Short Stories from the Star Kingdom Read online

  Qin didn’t bat an eye at Rache’s presence. Someone—a hundred crowns said it had been Casmir—must have warned her that he was alive.

  Kim stopped at Rache’s side, gazing thoughtfully at a clear, empty vial in her hand. “I’ll take this to my lab to analyze and see if there’s any residue inside. Given Pounce’s strength and agility, some kind of knockout gas might have been used to take her down. Most kidnappers wouldn’t have wanted to risk getting close enough to inject her with something, but maybe if it was something that could be aerosolized…”

  “I can’t believe I didn’t hear anyone coming to kidnap her.” Qin shook her head. “Normally, my hearing is excellent, but I was, uhm, otherwise engaged.” She glanced toward the oldest of the tree houses, probably toward the bedroom she shared with Asger. “And with so many of my sisters living along the creek, I tend to dismiss the small noises of people coming and going. It wasn’t until I heard an aircraft take off that I realized something was amiss.”

  “You didn’t hear the aircraft arrive?” Casmir asked.

  Qin shook her head.

  “There are winged aircraft,” Rache said, “where it’s possible to cut the engines miles away and glide in for the landing. I think you can even rent them in the city.”

  “I can check into the rental records,” Casmir said. “And see if there’s anything on the public or private networks about a genetically engineered person being needed for something.”

  “What would anyone need one of us for?” Qin asked. “Unless it was someone working for the Druckers. What if our former owners—” her lip curled, revealing a fang, “—have put bounties out for our collection again, and someone’s trying to cash in?”

  “I’ve already checked to see if there are bounties listed out there but didn’t find anything,” Casmir said. “Bonita might have more resources that she could check, though I think she and Bjarke have departed the system by now on their vacation.”

  “Aren’t they going bounty hunting?” Kim asked.

  “I believe they’re considering that their vacation, yes.”

  Qin nodded. “I’ll be joining the captain soon, after my own vacation is over.” Her jaw firmed. “And after I find Pounce.”

  “What if someone is after all of you?” Casmir asked.

  “Then my vacation may be ending early.” Qin nodded toward the castle. “Company coming.”

  Two Guards were heading toward the group.

  “I’ll go admire the greenery on the other side of the creek until you’re ready to go, Kim.” Rache left her scrutinizing the vial and hopped across the waterway.

  He didn’t have much to contribute to the conversation and didn’t mind leaving it. Had he still had his crew at his disposal, he could have issued orders to them and used his resources to solve the problem. But he didn’t have his crew anymore, and he wasn’t in charge. Not of their investigation, not of anything. That was the problem.

  * * *

  • • • • •

  * * *

  Twilight had come by the time Rache, Kim, and Amit took off in the auto-flier. Fortunately, Kim hadn’t lingered long at the estate once she’d been given the vial, and evading the Kingdom Guards hadn’t been difficult. They’d been searching for clues, not loathed ex-mercenaries standing twenty feet away.

  Memories teased Rache’s mind as they flew back toward the city. Being out in the rural area, with scents of freshly mowed grass and autumn foliage thick in the damp air, had reminded him of the Lichtenberg estate where he’d grown up and where he’d first met Thea. She’d been dead for over ten years now, and sometimes, it bothered him how much his memories of her had faded, but he had been thinking of her more again lately.

  What would she have thought of Jager’s death? Would she have approved that Rache had gotten rid of the man who’d been responsible for her torment and death?

  Probably not. She hadn’t been the type to be bitter or vengeful, nor had she paid much attention to politics or the machinations of the nobility. She’d been more inclined to find his vitriol alarming and try to soothe him and suggest he let go of things that bothered him. Such small things had plagued him back then. Duties, expectations, overly stringent authority figures. He snorted softly. They’d both been so young then. He wondered if he would have fallen in love with Thea if he’d met her at some point during the past few years. These days, he was much more likely to connect with someone who was unfazed by his jaded and bitter tendencies, and with whom he could have an intelligent discussion on any topic.

  He gazed over at Kim, the blue and green instrumentation in the cab up front softly illuminating her face.

  “Are you pondering Pounce’s possible fate?” Kim asked. “Or are you lost in dark memories of the past?”

  “Memories, though not as dark as some. How did you guess?”

  “You were looking out the window pensively and broodingly, and I don’t think Pounce means that much to you.”

  “Broodingly? Are you sure that’s a legitimate form of that word?”

  “Certainly. I am a practiced wordsmith, you know.”

  “Have you written anything since your recent bestseller?” he asked curiously, wondering if she would feel compelled to return to authorship, though he preferred her more esoteric works to the thriller painstakingly written to appeal to the masses—he was sure she would agree on that point.

  “I’m currently writing a paper on bacteria engineered to effectively break down and derive energy from toxic compounds in rocket fuel. We’re creating them for use on space stations to safely eliminate waste. I’ll be submitting the paper for review soon.”

  “Does brooding occur in it?”

  “Less than you would think, considering the job of these bacteria.”

  “Hm.” Rache settled back in his seat. “As to Pounce, I have to be honest: I don’t remember which one she is. But if there’s a way I can be of assistance, I’ll help you find her.”

  “Thank you. Do you mind if we stop at my lab on the way back?” Kim lifted the vial she was still holding.

  “That’s fine, but I get to pick the place for our next date.”

  “Are we on a date? I assumed it was considered postponed.”

  “Of course not. I’m enjoying the company. And who doesn’t revel in a moonlit stroll through a bacteria lab?” He lifted his arm but waited before presuming to wrap it around her shoulders, letting it hang in the air like a question mark.

  “The antiseptic scents of bleach and nu-clean do grow on you.” Kim leaned against his side, and he let his arm rest around her shoulders.

  “Shouldn’t they by definition inhibit growth?”

  “Good one.” She grinned up at him—a rare facial expression from her—and he basked in it.

  “Make sure to let Casmir know I’m witty. Far wittier than he.”

  “Is there a contest? Sibling rivalry?”

  “He brought up the main-event comment and suggested it be my superhero name.”

  “You’re going to become a superhero?”

  “No. Casmir suggested it as a way to win the populace’s affections. In ten short years, they might not want to lynch me.”

  “You sound dismissive.”

  “Shouldn’t I be?”

  “I don’t know,” Kim said. “It sounds more challenging and dangerous than starting a business. Likely more suited to your temperament.”

  “You think I’d be ill-content without danger in my life? I do like to relax and read, as you know.” Admittedly, he liked to do that after completing a harrowing mission, usually while he was recovering from injuries.

  “I think you would have too much time to…”

  “Brood? Broodingly?”

  “Yes.”

  These last few days, he had spent a lot of time dwelling on his memories, as he struggled to envision a future that made sense for him. What normal job could he possibly have after courting danger for so long? After upgrading his body into a perfect killing machine? Could any busine
ss opportunity truly satisfy him?

  “My past is a dark place,” he murmured. “You’d brood over it too.”

  “You’re welcome to share it with me, if you like. Or not, if you’d prefer not to speak of it.” Kim lifted a shoulder.

  “I’ve already told you about Thea. I’d rather not put nightmares into your head. I’ve lost a lot of people over the years.” Including the captain who had been the original owner of the Fedallah, a man who Rache hadn’t realized—until it was too late—he considered a friend.

  “Do you still think about her a lot? Your fiancée?”

  “Sometimes more than others. Being back on Odin—out in the country—has reminded me of better times. Though back then, I didn’t appreciate them that much. I bristled under all the pressure from Jager and Lichtenberg to excel, to be the best. My most enjoyable moments were when I was riding my air bike, speeding through the trees, nearly breaking my neck.” He wondered what that said about him. Maybe Kim was right that he couldn’t live without danger in his life.

  “Are you going to get a new one now that you’re on land instead of in space?”

  “Where would I ride? Around my apartment? That might alarm Amit.”

  “Air bikes do not concern a crusher,” Amit spoke from the back. “Should one crash into me, I would not be significantly damaged.”

  “If you put a helmet with a tinted faceplate on,” Kim said, “nobody would recognize you.”

  “True. Will you go for a ride with me if I get a bike?”

  “If we can avoid the neck-breaking trees, of course.”

  “We could take a trip down the coast.”

  “I’d like that.” Kim gazed up at him. “I’d like to see you enjoy yourself.”

  “I’m enjoying this right now.” He gazed back and eyed her lips. They weren’t that far from his.

  “Despite dark thoughts.”

  “I’m not dwelling on those now. I’m busy being intrigued by your lips.” He lifted his hand to her cheek, watching her eyes to make sure she didn’t object to the touch. “And imagining the taste of the salty spray of the sea on them as we ride above the waves breaking along the beach.”

  “Evocative,” she murmured, lifting her chin, her lips parting.

  He kissed her, his arm tightening around her shoulders as the flier banked, threatening to tilt her away from him. That would have been unacceptable. She rested her hand on his chest, fingers curling around the curve of his pectoral. Maybe she felt the same way.

  All too soon, the craft settled on a rooftop landing pad atop the sleek black skyscraper that held her lab. Given Kim’s general feelings on touching, he never knew if she was kissing him because she enjoyed it or because she felt it was her obligation as half of a romantic partnership, but he was encouraged that she didn’t bolt away when they landed.

  It wasn’t until Amit announced, “We have arrived at our destination,” that she pulled back, her hand lingering on his chest.

  “This is the portion of our date,” Kim said, “where you need to wait in the flier.”

  Rache raised his eyebrows. “Why? Is there a no-hanky-panky rule in the lab, and you’re afraid you wouldn’t be able to keep your hands off me?” Admittedly, he was the more likely one to break that rule.

  “Terrified, yes. There’s also a state-of-the-art security system. If you try to enter, and you’re not recognized by the cameras, you’ll be stunned with an electrical pulse.”

  “I should have worn my armor.”

  “I believe there’s an incineration level that the security protocol escalates to if the first method fails.”

  “Your lab incinerates intruders? That can’t be legal.”

  “Corporate espionage is an ongoing threat.” She kissed him on the cheek, then left him with his thoughts.

  He tried not to feel useless while he waited. Had he been back on the Fedallah, he could have offered numerous resources for her investigation. What was he without his ship and his crew? A jaded ex-mercenary with a cybernetically enhanced left hook.

  Rache thought about sending a message to Dr. Peshlakai—the last time he’d checked, Peshlakai and Chief Khonsari were still on Odin, the former engineering chief recovering from a surgery—but as far as his old crew knew, he was dead. For their safety and his, it was better to keep it that way.

  After twenty minutes, Kim returned and sat on the edge of the seat next to him, staring pensively at the navigation console.

  “You discovered something?” Rache assumed she would have been disappointed rather than pensive if she hadn’t.

  “Thanks to a tiny stamp on the bottom of the vial, the manufacturer of the container, but they ship their equipment to over fifty hospitals, universities, and private laboratories in the larger Zamek City metro area. The vial also held the residue of an off-the-shelf liquid sedative that’s usually injected but that could knock someone out with its fumes if enough were inhaled.”

  “That suggests that Pounce was kidnapped and not killed—at least not immediately.”

  “Yes, but it will be difficult to narrow down who’s responsible from those clues. I would have preferred a proprietary formula with a molecular compound that would have pointed me toward a handful of scientists known for creating similar substances. Then I would have had someone to question. Or I could have pointed Casmir toward a network to hack.”

  “Is it likely that a hospital or university or well-known laboratory would have kidnapped a cat woman?” Rache asked.

  “It’s not something my company would do. There are less scrupulous private laboratories out there, but they tend to be very small. With a large staff, someone inevitably reports illegal behavior.”

  “I’m amused that illegal behavior in the medical-laboratory space is so commonplace that you’re blasé about it.”

  “I’m not blasé. I’m affronted that illegal and unethical practices persist in my field despite government regulation. Did I not modulate my tone enough to convey that?”

  “No, you were deadpan.”

  “It’s been a long day. I can infuse my tone with more variation when I’m feeling perky.”

  “I’ve rarely seen you perky, at least as I imagine the word.”

  Kim frowned over at him. “Do you mind if I focus on this conundrum? I’m concerned for my friend’s sister. Pounce also assisted Casmir with the astroshamans. I feel I owe it to her to help find her.”

  “Of course. I’d asked about the hospitals and larger labs, because I assumed you could rule them out as likely participants in kidnappings. If it’s possible to get a list from the manufacturer of precisely who they ship to, then perhaps a few small and less well-known laboratories will stand out.”

  “Yes. I had that thought, and I have the list. Casmir managed to get it for me directly from the manufacturer.”

  “Ah.” Rache decided it was petty to hope he could solve this before his clone brother could.

  “I will share it with you in case something stands out.” Kim sent him a delivery schedule with the names of all those the manufacturer shipped to listed. “It has occurred to me that whoever kidnapped Pounce may have nothing to do with the laboratories. They could have simply stopped by to pick up a sedative, but the vial manufacturer doesn’t sell to the company that produces the sedative, meaning someone removed the substance from a larger container and put it into a vial they had on hand. That’s why I thought if they grabbed a vial on hand, researching the origins of the vials might lead us to them.”

  “You can probably rule out the Druckers. They would use stunners rather than fiddling with sedatives.”

  Kim nodded. “I think so too. I’m relieved it’s not them and that they haven’t put out a bounty that we know of, but if not them, then who? Why would anyone kidnap a genetically engineered warrior woman?”

  “To start an army of one?”

  “I suppose. The Druckers installed pain chips to force them to do their bidding.” Kim grimaced. “I do hope this was a local job and that it will be
possible to find Pounce, that she hasn’t already been taken off Odin.”

  Rache skimmed the list as they mused. Other than hospitals and universities, none of the names were familiar to him. This was neither his field, nor had Odin been his home world for the last ten years.

  “Casmir sent a list of other kidnappings that have been reported in the last six months,” Kim said. “To see if we could detect a pattern. None of the other victims were genetically modified, but you wouldn’t expect that here on Odin.” Her tone turned dry—that modulation she had no trouble with—when she added, “Odd that there’s no mention of the numerous times you kidnapped me.”

  “I assume the reports only detail kidnappings that occurred on Odin. The Kingdom has always been short-sighted about reporting news taking place in other systems.”

  Kim didn’t point out that he’d first kidnapped her in this system. After all, it had been way out near the gate.

  “Nobody’s been kidnapped since Oku’s coronation several weeks ago,” Kim said. “It seems unlikely that there’s a tie-in with this one.”

  “Three of the addresses on this list have only recently begun receiving deliveries of medical equipment from this supplier. If Pounce is their first victim—maybe she’s a specimen?—then maybe they just got started with their work and it’s one of these laboratories. All of the others have been getting deliveries for more than a year.”

  “Oh, yes.” Kim’s eyes brightened. “I hadn’t thought to check on that. Let’s see. Vorfolk Chemscience, Horizon Labs, and Opus Manuum Artificis.”

  “Craftsman?” Rache offered a possible translation.

  “Casmir would tell me that’s obviously the guilty party.”

  “Because their name is in Latin?”

  “Because it sounds pompous. He says that usually it’s bad guys who give themselves pompous names. Sometimes, also people with delusions of grandeur, but mostly bad guys.”

  “Really. Was he talking about me when he said that?”