Tech Planet (Project NightStorm Book 2) Page 3

  "Connecting now, follow me."

  March walked with purpose, Arri followed her several steps behind. Ground-based vehicles rocketed by, all followed the markings of the road. Most were of classic design and had been patched up over and over again by their owners.

  Light shows advertised every shop, each trying to outdo the others in a bid to attract customers.

  "According to their net sites quite a few of the shops here will take credits," March said, "this one here should have what we need."

  The windows of the shop were cloudy, Arri was not sure if this was from dust or if they had been deliberately left that way. The interior of the shop was dark, it had a lot of floor space and rack after rack of clothes on hangers. March headed over to the section suited for her size and started to push items out of the way as they were packed so tightly together.

  Arri found the sections that matched him, he wasn't sure what he was looking for but always knew it when he saw it. Clothes shopping to him was a quick affair with only two criteria, like it and does it fit. He chose a new undershirt and leather looking jacket, black combat trousers, and boots. He then had to wait for March, as time ticked by he started to become impatient, pacing back and forth. Finally he went looking for her but he couldn't see her in the aisle where he had left her.

  He walked past rack after rack of clothes looking in both directions, the fact they were stacked floor to ceiling meant he couldn't look over. He increased his pace, heartbeat matching, his breathing became a little faster.

  Then he saw her, she had selected darkened shades that covered her eyes, yet somehow her eyes glowed blue behind them. Her navy top had been replaced by a short tube exposing her shoulders and belly button. She too had chosen combat trousers and heavy set boots. To complete the outfit she had picked out a long flowing leather jacket. Strapped to either leg were her guns, she had brought two large fusion handguns onto the station.

  "Thought I'd lost you then, what do you think of my gear?" Arri said.

  "Not much colour there," March said.

  "True, take a look at this shirt," he opened his jacket revealing silver writing vertically spelling out the word life in big square letters.

  March moved her hand in front of her chest, fingers spread open closing to a fist, the colour of her top and jacket changed, the top became a light blue, the jacket a deep purple.

  "You look good, now I wonder if I can do that with these." Arri had set his old style device to respond to an open palm gesture with hand turned outwards from the centre, this caused the viewing screen to appear hovering an inch over the top of the forearm. Connecting the tech to his wearables involved a quick search then a pair, which could only happen if you bought the item. A simple press of the screen and the credits were transferred and the clothing connected. He adjusted the colour of the letters on his chest, selecting a fire pattern that rippled like a flame.

  "While you were playing with your new toy I've arranged for us to meet a guide. Her net site is quite impressive and her prices while not the cheapest seemed reasonable to me," March said, eyeing a wide-brimmed hat, she tested the material between her fingers.

  The meeting place the guide had selected was a small cafe one side open to the street. Lit by the neon lights of the neighbouring shops the chairs were old tatty and synthetic leather, comfortable to sit in though.

  A small server counter took up one side, the menu displayed large behind in bright LED letters, some flickered slightly. The selection of drinks was impressive with bottle rocket coffee, dark fuel soda, and Old Milky way tea catching Arri's eye. He selected the soda while March chose the coffee.

  There was also a selection of food starred with a small disclaimer that all meat products were synth, meat homegrown in a lab. The man who served their beverages had a flawless complexion and soft floppy dark hair that kept falling across his eyes.

  Arri placed his soda on the small table as the chair crunched up around him. It started to rain outside a cascade of water coming from up high.

  "I'm impressed this station has its own weather system," March said, "don't think I've ever seen that before."

  "This place, I am not sure how its even here, how we have never heard of it. If you consider the location of the planet wasn't even in the military archives and had to be provided by Marcus," Arri said.

  "I've seen logos for three of the biggest corporations, it seems they have been hiding secrets from everyone," March said and took a sip of her bottle coffee, "this is rather good."

  "Yeah the soda's not too bad either," Arri said, he watched the rain hit the ground and splash back upwards.

  "March?" a light female voice asked.

  "Echo?"

  A short thin girl pulled an empty chair over to their table. She had long dark hair, soft delicate features with a sharp angled nose. A glowing intricate tattoo covered the area under her left eye and over the top of her cheekbone. Her clothing was tight and form-hugging, bright white in colour.

  "So too business, my fees are five thousand credits a day plus expenses and I will be your guide to the wonders of the Behemothic."

  Arri and March looked at her blankly.

  "The giant dead tech planet that this station orbits," Echo said, she smiled at them one that seemed to consume her whole face.

  "It's our first time visiting, five thousand credits. A day. That's a lot," Arri said.

  "Ah, well you are in the best hands, I have lived here all my life trained at the feet of the greatest hunter Hands de Gain. Conquered the mighty dungeon Law one," Echo said pushing out her chest as she spoke. She signalled to the barista who promptly brought her over a cup of tea.

  Arri sat back, studying the bundle of energy in front of him. She was young confident and constantly fidgeting. There was something reassuring about her.

  "A bit expensive," Arri said making eye contact with Echo, she shifted a little uncomfortably under his gaze.

  "How about two thousand five hundred and you help me locate a friend who's gone missing on the surface?"

  "I need to think about this," Arri said, he lent close to March's ear. "You really think she is the best?"

  "I really liked her site and why not give her the opportunity."

  "But two and a half thousand credits," Arri said.

  "You saved that by only bringing seven of us on this mission."

  "The mission was top secret and I brought the people I could trust plus Johns. I thought we could handle that unknown."

  "If it doesn't workout I'll pay for half," March said.

  Arri turned back to Echo, "OK deal, how long before you are ready to depart?"

  "Well I need to pick up my gear, then grab a bit to eat, that will be five hundred credits please," Echo said, she watched as Arri's display screen sprang out of nowhere above his wrist. "Umm, you should know tech doesn't work so well once on the surface."

  "Sorry?" March said.

  "The surface is a strange place, a friend once described the effect like a damping field that renders technology well pretty much useless. Don't worry gravity is very similar to the station and the atmosphere is breathable with only one small injection."

  "Where do we get the injections from?" Arri asked.

  "Got it covered, they are best to take just before transport," Echo said.

  "What about weapons?"

  "If they are tech-based they won't work but there are several shops on the surface that sell mechanical ones. We can get you guns, swords, knives, throwing stars and poison darts."

  "Sounds great," Arri said.

  "Don't forget to change your credits into physical currency, will be embarrassing if you try to buy something that you can't pay for."

  "Can you recommend a place?" Arri asked.

  "Sure," Echo replied.

  "Jenkins look after the Outrider for me, get her back up and running."

  "Captain there is something you should see," Jenkins said, with a gesture he sent a small file over the ship's network to Arri.

>   Arri watched the video, he saw Ray standing with statue-like stillness, a grinding sound coming from somewhere in his room. He seemed to be looking down at his bed.

  "How long has he been like that?"

  "Ever since he returned to his cabin, the doctor was worried about his heart rate and stress levels, they had become elevated so we took a look."

  "Niko's death was a blow, Ray was close to him. Losing a person you work with every day is difficult," Arri said, "Perhaps its best he remain here on the ship and help with repairs. I'll take March and Galdan down to the surface and see if we can find some answers."

  "Marcus did leave us an interesting adventure captain," Jenkins said.

  "A mystery to be untangled, its what we do best."

  Arri left Jenkins on the bridge, they had known each other for nearly two years and he had been Arri's second pick for the Outrider after March. Jenkins knowledge of the ship was second only to that of Tidal and he was one of the best pilots money could hire.

  Turning on his wrist display he tracked the location of Galdan who was sat in the breakout room only a few steps away from his current position. He then checked on March, the little dot on the display map put her in her cabin. He entered the break out room and waved at Galdan.

  "Captain I would just like to say the crew held together well during the pirate attack," Galdan said, "not so much me though, I couldn't stop the images of the attack on the Orion." He held in his trembling hand a food ration, with several bites missing.

  "I understand, over time the event should become less traumatic. Sometimes it helps to talk about it," Arri said.

  "I-,"

  "Only when you are ready, if you want a distraction we are heading down to the planet's surface. It's going to be fun, apparently, our technology won't work."

  "Let me grab my armour," Galdan said.

  Arri raised an eyebrow at him.

  "It will work, the technology is unlike anything you've ever seen before."

  "OK if you bring it and it turns into three hundred pounds of dead weight your going to have to leave it somewhere."

  "If it doesn't work I will carry it with me," Galdan said.

  He left Galdan to his food and headed in the direction of March's cabin. March's door was open and she had her head buried deep within her locker.

  "Interested in an adventure?" Arri asked.

  "Of course," March replied pulling a long sword out of its sheath. She studied the blade looking for any signs of damage.

  "Where did you get that from?"

  "It was a present from an old friend, a graduation present," she turned the sword slowly in her hands testing its weight. "Should be perfect for a technology deficient planet and I haven't had a chance to use it before now."

  "How much training have you had?" Arri asked.

  "Well, I studied to level nine of the swords and knives training program. Never quite had the time to get to ten," she frowned.

  "That's impressive, I never had the patience for those programs."

  "Don't worry I'll keep you safe," she said smiling wide as she beamed from ear to ear.

  "We leave in five," Arri said as he headed back up to his own cabin.

  Arri's vision started to go dark, the flight fading into a small tunnel then everything was gone as a memory washed over him.

  Niko stood in the vastness of space, everywhere he turned his head, starships exploded into many parts. Beams of light struck from all directions, a feeling of hopelessness started to overwhelm him.

  "This is it, you must not fail your friend depends on you." The thought reverberated through his brain as his mind twisted the ship he controlled to avoid an oncoming craft.

  Arri fell sideways into the corridor, his vision returning as the memory left. He rubbed quickly at his arm. He took a few moments to steady himself before setting off again at a renewed pace.

  "You look a little lost," Arri said as he nearly walked into Johns stood in the middle of the corridor.

  "Sorry my head was in the net, I've been following the war closely and sometimes I hop on to a feed."

  "What's happening over in that sector?" Arri asked.

  "Both sides have fought themselves to a standstill. They say the death toll is immense, so many images of bodies piled high. I think that must have swayed our politicians, our government has sent troops and combat drones to aid civilians," Johns said.

  "Not good, the only thing for sure is that there will be more blood before this is over," Arri said.

  "That's the truth."

  "If you're up for a challenge then I have a task for you," Arri said.

  "Go on," Johns said looking directly into Arri's eyes.

  "Find out everything you can about this station and how there are so many people here when we had no knowledge of it."

  "Any means necessary?"

  "Just don't get caught," Arri said.

  "I haven't been yet," Johns smiled.

  Echo had provided them with the location of the transport, she had been a little vague about it, Arri had thought it would be a shuttle but he stood between two large tunnel-like openings, one up one down.

  Echo carried with her a small backpack from which she pulled a silver container, this she opened revealing a series of test tubes. She pressed a tube to the arms of each of her companions, injecting through the fibers of their clothes the chemical formula needed to change their blood to allow them to breathe.

  "This is good for forty-eight hours or thereabouts. At which time you will need another injection or an air mask."

  "Thank you," Arri said, he had added a handgun to his costume held in a holster on his hip made of synthetic leather. He wasn't sure if the gun would work on the surface, it was an older design but still had some advanced technology to it, he thought it was worth a try and it was easy enough to carry.

  He took a step forward in the queue ready to begin the journey.

  "When you hit the bottom make sure to move off the platform within fifteen seconds," Echo said.

  Arri looked out into the tunnel, around the top it glowed a light blue that faded away into darkness.

  "What happens if you don't get off in time?" March asked.

  "Stay any longer and you risk the person behind you slamming into your head. Almost never happens though," Echo replied.

  "Why the transport tube?" Arri asked.

  "Shuttles proved unreliable, sometimes the systems would shut down in midflight, as you can imagine they created many hairy moments and became not so popular. You guys go first I will follow," Echo said.

  "One step," Arri said, walking forward into the unknown.

  5

  Behemothic

  The blue circle of light stuck with him as he fell, he could feel air rushing past him at an astonishing rate. He looked up but all he could see was darkness, looking down towards his feet was the same. After a while, the feeling of falling became natural and his stomach descended from his mouth.

  Wisps of energy started to build around his feet slowing his descent, mindful of the warning Echo had given he was ready to spring off the platform as soon as his feet touched it.

  The impact on the floor wasn't as heavy as he had expected, he lost his balance as he overcompensated for a hit that never came, he stumbled forward.

  "Please enter the processing area," a helpful technician said, pointing in the direction he should walk. The technician was dressed in a smart uniform, lose fitting coloured yellow and dark blue.

  Arri complied with his instruction looking back at the tube's entrance for March. She arrived with a graceful landing, stepping effortlessly to the area next to Arri.

  Next came Galdan all gleaming in his recently polished shiny armour. He struck the platform harder than the others. Arri and March were ready to help him move out of the way in case his armour froze due to the tech dampening field the planet exuded. Galdan moved off the platform easily, seemingly immune to the planets charms.

  "Captain Arri, please step over here,"
another yellow and blue technician pointed. Arri complied with the instruction, he was directed to a small room off to the side.

  "Captain Arri, please sit," an official looking gentleman pointed to the floating chair opposite him, separated by a transparent desk.

  "How can I help you sir," Arri said noting the man's straight cut suit, clean-shaven appearance, and slightly frown-lined face.

  "I guess you are wondering how I know your name, and also know the reason for your trip here."

  "I wasn't until you just mentioned it," Arri said.

  "My name is Walker I am an executive of the planetary council and I knew your friend Marcus."

  "OK," Arri was alert his gun pressed comfortingly against his leg.

  "I know why you're here and would like to help, for a small favour of course."

  "I don't understand this mission was top secret very few people knew about it," Arri said.

  "We have operatives at the highest levels of government."

  "We?"

  "The HikerX corporation," Walker said.

  "That's one of the biggest companies in the galaxy," Arri's eyes opened a little wider.

  "Well there are three corporations harvesting the technology here, what's found on this planet is taken back to our labs where our scientist try to reverse engineer it."

  "My boss didn't even know of the existence of this planet. How is it you are here?" Arri asked.

  "Space was privatised first, governments decided it was too expensive to invest their citizen's money. The forerunner to my company invested heavily in exploration and found this dead AI world. The technology here has helped keep us at the cutting edge, creating products that everybody wants."

  "You kept this hidden from the government, the media?"

  "Everyone involved signs an NDA, nondisclosure agreement. To break it would destroy you financially and in many areas place you in a deep dark hole."

  "Some must have broken it?" Arri said.

  "They did, there are whispers of clean up crews but it's not something I can comment on," Walker replied.

  Arri took in the man before him again, he appeared like a soft official but there was a steal in him, a strength of will unflinching as he met Arri's gaze. This was a dangerous individual.