agree with him Jotun," added Rieselle." It's going to have to be out in public."
"I guess," I sighed. "The question then is where and when."
"Well we leave in eighteen days according to Azelett and if we miss that flight we won't get another for a month."
"That should be enough," I hoped. Sitting around on forged papers for an Animan was a dangerous occupation. In theory we were able to buy our freedom, but on this planet it was still only theory. Nobody had actually done it here yet.
"Well enjoy it while you can folks!" Laughed Shotoon, "Think of it as a vacation Jotun, seventeen days in the sun!"
I grumped at that.
New Hope was an interesting place as planets go, I'd seen quite a lot, but few as dismal as this. First of all it rained everyday. Not like in a rain forest or some other tropical clime. This was a dreary dismal kind of a drizzle. It was cold here too.
At least the days were long, we were in the summer season now. I'd sure hate to be here in the winter! According to the fact sheets the snow was ten feet deep.
That would have made this a real challenge. So we set up shop in a small building down the road from the Estate. Shotoon had gotten the local intell people to help arrange that. And then we watched.
The first three days we were there he didn't leave the grounds once. That really had us worried. On the fourth day he left quite early in the morning and we followed him into town. He went to some kind of church, taking only three bodyguards with him. One, the driver, stayed with the car for the hour he was there. Next he went shopping and then had lunch. Afterwards he went home.
That was all for the next six days.
"Damn, doesn't this guy go anywhere?" Grumped Rieselle echoing my sentiments exactly. Shotoon was in town somewhere helping to keep suspicions averted. After all, we couldn't be seen staying home all day. It made things complicated, but we had to make it look like the apartment was empty most of the time. As we were on the top floor of a rather seedy building, it was nearly impossible. At least our neighbors worked all day too.
Our cover was that we were owned by one of the smaller and poorer local companies, so most people weren't surprised that we were being quartered in such lousy lodgings. After all, they were in the same boat.
On the seventh day he went out again, to church.
"Does this mean he's some kind of holy roller?" Chuckled Shotoon, who was with me today while I followed my target around.
"Either that or he feels he has a lot to repent for." I smiled and looked at the church. "Well I guess this is the place."
"I dunno," he said hesitantly. "In a church? Don't you think the company types might find it a little distasteful?"
I turned and looked at him. "What's it matter where it happens? I bet Siedman wouldn't care if I did it in his own mother's house!"
"Yeah," He said thinking about it a moment, "I'll agree with you on that. And those two he assigned us! They're even worse than Holt."
"You got that right," I said heading back towards the apartment. "I wonder why they really got rid of Don and Edward. I think Jaime and Harold were last minute replacements."
"Makes Rieselle worry," He admitted. "She's mentioned it several times to me already."
"What about Azelett?" I asked curiously.
"She keeps her mouth shut, I suspect cause she's still the new one here. But I think she's curious too."
"I got that impression myself," I admitted.
When we got back I started accessing the local City Hall's computer files for information on the church. Shotoon got some of his gear and went out to case the neighborhood around it.
By the time Rieselle got back six hours later I had my part all planned. The hard part was getting in, Animen didn't worship any gods for the most part. I guess when you're around your Makers all the time you quickly realize just how divine Humans aren't.
Also a lot of Churches just wouldn't let us in. I think they felt guilty about creating us. Those that didn't
"I guess," I sighed. "The question then is where and when."
"Well we leave in eighteen days according to Azelett and if we miss that flight we won't get another for a month."
"That should be enough," I hoped. Sitting around on forged papers for an Animan was a dangerous occupation. In theory we were able to buy our freedom, but on this planet it was still only theory. Nobody had actually done it here yet.
"Well enjoy it while you can folks!" Laughed Shotoon, "Think of it as a vacation Jotun, seventeen days in the sun!"
I grumped at that.
New Hope was an interesting place as planets go, I'd seen quite a lot, but few as dismal as this. First of all it rained everyday. Not like in a rain forest or some other tropical clime. This was a dreary dismal kind of a drizzle. It was cold here too.
At least the days were long, we were in the summer season now. I'd sure hate to be here in the winter! According to the fact sheets the snow was ten feet deep.
That would have made this a real challenge. So we set up shop in a small building down the road from the Estate. Shotoon had gotten the local intell people to help arrange that. And then we watched.
The first three days we were there he didn't leave the grounds once. That really had us worried. On the fourth day he left quite early in the morning and we followed him into town. He went to some kind of church, taking only three bodyguards with him. One, the driver, stayed with the car for the hour he was there. Next he went shopping and then had lunch. Afterwards he went home.
That was all for the next six days.
"Damn, doesn't this guy go anywhere?" Grumped Rieselle echoing my sentiments exactly. Shotoon was in town somewhere helping to keep suspicions averted. After all, we couldn't be seen staying home all day. It made things complicated, but we had to make it look like the apartment was empty most of the time. As we were on the top floor of a rather seedy building, it was nearly impossible. At least our neighbors worked all day too.
Our cover was that we were owned by one of the smaller and poorer local companies, so most people weren't surprised that we were being quartered in such lousy lodgings. After all, they were in the same boat.
On the seventh day he went out again, to church.
"Does this mean he's some kind of holy roller?" Chuckled Shotoon, who was with me today while I followed my target around.
"Either that or he feels he has a lot to repent for." I smiled and looked at the church. "Well I guess this is the place."
"I dunno," he said hesitantly. "In a church? Don't you think the company types might find it a little distasteful?"
I turned and looked at him. "What's it matter where it happens? I bet Siedman wouldn't care if I did it in his own mother's house!"
"Yeah," He said thinking about it a moment, "I'll agree with you on that. And those two he assigned us! They're even worse than Holt."
"You got that right," I said heading back towards the apartment. "I wonder why they really got rid of Don and Edward. I think Jaime and Harold were last minute replacements."
"Makes Rieselle worry," He admitted. "She's mentioned it several times to me already."
"What about Azelett?" I asked curiously.
"She keeps her mouth shut, I suspect cause she's still the new one here. But I think she's curious too."
"I got that impression myself," I admitted.
When we got back I started accessing the local City Hall's computer files for information on the church. Shotoon got some of his gear and went out to case the neighborhood around it.
By the time Rieselle got back six hours later I had my part all planned. The hard part was getting in, Animen didn't worship any gods for the most part. I guess when you're around your Makers all the time you quickly realize just how divine Humans aren't.
Also a lot of Churches just wouldn't let us in. I think they felt guilty about creating us. Those that didn't
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