pleaded.
I was pursuing
the person in question down Dolgente Block.
Hexpin was an old-timer,
spry and wrinkled. He had wisps of white hair floating around the top of his
head like a smoky halo, though he was certainly no angel. He had been a major
black market shipper for decades. He was fast on his feet despite his age. I
guess he had to be.
Since the
change in Belvaille, there technically was no more black side of the market.
But there were still things even too sticky for an Independent Protectorate to
openly admit.
He was the
third person I visited and he got me interested because he immediately became
uncomfortable and shifty when I broached the subject of a stolen Navy device.
Now I was running after him down the street.
“What’s the problem,
we’re only talking,” I said.
“No.” He
suddenly turned to me, pointing. “What you’re talking about is dangerous.”
“What danger?”
I asked. “Who’s going to arrest you?”
He looked
around again and stepped in close and whispered.
“I’ll do a lot
of stuff, but I don’t mess with technology. Navy technology. That’s life in
prison. Or death if you’re lucky. Navy guns, passes, security, whatever. Fine.
Hell, I’d sell a destroyer if I could get my hands on one. But breaking the
Tech Codes,” he shook his head, his eyes wide with fear, as if even completing
the sentence was too risky.
“You know me,
I’m not going to rat anyone.”
“We’re on a
station that has Navy observation telescopes!” He shouted, then remembered
himself and hunched back down. “There are spies everywhere.”
“Oh, come on.
What’s there to spy on?”
“I don’t know,”
he said, feigning ignorance, “you’re the one looking for something.”
“Do you know
anyone else who might have some information? I can kick you a finder’s fee of
course.”
“Try Delovoa,
he’s always messing with crazy things.”
“I know he
doesn’t have anything. This would be recent. Come on, someone’s got to have
said something, such as searching for transport off Belvaille.”
“And run the Jam
carrying stolen Navy tech? Good luck with that.”
Hexpin’s eyes
suddenly went large and he said:
“Corps. Blow,”
and he took off running.
“What?”
I turned to
where he was looking and saw an armored personnel carrier driving at the end of
the street. Was I in corporation territory?
The APC started
to drive forward and I suspected it was going to turn around. It was dark blue
with six massive wheels and a large number of metal windows in the side that
were closed. It had no obvious armaments and it was about a hundred yards away.
The APC turned
completely sideways to me and stopped. The windows all slid open and I saw
movement inside.
I stood there
watching all this completely oblivious. Until all the windows lit up with the
muzzle flashes from machine guns!
Bullets were
whizzing by me, striking the street, and hitting me square.
I immediately
covered myself with my arms and put my head down.
I could feel
from the impact that the guns were fairly heavy caliber. I couldn’t tell how
many were shooting but it was more than two and less than six.
I moved to the
side of the street and the machine gun fire followed me, pelting me all over.
It was about equivalent to a normal person getting hit with rocks thrown at medium
velocity. It wasn’t lethal, but it also wasn’t how I liked to spend my
afternoons.
Let me tell
you, your ability to think clearly when four machine guns are drilling you completely
vanishes. I was crouched against a building but that didn’t help at all, I just
heard the noisy ricochets from the wall.
I moved back
towards the center of the street and started slowly walking backwards, my head
down, and my arms covering my face and neck. This stupid autocannon was slowing
me down.
Wait. I had an
autocannon.
I turned
sideways and leaned away from the APC to try and shield myself so I could use
my hands.
I had never
actually practiced taking
I was pursuing
the person in question down Dolgente Block.
Hexpin was an old-timer,
spry and wrinkled. He had wisps of white hair floating around the top of his
head like a smoky halo, though he was certainly no angel. He had been a major
black market shipper for decades. He was fast on his feet despite his age. I
guess he had to be.
Since the
change in Belvaille, there technically was no more black side of the market.
But there were still things even too sticky for an Independent Protectorate to
openly admit.
He was the
third person I visited and he got me interested because he immediately became
uncomfortable and shifty when I broached the subject of a stolen Navy device.
Now I was running after him down the street.
“What’s the problem,
we’re only talking,” I said.
“No.” He
suddenly turned to me, pointing. “What you’re talking about is dangerous.”
“What danger?”
I asked. “Who’s going to arrest you?”
He looked
around again and stepped in close and whispered.
“I’ll do a lot
of stuff, but I don’t mess with technology. Navy technology. That’s life in
prison. Or death if you’re lucky. Navy guns, passes, security, whatever. Fine.
Hell, I’d sell a destroyer if I could get my hands on one. But breaking the
Tech Codes,” he shook his head, his eyes wide with fear, as if even completing
the sentence was too risky.
“You know me,
I’m not going to rat anyone.”
“We’re on a
station that has Navy observation telescopes!” He shouted, then remembered
himself and hunched back down. “There are spies everywhere.”
“Oh, come on.
What’s there to spy on?”
“I don’t know,”
he said, feigning ignorance, “you’re the one looking for something.”
“Do you know
anyone else who might have some information? I can kick you a finder’s fee of
course.”
“Try Delovoa,
he’s always messing with crazy things.”
“I know he
doesn’t have anything. This would be recent. Come on, someone’s got to have
said something, such as searching for transport off Belvaille.”
“And run the Jam
carrying stolen Navy tech? Good luck with that.”
Hexpin’s eyes
suddenly went large and he said:
“Corps. Blow,”
and he took off running.
“What?”
I turned to
where he was looking and saw an armored personnel carrier driving at the end of
the street. Was I in corporation territory?
The APC started
to drive forward and I suspected it was going to turn around. It was dark blue
with six massive wheels and a large number of metal windows in the side that
were closed. It had no obvious armaments and it was about a hundred yards away.
The APC turned
completely sideways to me and stopped. The windows all slid open and I saw
movement inside.
I stood there
watching all this completely oblivious. Until all the windows lit up with the
muzzle flashes from machine guns!
Bullets were
whizzing by me, striking the street, and hitting me square.
I immediately
covered myself with my arms and put my head down.
I could feel
from the impact that the guns were fairly heavy caliber. I couldn’t tell how
many were shooting but it was more than two and less than six.
I moved to the
side of the street and the machine gun fire followed me, pelting me all over.
It was about equivalent to a normal person getting hit with rocks thrown at medium
velocity. It wasn’t lethal, but it also wasn’t how I liked to spend my
afternoons.
Let me tell
you, your ability to think clearly when four machine guns are drilling you completely
vanishes. I was crouched against a building but that didn’t help at all, I just
heard the noisy ricochets from the wall.
I moved back
towards the center of the street and started slowly walking backwards, my head
down, and my arms covering my face and neck. This stupid autocannon was slowing
me down.
Wait. I had an
autocannon.
I turned
sideways and leaned away from the APC to try and shield myself so I could use
my hands.
I had never
actually practiced taking
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