Synthesis, p.4
Synthesis, page 4
Although he wouldn’t admit it to anyone, Kayden secretly had a fixation with trans-humans. They seemed so exotic and interesting to him, even going so far as to sign up for a dating site catered to ‘trans-humans and their admirers’ to get to know some of them better. In his lonelier nights he’d even thought about visiting a trans-human brothel to indulge his curiosities.
The final member of the trio entered the room, scrambling Kayden’s thoughts. She was absolutely gorgeous. She wore a skin-tight leather flight suit which covered her sinfully delicious curves. She was about 180 cm tall, and her black hair cascaded down her shoulders as she shook her head. Her skin was pale, and her bright blue eyes matched Kayden’s. Her ruby-red lips broke into a smile as she sat. She pulled one hand back and tucked her hair behind one ear.
That’s when Kayden realized she was a trans-human as well. She had human ears, but she also had a pair of fur-covered feline ears peeking through her long black hair. The black fur covering her feline ears matched her fluffy tail which swished back and forth behind her hypnotically. Looking her up and down, he couldn’t help but wonder what the rest of her lithe body looked like underneath the leather. Taking a deep breath, he told himself that he desperately needed this job and that hitting on the sexy cat-girl was probably a one-way ticket to unemployment. He willed his growing excitement to go down and smiled at her as she sat on a chair next to him.
“You’re the first one who was able to shoot me down.” She said.
Chapter 4
11:01, April 24th, 2134
Kayden looked at the woman quizzically, then his eyes went wide. “That was you in the final Hercules?”
“You got it flyboy. We like to put at least one instructor in every round, to see how good these applicants really are. If you lost but gave me a decent run for my money I’d have recommended we put you into a second round of interviews. But you actually won.”
He grinned at her. “So tell me, what’s my prize for winning?”
She couldn’t help but smile back. “Well, I was thinking of offering you a job.”
“If I accept the job, do I get an all-black uniform too? You’ve certainly got it down. Normally blue is more my color, but I think I could make black work.”
She laughed in response. It sounded like delicate glass gently tinkling together, and Kayden was entranced. A big dumb goofy smile spread across his face. Seeing that, she leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. “The panties I’m wearing underneath are black too. Maybe if you’re good I’ll show you them later.”
His eyes widened with shock as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. The sexual tension in the room was palpable, and Kayden knew that she was going to be trouble in all the best possible ways. She slowly backed off, grinning as she observed his reaction. “But first,” she started saying “we need to talk business.”
Kayden nodded, taking a breath. “Why don’t we start with some introductions?”
“Yes of course. I already know who you are – your application says your name is Kayden Reynolds. My name is Selina Onassis, and I’m a manager at the Black Company.”
Instantly, Kayden felt the pit of his stomach drop. His anger towards the Black Company had abated somewhat in the last few months, but it came roaring back as soon as he realized they were in the room with him. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the woman in front of him in a new light.
“The Black Company, huh? You guys commit any war crimes recently?”
Selina was visibly taken aback. “What?”
“Killing or wounding a combatant who has laid down their arms and surrendered has been a war crime for the last couple hundred years of human history. Is that the job you’re offering me? You want me to go kill people after they’ve given up?”
She shook her head, horrified. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Kayden stood as he shook his head. “Either you’re lying, or you need to do some reading about Prometheus Station 3 months ago. I was there. I know what I saw. I don’t want anything to do with you.”
Kayden turned and walked towards the curtain before he was blocked by the lizard-man and his friend. The lizard spoke first. “I’d be careful making accusations like that around here if I were you. We own the protection rights to Port Vega. The police, the military, the judiciary…all of them report to us. We’d hate for you to have an unfortunate accident.”
Kayden had seen this sort of intimidation tactic before. Unfortunately for them, it didn’t work on him. He leaned in closer to the lizard and responded with a whisper. “And I’d hate for you to learn what it feels like for me to rip your scales out one at a time. So how about you do the smart thing and get the fuck out of my way.”
The lizard-man’s eyes narrowed, then he backed off. Kayden glanced back at Selina, whose eyes were still wide at the whole interaction. Maybe she really didn’t know. Kayden thought before pushing through the curtain and back onto the main conference floor again.
As soon as he was out of sight of the pilot booths Kayden’s shoulders slumped. That was stupid. He thought to himself. They weren’t bluffing either. The Black Company really does have an iron grip around here, and I just pissed them off. I let my emotions get the better of me. I should take whatever money I have and hop on the next ferry out of here.
Kayden was so desperately trying to work out his next move that he didn’t turn around when a woman began shouting. He kept moving through the stadium floor, and several seconds later he heard it again. “Hey, Pilot!”
He furrowed his brow but didn’t turn around. The voice didn’t sound like Selina’s, but it cut clearly over the din of the crowd. The woman shouted again. “Combat pilot! Black hair, booth number 3! Come back!”
Now Kayden knew she was definitely talking to him. Risking a glance backwards, he saw a woman move through the crowd with ease. She had straight red hair and remarkable green eyes which matched the lightweight military-style jacket she wore. It was unbuttoned, revealing a tight burgundy tank top underneath which had been stretched to the limit over her large breasts. A pair of black leggings hugged the curve of her hips and ass, and her black boots with a small heel made her seem slightly taller than her meter-and-a-half frame. A lanyard hung between her large breasts, carrying a badge which had been stamped with the official blue and white ‘Port Vega Government’ logo. He eyed her for a moment, and decided she probably wasn’t a threat.
He paused to watch the strikingly beautiful woman push through to him, standing close enough that he could smell her floral perfume. “Dawn Parker.” She said, extending her hand as she reached him.
“Kayden Reynolds.” He said as he shook her hand.
“You stormed out of there pretty quick, before I got a chance to meet with you!”
Kayden nodded passively. “You’re not here because of what I said to the Black Company, are you?”
“Those assholes? Hell no. Whatever you said, they probably deserved it.” She said with a laugh.
“In that case, we can talk. How can I help you Ms. Parker?”
“Just Dawn is fine. I take it you turned down their job offer?” She asked, her voice faintly hopeful.
“You could say that.” Kayden replied, not wanting to give away too much about himself. “How did you know they offered me a job?”
Dawn raised one eyebrow. “I’ve been trying to recruit a pilot for the last few weeks. The Black Company bribed the organizers though, and they get the opportunity to make an offer before any of the other recruiters. They only make offers to the best pilots, and their offers are generous – to the point that you’re the first one I’ve seen that’s actually turned them down.”
Shit. Kayden thought to himself. So I just turned down a bunch of money. Not that I’d ever work for them, but that’s just salt in the wound.
The rest of Dawn’s words slowly started to sink in. “Wait, you’re a recruiter looking for a pilot?”
“That’s right. I need a pilot for a contract mission.”
Kayden nodded. Maybe my luck is looking up after all. “What’s the job?”
“I’d rather not discuss it here. Besides, it’s almost lunch and I haven’t eaten since early this morning. There’s a great noodle shop in the government section, it’s only a couple stops away by transport tube. Why don’t we grab some food and talk there?”
His stomach growled lowly at the thought of food, and he grinned as he nodded. “Lead the way then.”
“Come on.”
She brushed past him and led the way to the nearest exit. As they left, a pushing match erupted between the security guards and someone who was being denied entry. One of them pushed another, which in turn caused several other people in the tightly packed crowd to fall. The domino effect hit Dawn who was only a few feet away when the shoving started, throwing her precariously off-balance.
On instinct, Kayden’s arms shot out and caught her. Somehow, her body felt both amazingly soft and firm in all the right places against him. Between that and another whiff of her perfume, Kayden had to will down his growing erection for the second time in as many hours.
Goddamnit. Are all potential employers in Port Vega going to be amazingly hot women? He asked himself.
“Thank you.” Dawn breathed as he helped her back up. Her eyes widened slightly as she touched the metal of his prosthetic arm, but to Kayden’s relief she said nothing about it. Apparently she hadn’t noticed it before, and he tucked it behind himself as he followed her towards the local transport tube station. A large enclosed car pulled up in front of them, and the two of them stepped on along with several dozen others. Kayden and Dawn were lucky enough to find seats, and sat as others stood and took hold of the handrails.
As they shot through the transport tubes of Port Vega, Kayden felt the disorienting sense of changing gravity. While the stations used artificial gravity generators, the tubes connecting each of Port Vega’s neighborhoods did not. This helped keep the cars weightless in-between stops, allowing them to move at great speeds while using relatively little power.
“So, where are you from originally?” Dawn asked.
“Earth. What gave it away I wasn’t from around here?”
“You’re not comfortable with the gravity changes on the tube yet. Don’t worry – stay here long enough and you’ll get there. They’re not fun, but it still beats the maintenance tunnels. Those things are big enough to drive a tank through, but they’re creepy as hell.”
They re-entered the gravity of the next station and Kayden did his best not to show his discomfort on his face. “How about you? Did you grow up here?”
“Yeah! Lived here all my life, except for when I went to school. I did my undergraduate and my masters degree at Grayson University on Haven.”
“Haven? In the Sirus system?”
She smiled in response. “Yeah! You know it?”
“I had a friend who was from Sirius.” Kayden said, matching her smile for a moment before it faltered at the memory of Ace.
She saw his smile falter, and decided to change the subject. “When did you get here? Have you ever been to the government section of Port Vega?”
“Only when I first arrived, to get my work permits in order. That was a few weeks ago now.”
“Ahh, so you’re brand new.”
Kayden’s eyes met hers. “Yeah, that’s right. Maybe once we’re done this job you could give me a few recommendations from a local? Give me some ideas on stuff to do, restaurants to visit – that kind of thing?”
She bit her lip as she smiled. One hand tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear, and her face scrunched cutely as she thought. “Yeah, I’d be happy to.”
A dinging sound overhead indicated they had reached their next stop. Kayden hadn’t even felt the change in gravity as they left the second station, he was so entranced by Dawn. He had to consciously remember not to stare: either it’d been far too long since he’d gotten laid, or she was absolutely beautiful.
Or both. Kayden thought to himself.
He glanced around as they left the car, moving quickly through the crowd onto the street. The entertainment district that they had just left was filled with flashing neon signs and digital advertisements. By comparison, this section was relatively dull. Concrete buildings lined the streets, filled with the bureaucrats required to keep city services running. The crowd began to thin as he followed Dawn further down the street. She stopped suddenly at a nondescript door and pushed it open, beckoning Kayden in after here.
The brightly lit restaurant they stepped into was decorated with faux-wood panels. There were several tables in the middle of the restaurant, along with sets of booths along either side. Some of the booths had a bamboo-looking privacy screen covering them, indicating that their occupants wanted to eat in solitude. At the back of the restaurant an aging man wore a white dress shirt and black pants as he stood behind a counter, tending to various broths over a series of open flames.
Dawn bowed deeply to the man, who returned the gesture. Wordlessly, she pointed to one of the booths, then held up two fingers. The man nodded, and began pulling out two more bowls. Kayden realized she must be a regular here as they sat together in the small booth and she slid the privacy screen closed.
“There we go.” Dawn said as the screen clicked closed. “Sorry about the secrecy. I didn’t feel like getting into the particulars of the mission with so many prying eyes and ears. We can talk openly here.”
“It’s fine. So tell me – where do you need me to go, and what do you need me to do?”
“Straight to the point, huh? I like that, but I’ve got one more question first. You’re a hell of a pilot, but how good are you with your boots on the ground? I need someone who isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Nothing illegal, I promise - I just need someone who isn’t afraid to throw a punch if the situation requires.”
Kayden’s eyes widened at the unexpected question, but he nodded. “I can handle myself.”
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to give me a little more detail than that Kayden.”
He chuckled humorlessly, then met her eyes. “I served in the Roccan Navy for 8 years. Every combat airman recertifies every 6 months in hand-to-hand combat training, rifleman training, and survivalist training – just in case we get shot down over a hostile world. I finished above the 90th percentile every time. I can handle myself in a fight.”
Dawn nodded. “I don’t mean to be indelicate, but that prosthetic…”
He grinned in response. “This?” He said, flexing it. “The hand-to-hand combat instructors thought it’d hold me back until they realized that getting punched in the face with a metal arm hurts like a motherfucker. I have full functionality and range of motion with it – it’s got a neural link directly to my brain.”
Dawn matched his grin. “The job will take up to 3 days, and the pay is 5,000 credits. I know it’s not a lot, but it’s a government contract and we don’t exactly have a huge budget. Are you still interested?”
Kayden did the math in his head. That amount of money would cover his rent and food for about a month. As a contract job it wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely a step in the right direction. “Let’s say I am. What government department did you say you worked for?”
“Foreign affairs. I’m a junior diplomat.”
“Uh huh.” Kayden said disbelievingly. “And why does a junior diplomat for Port Vega need a combat pilot who can throw a punch?”
Dawn opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted as the privacy curtain opened and the restaurant owner placed two steaming bowls of noodle soup in front of the two of them. He then nodded respectfully to Dawn. “How is your father, Ms. Parker?”
“He is well, thank you for asking Mr. Miyagi.”
“Of course. The noodles are on the house. Please, enjoy.”
Dawn nodded respectfully as the owner closed the privacy curtain again. Kayden raised one eyebrow, but no explanation was forthcoming. Instead, Dawn took a deep breath of the aromatic broth before slurping some loudly with a spoon. Kayden mimicked the gesture and was surprised at how good the soup tasted.
“Good, huh?” Dawn asked between spoonful’s.
“Very.” Kayden replied.
“It’s hard to get ingredients for real ramen all the way out here, but Mr. Miyagi does a pretty good job with what he’s got. Even though we’ve got the agricultural dome, 95% of all Port Vega’s food is still imported from other worlds. That’s a big part of my job actually – negotiating trade deals with the other colonies. Without it, we’d starve.”
“Tell me about it.” Kayden agreed. “The only thing more expensive than the food here is the housing. I have to live with 4 other roommates and still the only thing I can actually afford to eat is ration packs most of the time.”
Dawn took a deep breath, then put down her spoon. “That’s actually what this mission is about. A few months ago we received a message from a man named Samuel Barbossa, saying that he had a way to get Port Vega all the food we could possibly want.”
Kayden’s brow furrowed for a moment as he tried to recall where he knew that name from. “Samuel Barbossa …” he said, slowly. Suddenly, it came back to him. “Isn’t that the pirate? The guy who steals from freighters from here to Gamma Draconis? He was in the news the other day, wanted on about 100 counts of theft for his raids.”
“The very same. They prefer to be called ‘freelancers’, by the way.”
“How is he planning on feeding Port Vega?”
“Through sheer dumb luck and boneheaded determination, him and his crew stumbled on a viable hyperlane from Andromeda to a new system and back. Orbiting that star is a gaia world.”
