular here. It's like everyone knows you." There was more than a hint of
acid in her voice.

Mikael shrugged. "Well, it does sort of tie in with my third, and favorite,
passion."

When it was obvious he wouldn't continue, Kei prodded him. "Which is?"

"Women." He paused in front of a door that was, appropriate enough, blue. He
opened it and bowed, allowing Kei to enter first.

Kei wasn't sure of what to make of that. It was rare to find a guy that
would openly admit to a female companion that he liked women. Of course,
with the way Kei's life had been going lately, a passionate guy could be
what she needed. Even if he was a bit younger than her. He didn't act
younger. He was confident, but not in an obnoxious way. She was reluctant to
admit it, but she could understand why he was held in favor by so many of
the girls here. He was charming, and Kei would have bet everything it was
sincere, rather than an act to seduce women. His composure under fire and
risking his neck to help a stranger were clear indications of that. Good
looking and suave, but ultimately a nice guy. Obviously he had some brains
too if he was a hacker. And that killer smile was something else.

They had seemed to connect almost from the moment they met, both of them a
touch on the wild side as they enjoyed what life threw at them. The only
thing that was a negative in Kei's book was that he was on the slender side.
As a rule, she preferred her men beefy, but there was nothing wrong with
being wiry. As long as he wasn't skin in bones, but his grip and handling of
his bike seemed to dismiss that idea. No, he was in good shape. Not bad at
all.

He moved into the room, shutting the door behind him. Kei saw that this
'Blue Room' was clearly set up for entertainment of a visceral kind. It was
sedate, almost like a honeymoon suite, and there was definitely a romantic
air about the place. Nearly everything was fringed in a sky blue, but
tasteful. It was certainly a mood setter, and Kei wondered if Fortuna had
set them up by letting them use it.

Kei became defensive at the idea. She was no hooker. If she slept with a
guy, it was on her terms, and she certainly didn't need approval or
encouragement from some aging madam. Just to prove it, she wouldn't sleep
with Mikael. They'd just clean up, get changed, and get to the business of
slicing that information and getting it back to Iria. Besides, it had been a
long day, two attempts had been made on her life, and that was after a long
trip through several systems in a cramped vessel. It would be best to grab
some shut eye when she could. There was no telling what would be coming
after her next.

"I'm going to grab a shower first," Mikael announced. He opened the door to
the bathroom (also colored in blue tile) and pulled it behind him. It didn't
quite close all the way, and there was an opening of about a half-dozen
centimeters between the frame and the door.

Kei's eyes were drawn to the crack. She could just make out clothing being
shed and the color of flesh moving back and forth from her vantage point.
Was that a tattoo she saw decorating the back of his shoulder? She couldn't
be certain. And was that his ass? If it was, it was definitely firm. She
could see sinking her fingers into it just to test its firmness.

The movement disappeared, and she heard the sound of water running. Kei sat
on the bed, rubbing her legs nervously together. A million thoughts ran
through her mind as to why she should maintain her resolve, but there was
one thought that stood well in front of the others.

"It has been way too long since I've had a good man." She unsnapped her top,
allowing her breasts to swing free. Her bottoms followed suit. One thing
about her troubleshooter outfit; removing it was easy and quick; a fact she
had appreciated on more than one occasion.

Kei sauntered over to the shower and accepted the invitation that the open
door represented. She announced her presence by saying, "Want some help
washing some of those hard to reach places?"

That was met with a response of, "I should warn, you, I have this back
problem that makes washing anything below my waist difficult."

"Oh, I'm an expert at washing there," Kei assured him as she joined him in
the shower.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kei lounged about nude on the bed, purring in content like a cat that had
made a meal out of a flock of canaries. This was some of the best sex she
had ever had. Not only was Mikael handsome, caring, and pretty well-endowed,
but he could play a woman's body like a musician with a finely tuned
instrument. No doubt it had come from his time spent with the professionals
here, but since Kei was benefiting from his training, she had no complaints.

And the number of times he could get it up. He was like a horny teenager. He
was making her feel like one too, and she suppressed the urge to giggle
inanely. She must have been insane trying to talk herself out of sleeping
with him. Knowing what she had almost missed because of false pride nearly
sent a chill down her spine. Heck, she had almost tried sticking Yuri with
the job, and she'd never have forgiven herself if her raven-haired partner
had sunk her hooks into this hunk of man. No, everything had turned out for
the best, and Kei was enjoying every second of it.

Currently she could hear him humming to himself in the shower, cleaning up
again. Kei had already done so, the smell of the herbal body lotions rubbed
into her skin making her feel revitalized. It had been an energetic night,
followed by an energetic day, followed by one more energetic night. Now it
was the next morning, and she was mostly tapped out. Mostly. Though she
could be up for one more round, if Mikael's flesh was willing. But she'd let
him approach her, in case he didn't feel up to it. She didn't want to be too
demanding and seem like a bitch. She'd give him a whole twenty-four hours to
recharge before going at it again. That would leave them enough time to do
what she had come to Myce for, and start on compiling the information they
needed.

There was a knock on the door. It must have been the breakfast. Madame
Fortuna had been a wonderful hostess, and ordered the staff to cater to all
of their needs. No doubt it was more for Mikael's sake rather than Kei's,
but she could live with that. Anything they needed, they had received.
Though all they had really needed was clean clothing (which had stayed on
them for all of five minute before being discarded again.) food to keep them
going, and some more... esoteric items. Mikael was certainly inventive, and
it had served to inspire Kei toward some more innovative maneuvering as
well.

"Enter," Kei said. Her hunger died when she saw who was at the door. She
quickly covered herself up and tried to act casual. "Oh, hi, Iria. What are
you doing here?"

Iria stared upon Kei in open disapproval, letting her former prot�g� know
she was an open book and there was no sense in denying anything. "Things
happened pretty quick after you left. Zeiram hit another station and sneaked
away before we could kill him. We think we might have a new lead on him, and
I wanted to swing by and pick you up and see what information you managed to
dig up."

"Oh, that." Kei tried playing it off, but her laugh was strained in a way
that only Iria's steady gaze could make. "Well, you see, I got attacked
before I reached the planet."

"I know. We found the remains of your ship in the middle of the desert. I
was concerned until I discovered your signal in the city." She held up a
tracking device.

Kei's hand went reflexively to her earring communicator. "Yeah."

"And now I find you in a bordello?" Iria cocked a quizzical eyebrow.

Kei's laugh was even more uneasy. "Well, you see, I sort of got attacked
once I got the city too."

"That would explain the destruction I saw on the way here. People are still
talking about it, you know."

"Exactly," Kei said. "And I had to lay low here."

"Did you manage to find Mikael before you hit town and leveled half of it?"

Kei's fear disappeared and she became positively giddy. "Oh, you could say
that. And we hit it off really well."

It was just at that moment that Mikael emerged from the bathroom, towel tied
around his slender waist. He was still looking down, securing it, as he
asked, "Is breakfast here? I'm starving." He trailed off as he saw who was
in the room. He shifted nervously, and immediately went for a robe.

Kei wondered curiously at the strange reaction, and turned her attention
back to Iria. The bounty hunter's look of concern that had been directed at
Kei had changed to a glare of suspicion and hostility, surprising the
troubleshooter.

Iria crossed her arms under her bosom and said in a warning tone of voice,
"Kei, I hope for your sake that your intentions with my son are strictly
honorable."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[End notes] I think this would be a good place to end it.

DB Sommer










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