COLONY SHIP 01, FEOH: RAVENDOUR ESTATE
A trap. It had all been a trap, and they had fallen for it. Hook, line, and sinker, as the old saying went.
The meeting. The dinner. All of it. One big elaborate scheme. And now they were caught in the lion’s den, completely unarmed—though not entirely defenseless.
Aki01 assessed the situation in an instant. Took in all the factors, the potential variables, and came up with seventeen possible courses of action. Nine of which she dismissed immediately because the risk levels were unacceptable. Six more were excluded because of the possible consequences their actions could bring. That left only two viable choices: Either she and Évangelique had to take out everyone in the room right then and there, or they could keep quiet and let the situation play out.
She opted for the latter. Éva hadn’t made a move yet, and it would have taken a coordinated effort to get the job done. The Ravendours were no real threat, not unless one of them was carrying a concealed weapon—which was possible, Aki conceded, but rather unlikely. The new arrival, however, looked like he had just stepped out of a gangster movie. Broad and imposing, with hard eyes, an unshaven jaw, and a scarred cheek. On top of that, there was a rather nasty-looking gunslash tethered to his hip.
And then there was Sylph. The golden Caseal was by far the biggest threat. She was standing in the doorway on the far side of the room. It would take Aki at least two full seconds to reach her—plenty of reaction time for a CAST. If she was packing any sort of hidden weaponry, she could pick them off with time to spare.
Too risky. All Aki could do was wait, and hope—hope a better opportunity presented itself.
The man with the gunslash stepped forward. Aki’s gears tensed up. At the first sign of danger, she would rush him at full speed, disarm him, then use his weapon to shoot Sylph. If Sylph was armed, Aki would use the man’s body as a literal meat shield. Not the greatest plan in the world, but it was the best she could manage under the circumstances.
From the head of the table, Deckard Ravendour watched them with expectant eyes and a wolfish grin. “Now then,” he said ominously, “let us discuss why you’re
really here.”
Were the Ravendours aware of Éva’s plan? How much did they know? Could one of Éva’s crew be a traitor in disguise? These thoughts—and about a hundred others—passed through Aki’s mind rapid-fire, one after the next, each slightly more alarming than the last. It took all her willpower just to remain seated at the dining table. She wanted to do something, anything! Jump up, burst into action, take control of the situation. At least then she would die fighting.
But she couldn’t do that. It was suicide. Not just for her, but for Éva, too. At the very least, she wanted to make sure Éva survived. So she sat, and waited, and hoped.
Then, from under the table: A hand, reassuring and warm. It took hold of hers, gently but firmly. Aki glanced down. The hand belonged to Éva. When she looked up again, Éva’s bright smiling face was staring back at her. (In her Newman guise, of course.) The effect was enough to calm Aki’s rattled nerves and soothe her troubled mind. It was also a statement of sorts, one that meant:
Patience! Everything is fine.
The sentiment was justified a moment later when Deckard said, “Mr. Jellick, Mrs. Jellick, allow me to introduce my top lieutenant and field commander, Lucius Ornell. While I coordinate our activities from here at the estate, Lucius makes sure my orders are carried out smoothly and successfully. He has just returned from a rather lucrative trade deal—one that should provide us with enough armaments to wage a small-scale war. If necessary, of course.”
Aki blinked. So… not a trap after all? The timing of Ornell’s arrival appeared to be mere coincidence. When Aki realized that, a palpable sense of relief washed over her. It meant she and Éva were safe… for the time being.
Deckard gestured to the empty chair across from Aki. “Lucius, come. Sit. Tell us of your great success, and what spoils you have brought me.”
His tone was mild and disarming, even friendly, but there was something about him that gave Aki the creeps. Maybe it was the company he kept. Or maybe it was the coldness of his eyes, the way they seemed to pierce through everything they gazed upon. It was the look of a serpent about to devour his prey.
In any case, Ornell complied and took the seat next to Deckard’s wife, Verideth. He glanced hesitantly at Aki and Éva before turning to Deckard. “You sure, boss? I mean, these two aren’t part of—”
“Mr. Jellick here will be making a rather generous donation to our cause,” Deckard interjected. “I think that earns him the right to hear this. And, after all, I believe it important he knows what kind of business he’s getting involved in. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“I… Of course. It’s just—with all due respect—how far can you really trust them? These are sensitive operational details we’re talking about. For all we know, they could be—pardon the accusation—a pair of charlatans, or… or ARKS spies.”
Deckard seemed slightly amused by the suggestion. He turned to Éva, eyebrows raised and lips curled into a smirk. “I’m sure Mr. Jellick would tell me if he were an ARKS spy. Isn’t that right, Mr. Jellick?”
“Most certainly not,” Éva replied playfully. “If I were a spy, telling you would defeat my purpose for being here, would it not? But, as we are to become business associates, let us be candid with one another. I am quite certain you’ve investigated my credentials thoroughly and already know I am not working—nor have I ever worked—for the ARKS.”
The pale-eyed Newman returned the smile in kind. “Quite so.” He shifted his attention back to Ornell. “There, you see? Nothing to worry about. Now, give me your report on the trade deal.”
“Right. Well, then. Bottom line, we got what we wanted. I couldn’t talk them down on the price as low as you hoped, but they were willing to throw in an extra guarantee.”
“A guarantee?”
“Any of the merchandise isn’t up to our standards, they’ll refund us in full. No questions asked.”
“How very generous of them.”
“I thought you’d appreciate that.”
“And you brought it all back here?”
Ornell nodded. “Being unloaded as we speak. The entire manifest.”
The man pulled a small datapad out of his coat pocket and handed it to Verideth, who passed it to her husband. Deckard quickly scrolled through the shipping manifest before saying, “Very good. Well done, Lucius.”
Ornell smirked, clearly pleased with himself. He was a man who craved acceptance and thrived on praise. Which, incidentally, made him the perfect follower for someone like Deckard.
“And what sort of toys have you bought for yourself,
Monsieur Ravendour?” asked Éva.
“As it so happens, a little of everything. When it comes to war, one cannot afford to be too stingy.”
“Is that what you imagine it will come to—war?”
“To free our brothers and sisters under the yoke of human oppression? Oh, yes, Mr. Jellick, I imagine it will take nothing less. Which is precisely why we need this shipment.” Deckard began listing some of the arms and ammunition Ornell had acquired. A dozen Devastator missiles, twenty cases of photon-infused rifle shells, five hundred hand grenades. Shoulder-mounted rocket launchers, a cache of the latest model gunslash, even a fully-armored hovertank!
They were planning something. Something
big. And with an arsenal like that, they definitely had the means to pull it off. Which made Aki both worried and relieved. Worried because the danger was even greater than she’d imagined. But relieved because she and Éva were in the perfect position to stop it. They already had a plan. All they had to do was stick to it.
Then, to Aki’s surprise, something brushed the top of her thigh. It was a hand. Éva’s hand, to be exact. The tips of her fingers began caressing the spot halfway between Aki’s knee and the hem of her skirt. Little back and forth motions. Trying not to react, Aki stole a sideways glance at Éva, but the other Caseal was preoccupied with Deckard’s conversation.
“Was that the 2B-5 or the 2B-6 model gunslash?” she asked him.
Deckard nodded at her appraisingly. “You know your weapons, Mr. Jellick. I’m surprised. To be frank, you don’t look the type—a man with, shall we say,
violent tastes.”
“I’m an avid collector. Sport hunting happens to be one of my favorite hobbies,” Éva replied, by way of explanation.
“Is that so? And what sort of trophies are worthy of your collection?”
“Just about anything they’ll let me hunt—plus a few they won’t. Everything from the common—Oodans on Naberius, Aqulupuses on Vopar, Fordorans on Amduscia—to the, how shall I say, more
exotic specimens—Rockbears, Caterdra’ns, even Fang Banthers.”
Aki had difficulty paying attention to what Éva was saying. She was distracted by the hand on her leg—a hand that was slowly, steadily, working its way higher. Back and forth. Back and forth. Fingertips rubbing against the silky fabric of her pantyhose.
Didn’t anyone else notice? Were they all oblivious to what was happening under the table? Aki glanced from Deckard to Verideth to Ornell. None of them were paying her any mind. All three were focused on Éva, smiling and laughing. Drawn in by (what Aki assumed were) totally fabricated tales of past hunting exploits.
“But really, Mr. Jellick, your accent is rather unique,” Verideth was saying. “Where did you say you were from, again?”
To which Éva replied, “
Melchior, originally. The Valendor District. Lovely place, as I’m sure you know. These days, however, I spend most of my time aboard our star yacht, the
Mirabelle. My wife and I simply adore traveling. In fact, recently we’ve been talking about a trip to the Sentellan Cluster. Isn’t that right, darling?”
It took Aki a moment to realize Éva was waiting for an answer. “Ah… yes,” she managed.
“That doesn’t answer your question, of course,” Éva said to Verideth. “My accent I owe to my mother, bless her Newman soul. She was fascinated with ancient cultures, you see. Even spent time among their descendants. It was during her stay with the Third Fleet that she picked it up. A hostel stay with a
bourgeois family.”
Verideth had an almost comical look of disgust on her face. “Your mother actually enjoyed spending time with those filthy commoners? Those… those humans?”
She used the word
humans derisively, almost as a racial slur. Éva chuckled and said, “One must study humankind if one is to understand our superiority to it, no? As for my accent, I have always considered it a gift from my mother. A part of her that stays with me wherever I go.”
Beneath the table, Éva’s fingers hovered at the hem of Aki’s skirt. That forbidden barrier, the-line-which-must-not-be-crossed. They were expertly poised to slip beneath it at any moment. Still no one noticed.
She wouldn’t dare, thought Aki.
Surely she wouldn’t. At a time like this?
But she did. Of course she did. Because she was Éva, and her boldness knew no bounds. Her fingertips lightly teased the top of Aki’s thigh. If anyone were watching, they would have seen Eva’s fingers passing through the fabric of Aki’s floral-print dress—a dress that didn’t really exist. It was all part of the illusion, along with her Newman persona.
Aki contemplated saying something, but that would have only brought attention to herself. She couldn’t risk jeopardizing the mission like that. Even though, technically speaking, it was Éva’s fault for putting her in that position to begin with. But what was the alternative? What else could she do? And how far would Éva take it if she let it?
She never found out. Abruptly, Éva pinched the inside of her left thigh. It happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that Aki nearly jumped out of her seat. Everyone at the table immediately stopped what they were doing and stared at her, to which Aki could only offer an embarrassed smile. “My apologies,” she muttered, throwing Éva a subtle glare. “I, ah, bumped my foot on the table leg.”
Éva returned her glare with a playful smirk. There was a mischievous twinkle in her eye, a kind of
who, me? look that Aki had seen before.
“Are you alright, dear?” asked Verideth. “Shall I have Sylph tend to the injury?”
“Ah, no. I’m fine, thank you. Just a bit startled, that’s all.”
“You definitely startled
us,” Ornell quipped, chuckling.
At that point Deckard casually stood up and laid his palms flat against the table. “Yes, well. Perhaps this is a good time to turn in for the evening. Our banker will be here in the morning to arrange the financial transaction. Until then, I suggest you get a good night’s rest. We’ve arranged a guest room for you upstairs. Hopefully you find it to your satisfaction.”
“I am certain we will find the accommodations most satisfactory,” Éva smiled. “You and your wife have been supremely gracious hosts,
Monsieur Ravendour. Both Aika and myself would like to express our gratitude for the dinner—and your company. Until the morning, we bid you a fond
adieu.”
“Mr. Jellick, Mrs. Jellick. Lucius.” Deckard nodded to each of them in turn and then walked away, just like that. Verideth excused herself and followed after him.
“Sir, ma’am,” Lucius said to Éva and Aki, before leaving as well.
That left them alone with Sylph, who quietly escorted them upstairs to the third floor of the manor. The golden Caseal made it seem like an invitation, but Aki knew better. In reality she didn’t want them wandering the house alone. Which was understandable, really, considering their true purpose for being there. Though Sylph had no way of knowing that.
On the way up, Éva resumed her friendly rapport with Sylph, laughing and chatting and being her typical flirty self. Sylph, meanwhile, gave her usual polite-but-monotone responses, answering only direct questions and only with the minimal amount of effort.
“But what if I get hungry in the middle of the night?” Éva asked. “What if it’s one-thirty in the morning and I am suddenly overcome by an insatiable bout of what they refer to as ‘the munchies’? How will I find the kitchen in such a spacious manor?”
“In that case I will bring you something to eat,” Sylph responded blandly.
“Well I certainly like the sound of that! Like staying at a hotel with my own private room service. And that offer is good all night?”
“Anytime, sir.”
“I see! And what if I am desperately missing the pleasure of your company and wish to spend more time with you?”
“In that case I suggest you wait until morning,” she said, in the same dry tone.
Éva chuckled. “Yes, yes. Very well.”
They stopped in front of a tall door at the end of a long hallway. It was an old-fashioned wooden door with a round metal handle, the kind they used centuries ago, before automatic doors became the norm. Sylph turned the handle and led them inside.
The guest room, like the manor itself, was huge. It was at least as big as a standard-issue ARKS apartment back on
Ur. The center of the room was dominated by a king-sized bed topped with about a dozen pillows of varying sizes. Off to one side was a glass door leading to a balcony.
“Will you be needing anything else at the moment?” asked Sylph.
“No, we are quite good, thank you.”
Sylph excused herself and left the room. As soon as the door closed, Aki turned to Éva with fire in her eyes. “What was that all about downstairs?” she demanded angrily.
In response, Éva put a single finger to her lips, a shushing gesture. Which annoyed Aki at first, until Éva pulled out a small device and began walking around with it. She returned a minute later, stuffing the device back in her pocket. “We’re clear,” said Éva. “No recording devices hidden in our room. Now, you were saying?”
“Oh,” she replied, taken slightly aback. “I asked what you were doing earlier.”
“I am afraid you’ll have to be more specific, darling.”
“The dinner. Your hand. My leg.”
“Ah.
That.” Éva chuckled. “What can I say? All that talk about big guns was getting me a bit, how shall I say… frisky.”
“Well it almost blew our cover. Your fingers were passing through my holographic dress. What if someone had seen that?”
“Relax.” Éva laid a reassuring hand on Aki’s forearm. “Everything turned out well enough, did it not? Besides, you handled it superbly. The very model of composure! Those buffoons were none the wiser, I assure you. They were far too distracted by my charming personality to notice a small detail like that.”
“Then why did you pinch me?”
“To be perfectly honest, I was growing bored with the conversation. Thought I might, ah, ‘liven’ things up a bit. And, I might add, your reaction was definitely worth it.”
Aki was incredulous. “You pinched me because you were
bored?”
“That, and because—do not take this the wrong way—you are always so serious, you know, I cannot help but want to tease you.”
“I…” The fire left Aki’s eyes. Try as she might, she couldn’t stay mad at the other woman. “Just… don’t do it again. Especially in public.”
Hand still on her arm, Éva pulled Aki close. “And in private?”
“That would… depend on several variables.”
“Such as?”
“The setting. The circumstances. The timing.”
Éva reached into Aki’s coat pocket—through her holographic dress—and pressed a button on the small device hidden inside. In response, Aki’s Newman façade flickered, shimmered, and then vanished. Once again she looked like her usual red-haired self.
“In that case,” said Éva, “how about now?”
Aki half-turned away, a fresh surge of annoyance sparking through her. “I’m surprised you have the audacity to ask, given all the flirting you’ve been doing with Sylph—not five minutes ago, even! You could hardly take your eyes off her. Between that and the harem on your freighter, I am beginning to question the sincerity of your so-called feelings for me.”
Éva looked genuinely wounded. “No,
mon chéri, you misunderstand me—what I said to Sylph, that was all part of the plan. To get her to lower her guard, you see, so she would not suspect us! And yes, I admit my eyes are often drawn to lovely things, but I assure you most truly, my heart belongs only to you.”
“And that comment to Sylph about room service?”
“My way of confirming a crucial detail—that she will remain in the house tonight. I thought it pertinent to find out, given that you and I have an ‘unscheduled trip’ to make later this evening.”
“That’s all it was? Part of your plan?”
“That’s all. I promise you.” Éva brushed the bangs away from Aki’s eyes. “There, now. Feeling better?”
“I… suppose. It’s just…” She hesitated, biting her lower lip. “After what happened—the man who took advantage of me, controlled me—I have a hard time trusting people. Getting close. For a long time I couldn’t admit that to anyone. Maybe even to myself. I didn’t want to believe I had changed. But the reality is, I
have changed. I can finally admit that now. And I think—no, I know—you are a big part of the reason why.”
Éva’s hand on her cheek. Warm, reassuring. “You are perfect,
mon chéri, just the way you are. Never fool yourself into thinking otherwise. Regardless of what happened in your past, what metamorphosis may have occurred, the only thing I see is the woman standing before me, here, now.”
“I think I’m finally ready,” said Aki. “To move on, I mean. I can never forget what happened, but maybe—with your help—I can put it behind me, at least.”
“Well.” Éva had that look again. That mischievous twinkle in her eye. “I am, of course, always happy to help. And you know, we still have three hours to kill. Time enough, at least, to ensure the rest of the house is fast asleep when we head out.”
“I see. And what do you propose we do until then?”
Éva grinned. “Oh, I can think of a thing or two. The only question remaining is, would you prefer to spend that time with Évangelique Violette, or—” Still in her Newman disguise, Éva struck her most dashing pose. “—Évaan Jellick: wealthy and charming Newman playboy?”
This time it was Aki’s turn to pull Éva close. She reached into the woman’s pocket, deactivated her camo device, and watched as Éva transformed from a male Newman back to a female CAST.
“I prefer Éva.”
The purple-haired woman returned Aki’s smile with an even bigger one. “Good choice.”
* * * * * * * * *
Three hours later Aki was sitting on the edge of the guest bed. She reached down and pulled on one boot, then the other. Then she got up and buttoned her coat. Across the room, Éva was standing with her ear to the door. “Quiet as a tomb out there,” she said after a long pause. “I think the Ravendours have gone to sleep.”
“And Sylph?”
“Powered down for the night, I hope. Just in case, we should take care to avoid any unnecessary disturbances.”
“Got it.”
Both women reached into their pockets and activated their camo devices. Two seconds later they were Mister and Missus Jellick again. It was a sensible precaution. That way, if they got caught, at least they might be able to talk their way out of it.
“Ready?” asked Éva.
“Ready,” Aki replied.
“Then it’s time we took a midnight stroll.”
TO BE CONTINUED
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