Chapter 107: Boy for Sale, He’s Going Cheap (1) (Patreon)

I stood alongside Day and Zinuetet. The child had gone to sleep in her arms. Her uniform was quite a mess where the boy had been crying, but she didn’t seem to care. We stared out across the desert from a hole in the abandoned ship. This planet had no moons, so the night was lit only by the stars. Fortunately, some of the stars above were quite bright and plentiful, so there was some dim starlight that encompassed the black ash-like sand. 

“Listen, you two,” Day began, staring out across the landscape. The cities were hidden by the dunes of sand, and we’d agreed to take the child to a city in the morning. “I didn’t… I just… ah, I’m not good at this stuff. Thanks for helping, I guess.”

I chuckled at the very poorly delivered thanks. “Hey, as long as you remember who your friends are, that’s enough for me.”

This was half winning Day’s friendship and half my own inhibition. ‘Child murderer’ wasn’t a reputation anyone wanted, least of all myself. The kid was a burden, but it also gave me an excuse to head into the slums earlier than Vast or Giir. From what I’d seen, though, our little plan of talking to bandits or mercenaries and getting them to raid alongside us was impossible. 

“Hey,” came a forth voice. We turned around almost in sync. It was Vast alongside his tail, Giir. 

I was the first to respond. “What’s up?”

“Ruel is looking for you three. He says he found a working hovercar. You can probably head out immediately if you go to him now.”

“A hovercar?” I frowned. “I’ve never driven one.”

“I have,” said Day. “I was real good at it. Real good. Would be fun to cruise ‘round the desert. But, ahh… there’s a time and place for everything.”

“Is there room for three on the car?” I turned to Zinuetet. “And do you think you can carry him on it?”

Zinuetet nodded, and Vast answered, “I don’t know, I’m just the messenger. Go see for yourself.”

“Then let’s go.” I instinctively looked around for my bag, before recalling that I’d left it back at the outpost. 

We walked out of the ship, but Vast stopped me. “That thing we were talking about earlier? Probably no point in looking for local mercenaries. The estate in question is one of those floating islands. It’d be nigh impossible to have them come.”

“I figured as much.” I scratched my chin, feeling the strange material of my mechanical hand. “If that’s the case, I have one alternative, but I can’t say it’d be too reliable.”

“We can talk about it later,” Vast said as the others turned around to see why I’d stopped following. “Also, there’s a black flower growing in the ship you might want to take a look at. Seems to be poisonous, thought you might check it out. It might be a decent alchemical ingredient.”

I nodded, my mind swirling with ideas of what it might be. Probably explains why our men had turned to skin and bones in such a short time if they used poison. Also could explain the bandit’s victory against them. “If you can, try and make sure no one touches them. I’ll examine them when I get back.”

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The hovercar was quite bouncy. There were seat harnesses in the car for that very reason. The extreme turbulence woke up the child, but whatever he was feeling, he wasn’t crying any more. The hovercars looked like overturned boats. This one was particularly trashy as there were no windows. The only portal to the outside was at the front, and it was just metal bars so that the driver could see. Because of that, sand kept getting in. 

I removed the harness and walked to Zinuetet, having to crouch in the car. “There anything you need?” I asked. 

She shook her head no, and I patted the top of her head. I walked to the front seat and sat besides Day. I watched him drive. The piloting system was less a wheel and more a touch screen. Day had his claws pressed against two buttons, and his free hand seemed to be steering. Looks complex. You’d think they’d be self-driving. Even Earth had self-driving cars before I left. 

I put my seat harness back just in time for a large bump. Day had hit the top of a sand dune. “I thought you knew how to drive these things?”

“It’s been a few years. Only a few.” Though Day responded, he didn’t tear his eyes from the window. “I heard about what you’ve been talking about with Vast.”

“Thought you might,” I answered back. “I don’t think he knows how good your ears are, not really. I’d prefer to keep it that way.”

“What did you guys have planned? I might be able to help.”

I looked at Day, debating whether or not I should get him involved. He doesn’t seem entirely honest, so I don’t think there’s any risk of him ratting to Ruel. We’d have to split the loot down yet another channel, though. 

I thought on it a bit more. But the way things are panning out, we might not be able to get anything. It’d probably be better to have his help, considering how good he is at sussing out information.

“Ruel told us that we’re not to loot. We can only kill and distract, that’s our purpose. However, Vast and I think that it’s rather unfortunate there’s all this expensive shit in the mansion that’s simply going to be… left be. I tried to persuade Ruel, but he was insistent. No looting. So, we’re trying to find a good third party to head in and take some stuff while the rest are distracted. We get a share, they get a share, everybody’s happy.”

“Ohhh, oh, I see.” Ruel nodded and tapped the side of the screen. “Real smart, just like I’d expect from you. So you want me to find some tough-guy types to break into the mansion at the same time?”

“Yeah, local mercenaries, or maybe bandits. I wish we could’ve talked to the bandits we just killed, but what’s done is done.”

“You won’t find any ‘local mercenaries.’” Day shook his head. “Not how this place works. All slums are the same. All the guards are employed by the owners of the city, and they’re really just slavemasters that make sure everybody else keeps working. Real bastards. You might find some street gangs, but they’re not going to have the arms to take on the people in the mansion.”

I sighed, then spit some sand out of my mouth. “Then, what is there?”

“I dunno. I’ll look around, ask around. If anyone can find who you need, it’s me. ‘Course, my first priority’s making sure that kid lives a life.” Day pulled his hand from the steering and gestured behind at Zinuetet and the boy. “Can’t say I’ll be giving him the best one, but I’ll do my best. 

I nodded in agreement, and then something came to mind. “While you’re at it, you should probably keep an ear out for any members of the Richt Empire.”

“Why’s that?”

“It’s just a good idea to be wary,” I said dismissively. “Seems the Richt Empire isn’t too fond of the Archduchy’s existence.”

It’s got nothing to do with some things I have to say.