The Ripple in Space-Time: Free City Book 1 (The Free City Series) by S F Chapman Page B
Authors: S F Chapman
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with large and compliant populations,
copious resources and an agreeable atmosphere, they had no understanding of the
adversities that Off-Worlders constantly faced.
He had an especially strong hatred
for his stepbrother, Daniel Kufuzu. The EurAfrican Warlord had taken over for
his vile father years ago and had refused to acknowledge Dimitri as a blood
relative.
Dimitri sneered with contempt;
soon he would inflect a horrible revenge on the Kufuzu family.
His own fiefdom had grown
wealthier and more formidable in recent years and would soon surpass the status
of Mars and rival that of IndoPacifica on the Earth.
Nearly twenty different mines and
the huge new Kuiper Gas Refinement Facility produced vast riches for him. He
had an army of “ tax ” and bribe collectors in his
employ but his tireless slavers generated far more profits than his other
endeavors. Dimitri ’ s methodical thugs would “ arrest ” hapless squatters in the far-flung outposts and drag them off to the
Warlord ’ s forced labor facilities to work off trumped up debits
that could seemingly never be satisfied.
Dimitri pushed his nearly empty
plate aside; the last scraps would undoubtedly be consumed by his skinny little
parlormaid. He chuckled to himself, she would be worth more with some meat on
her bones.
He swaggered back to the window
and listened to the latest message from the Butin Belle, “ This is bluebird calling big boy. We are in sight of the winter house but
the lightning has not arrived. Your package is ready to Air Mail but we need
the address. ”
Excellent, he thought, perhaps
Gristle and his brain-dead First Mate could actually get things right.
Dimitri began his reply, “ Use the smallest midget to deliver the package to my brother for arrival
in one month. Half a klick makes the biggest noise. Have the guests work on the
new products when the lightning appears. ”
Saturn had nearly reached its
zenith in the Titan sky.
He smiled fleetingly at the
immense ringed planet before sending off the dispatch; soon his palace would be
filled with fawning half-wits.
14. News Item: Lunar Lab investigation
continues
Dateline: 20th of June, 2445; Free City Inquisitor's
Office, Free City, Earth
Chief Inspector Helga Bennet of
the Inquisitor ’ s Office offered an update this morning on the ongoing
investigation into last month ’ s unexplained destruction of the
Lunar Ultra Energy Research Laboratory.
Citing unnamed sources in the
Mining Guild, Bennet dispelled the widely held notion that the disaster which
claimed 287 lives was caused by illegal mining operations below the Sea of
Crises. She also put to rest a rival theory regarding careless handling of the
unstable antimatter that had been produced in great quantities at the facility
in recent years. Inspector Bennet spent many minutes detailing the elaborate
safety measures used by the staff of the doomed research station.
“ The Inquisitor ’ s Office is now quite certain
that the destruction of the Lab was not an accident, ” the Chief Inspector said.
“ We have discovered some detailed lunar surveillance images
from the day of the incident and our best people are studying them very
carefully for clues, ” Bennet assured reporters.
When asked about possible
suspects, the Chief indicated that the Inquisitor ’ s Office is
currently seeking two persons of interest for questioning.
Bennet concluded the interview by
emphasizing her confidence in the detective work being carried out by the
Office.
15. Keira Norton after hours She was finally back in her
minuscule Free City apartment.
Keira wearily stripped off her
soiled eveningwear and slumped in despair onto her unmade sofa bed. She was
alone in her dim apartment, which certainly wasn ’ t how she had
imagined the date with Lev would end.
She sighed in frustration. The
tantalizing spark of attraction that they had shared together in the dark
School of Physics workroom had been largely extinguished in her mind by
copious resources and an agreeable atmosphere, they had no understanding of the
adversities that Off-Worlders constantly faced.
He had an especially strong hatred
for his stepbrother, Daniel Kufuzu. The EurAfrican Warlord had taken over for
his vile father years ago and had refused to acknowledge Dimitri as a blood
relative.
Dimitri sneered with contempt;
soon he would inflect a horrible revenge on the Kufuzu family.
His own fiefdom had grown
wealthier and more formidable in recent years and would soon surpass the status
of Mars and rival that of IndoPacifica on the Earth.
Nearly twenty different mines and
the huge new Kuiper Gas Refinement Facility produced vast riches for him. He
had an army of “ tax ” and bribe collectors in his
employ but his tireless slavers generated far more profits than his other
endeavors. Dimitri ’ s methodical thugs would “ arrest ” hapless squatters in the far-flung outposts and drag them off to the
Warlord ’ s forced labor facilities to work off trumped up debits
that could seemingly never be satisfied.
Dimitri pushed his nearly empty
plate aside; the last scraps would undoubtedly be consumed by his skinny little
parlormaid. He chuckled to himself, she would be worth more with some meat on
her bones.
He swaggered back to the window
and listened to the latest message from the Butin Belle, “ This is bluebird calling big boy. We are in sight of the winter house but
the lightning has not arrived. Your package is ready to Air Mail but we need
the address. ”
Excellent, he thought, perhaps
Gristle and his brain-dead First Mate could actually get things right.
Dimitri began his reply, “ Use the smallest midget to deliver the package to my brother for arrival
in one month. Half a klick makes the biggest noise. Have the guests work on the
new products when the lightning appears. ”
Saturn had nearly reached its
zenith in the Titan sky.
He smiled fleetingly at the
immense ringed planet before sending off the dispatch; soon his palace would be
filled with fawning half-wits.
14. News Item: Lunar Lab investigation
continues
Dateline: 20th of June, 2445; Free City Inquisitor's
Office, Free City, Earth
Chief Inspector Helga Bennet of
the Inquisitor ’ s Office offered an update this morning on the ongoing
investigation into last month ’ s unexplained destruction of the
Lunar Ultra Energy Research Laboratory.
Citing unnamed sources in the
Mining Guild, Bennet dispelled the widely held notion that the disaster which
claimed 287 lives was caused by illegal mining operations below the Sea of
Crises. She also put to rest a rival theory regarding careless handling of the
unstable antimatter that had been produced in great quantities at the facility
in recent years. Inspector Bennet spent many minutes detailing the elaborate
safety measures used by the staff of the doomed research station.
“ The Inquisitor ’ s Office is now quite certain
that the destruction of the Lab was not an accident, ” the Chief Inspector said.
“ We have discovered some detailed lunar surveillance images
from the day of the incident and our best people are studying them very
carefully for clues, ” Bennet assured reporters.
When asked about possible
suspects, the Chief indicated that the Inquisitor ’ s Office is
currently seeking two persons of interest for questioning.
Bennet concluded the interview by
emphasizing her confidence in the detective work being carried out by the
Office.
15. Keira Norton after hours She was finally back in her
minuscule Free City apartment.
Keira wearily stripped off her
soiled eveningwear and slumped in despair onto her unmade sofa bed. She was
alone in her dim apartment, which certainly wasn ’ t how she had
imagined the date with Lev would end.
She sighed in frustration. The
tantalizing spark of attraction that they had shared together in the dark
School of Physics workroom had been largely extinguished in her mind by
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