A BattleTech Never-Tale: Proof of Diffusion - Book 1: Discovery - Chapter 5

 

Stum’s Bar

Cross Road’s Oasis

Astrokaszy

15 September 3057

Cyprus 'Kip' Jones strolled from the pod pit to join Al, Casey and Nimaj Jr in the bar above.  He didn't look at all concerned about the fact that he had lost the honor duel in the simulators.  According to Jones's conditions, his life was now in Al's hands.  But, he didn't have to worry.  Al had no intention of cashing in on this part of his prize.  After all, inasmuch as Jones did not like Al, he was the only other survivor of the Dragon's Rose crash.

“All right, Mister Jones,” Al said.  “You're free to go.  I hold no grudge against you.”

Jones closed his good eye for a moment.  He muttered, “I thought so.  That's the second time I owe my life to you.”  Opening his eye, he stepped up to Al and laid a hand on his shoulder.  “And, now, Eli, for your real prize.”  

Al quirked a brow at the specific name.  There was significance in his choosing to use the name the Captain of the Rose wanted him to have.   It wasn't spoken in irony or malice. 

Jones continued.  “I give you your life.  I suspect you don't know this, or you wouldn't have left the ship to sink into the desert sands.  When the captain made you part of the crew, you became part owner to that vessel.  She's your ship, Eli.”

He dropped his hand and walked to the exit.  Before leaving, Jones paused and looked back. “You might want to get out there soon.  I went by this morning.  Some scavengers were picking through it.”  He reached into his pocket, and pulled out another cog. Tossing it to Al, he said, “What's in the cargo hold is now yours, as well.” 

Jones turned to face outside.  “My debt to you has been repaid. I doubt we'll ever see each other again.”

With that, Jones exited the bar.

“No, we probably won't,” Al said absently. He held up the cog, wondering what it might be used with or for.  Then the realization sank in.  He owned a DropShip.  His adventure was now truly about to begin.  Excited, he shot Casey and Nimaj a quick grin.

Out at the crash site, Al, Casey, Nimaj and the nomad retinue discovered the truth in Jones's words.  The ship's cargo doors were open to the world.  The graveyard had been completely exhumed, the bodies lined up in bags.  

“This is how you arrived on Astrokaszy?” one of the nomads asked in awe.  

The fact that neither Nimaj nor Casey seemed at all surprised spoke volumes to Al.  Not long after meeting Casey, Al had been followed back to the dropper after work on one occasion. Another time, Al had spotted the traces of hovercraft passage. So, they had some idea, but none had approached him about it.  Probably were expecting him to open up about it eventually. 

In time, he vowed internally.

Near the airlock, a couple flatbed trucks sat motionless.  Next to them, connected to cable bundles extending from deep in the ship, sat a diagnostic station.  A man worked at the terminal, his back to the world.  

A hand came to rest on his shoulder.  Al braced forcing his body to remain still.  Turning, he looked at the large Nimaj. 

“Want us to take care of this?”

“Nah,” Al said.  “Let me handle it.”

Al approached the man at the terminal undetected.  Once close enough, he spoke up.

“Excuse me.”

The technician whipped his head around, startled. The man was short, wiry and blond. 

“What are you doing with my ship?” Al asked.

With wary blue eyes shielded by glasses, the tech studied Al, then the men in the distance.  “Your ship?”

“My name's Alius Cad'ver.  I was a part of the Dragon's Rose crew.  That means I own her.”

“Really?”  The tech turned confused.  Rubbing at his mustache, he muttered, “That doesn't sound right.”

The tech turned toward the terminal and punched a few screens.  The holographic window flickered, displaying a few new screens before settling on one that looked very much like a dossier file.

The technician looked at Al again.  Rubbing his hand across his yellow mustache with a snort, he shoved his spectacles higher on his nose before reaching out a hand. He held it there, waiting for Al to grasp it in greeting.  “Name's Morrow.  My crew is the Finn Recovery Firm.  Your Captain was part of a larger fleet.  Word came that the ship crashed, and we've been sent to recover the vessel.”

Al reached out and shook Morrow's hand. 

“The other men.  Are they with you?”

Looking back up the hill, Al waved for the rest to join him.

“They're friends.  That one's Casey Putnam,” Al said, pointing out people as they approached. “The big one's Nimaj.  He's a leader of a local nomad tribe.  The other three are part of that tribe.  Haven't quite gotten to know them yet.”

“All right, Mr. Cad'ver,” Morrow said.  “Let my people pack up, and we'll be out of your hair.  However-” Morrow trailed off.

“However?” Al prompted.

“So, just what did you plan on doing with the ship?  She's not going anywhere.  You think you can fix her up?”

Al nodded lightly.  This had been sort of what he had hoped for.  He voiced his thoughts aloud. “Not really.  I was thinking of selling her for parts, to be honest.”

“Well, you're in luck.  Finn Recovery has been authorized to make reparations to any survivors.  I can give you a million C-bills for her.”

Casey grabbed Al's shoulder and gave it a gentle tug.  Suppressing a wince, Al glanced at his friend and followed him aside.

“Al, that's a rip-off,” Casey said, quietly.  “She's worth far more even in melt value.”

“Well, who else will buy?” Al asked.  “Let's face it, anyone else who'd be interested would have to trek out here to retrieve her.  He's right.  She's not going anywhere, and I doubt even the Legion has the resources to move her, let alone rebuild her.”

Casey deflated a little.  “Well, don't settle.  You should get more than a mere million c-notes for her.”

Al nodded. Out of his pocket he fished Jones's gear and flipped it around in his fingers a moment.  Kip had bequeathed the contents of the holds to Al, whatever they might be. Casey saw and nodded appreciatively.

Turning back to Morrow, Al said, “All right.  But, I also get to keep what's in the hold.”

Morrow's blond brows shot up. He stared at Al for a moment while he thought. Turning aside, he shouted, “Miiiike!”

From back along the hull, out of one of the open bay doors appeared a dark, shaggy maned head.  Morrow waved him over.  The tall man worked his way down the still-attached wing and across the sand before stopping next to Morrow. 

“Ah!  Visitors,” he said while walking across the sand.  Mike's eyes shot to the holo display before landing on Al.  “And, a survivor.”

He held out his hand.  Al shook it. 

“I'm Mike Finn, owner of the Finn Recovery Firm.”  Turning to Morrow, he asked, “Did you tell him why we're here?”  

Morrow nodded.  “And, did you offer him the compensation promised to survivors?”

“He wants to keep the cargo,” Morrow said, getting straight to the point.

Mr. Finn looked a little confused.  “He knows the cargo's not his, right?”

Al displayed the cog to the two men.  “I believe it belonged to one Mister Jones.  He said I could have what was left.  You want the ship?  I'll take your offer, but I keep what's in those holds.”

Morrow pulled Finn aside, and they talked in near whispers. Al's eyebrows shot up as he listened.  From what he could hear, they could make a better offer by giving Al his father's life insurance policy.  After a few muttered exchanges, Finn stepped up to the terminal and punched up a new window, showing it to Morrow before closing the file.  He looked Al over a moment, his eyes resting on the gun at Al's hip.

“Is that what I think it is?” Finn asked with sudden interest.

Al looked at the gun, then pulled it out after pocketing the gear. “1911 model forty five.” 

Mike's eyebrows shot up.  “That's ancient.  Don't make 'em like that anymore.  Does it work?"

Al knew full well it did.  The question amused him, and he decided to have a little fun.  Undoing the safety, he chambered a round.  He looked at Finn, letting the mischief he felt cross his face. "Care to find out?"

Finn stared at Al uneasily for a while. Then Al dropped his grip on the gun, letting it slide to dangle from his trigger finger as he held it out.  Finn gingerly took the hot weapon, looking it over with appreciation.  He settled his hand around the grip, finger in the trigger ring, and took aim at Al. 

Al felt his stomach twist with apprehension.  They wouldn't have to pay anyone anything if they simply shot any survivors.  Al knew he could handle them.  His concern was for Casey and the others. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see one of Nimaj's guards with a hand on his own holstered pistol.  Logically, he assumed the others were moving to similar stances, judging from the shifting sounds in the sand behind him.

Without pausing Finn slowly shifted his aim to one of the crosses in the makeshift cemetery.  Grinning, he fired. The gun's report left ears ringing.  Mike and Morrow both winced, and rubbed at their ears a moment.  Casey and the Legionnaires did likewise.

It took a few minutes before Finn spoke in a shout.  “We're here to retrieve the cargo as well. Throw in the gun, and I'll give you fifteen million.”

“C-bills,” Al said. 

“C-bills,” Finn confirmed.

That might actually be enough for what Al intended.  

“It's a deal,” Al said.  Reaching into his left vest pocket, he produced some spare clips. “I won't be needing these.”

Finn accepted the munitions peaceably, astonished.  

“Mike,” Morrow said.  “There was one bin we couldn't open.”   

Al immediately guessed they were talking about the gear.  He fished it back out and brandished it between fore and middle finger.  

Both men eyed Al and the gear.  

“That's the key we need,” Morrow said.

“This will cost you extra,” Al stated.

“What did you have in mind?” Finn asked.

“How about that million cred survivor compensation on top of the 15 mil?”

Finn chuckled and shook his head.

The rest of Finn's crew had gathered while the deal progressed.  Once it had finished, they all returned to work.  Shifting grip on the cred stick, Al shook Finn's hand one more time.  Turning to leave, he paused, looking at the bagged bodies.  He glanced sidelong at Finn.  

“Take good care of them.  They were family.”

Nodding somberly, Finn said, “They will be returned to their homes and given proper burials.”

With a little too practiced an ease, Al suppressed the tears that threatened to well up behind his eyes.  Without another word, Al walked away, joining Casey and Nimaj at the Legion hover-jeeps.  

“I still can't believe you managed sixteen million in C-bills,” Casey said, sounding impressed. “What was in those holds that would cost that much?”

“Nothing,” Al said. 

Both Nimaj and Casey shot him surprised looks.  “I had a chance to look,” Al explained.  “If I had to guess, they were all rigged to hold 'Mechs.  Six of the eight were already open, and I found scaffolding and gantry work in each one.  The seventh was simple shipboard supplies and consumables which I could open with my crew pass.  Whatever was in that last hold probably didn't have any real value to Kip if he was leaving it behind, or giving it to me.  I doubt it's remotely worth fifteen million, or even half that.”

Casey nodded, impressed. “Would hate to be in their shoes when they find out.”

“They're not losing a dime,” Al said.  

Casey looked surprised, again.  

“Not only was I a part of the crew,” Al explained, “but, the Captain had adopted me.  It seems he had a life insurance policy that was willed to me.  They just happened to be aware of that fact.”

“So, it wasn't a real fleecing,” Casey said, shaking his head.

“Nope,” Al said.  “Just making sure I got everything allotted to me.”

“He adopted you?” Nimaj asked.  “Why?”

“Can't say.  But, I have some ideas,” Al said.

“Care to fill us in?” Casey asked

Tears threatened to burst from behind his eyes again as the memories of being by Lee's side during his last breath came back.  It had been a few years since the crash, but even recalling the burial of each crewman still felt raw.  He could feel everyone's eyes on him.  With a deep inhale to steady himself, Al finally answered.

“For another time.”

Nobody replied right away.  Instead, they all got in the jeeps and flew back to the cross roads.  

“I don't know what you were planning to do with your sudden windfall,” Casey said once under way.  “But, how would you like to become a real MechWarrior?”

Al looked at Casey and smirked.  “That was the idea.”

Casey grinned.  “I know a guy in the Free Worlds who could hook you up.”

 

Dragon's Breath Desert

Neutral Territory

Astrokazsy

1 December 3057

Al stared through his narrow cockpit canopy to see Casey's Griffin out on the desert wastes of Astrokazsy.  The narrow viewport of the Warhammer didn't offer the best view.  As his Mech finished its activation sequences, a panoramic projection glowed right in front of Al's eyes on his neurohelmet visor, nearly obscuring his view.  The outside 360-degree world was projected onto his field of vision, with everything to the ’Mech’s side and rear weirdly compressed on the right and left.  It also showed him and his cockpit controls with clarity as well.

The armor diagram was stylized to match a Warhammer's outline.  Al knew that his 'Mech  looked like a stock -6R model right out of the simulators.  That had been intentional, since it was one of his favorite designs.  But, a glance at his weapons list showed the pair of small lasers in place of machine guns.  A lot of weight had been saved to thicken armor plates all over.  It was a Frankenstein's monster, cobbled together from a bunch of different Warhammer frames.  Everyone was surprised at what Al wanted, but the salvage firm was able to meet Al's exact specifications.  To the technician who assembled it, now hired on as Al's permanent mechanic, it was a masterpiece. 

“All right, Al,” Casey said, sounding like he was right in Al's ear.  “This isn't the simulators.  Time to get you used to the real thing.”

Another Man's Treasure

Technology Transfer Research Facility

Gatchina

Free Worlds League

26 June 3059

It was a slightly overcast day, the clouds thin but high, white with the back-lighting of Gatchina's sun.  The rolling hills of the countryside were brown as the region's winter worked its way toward spring.  On one horizon lay a facility made up of a selection of square buildings in typical white paint.  Out of the biggest rose a half-jet, half- ’Mech with a pair of rectangular pods on its back.  

From his current position on a hill nearly half a kilometer away, Casey recognized a Phoenix Hawk LAM.  It turned and jetted in his direction.  After triggering firing solutions for his PPC and LRMs, Casey took a quick survey of the battle raging around him.  Two of the pirate ’Mechs were of Clan design.  One had already been demolished by three PPC hits from Darran in the salvaged Awesome.  The opening blast was impressive, the Puma getting all three beams straight down the nose, coring the machine.  It lay to Casey's immediate left, motionless except for the cockpit canopy, its pilot working to get out.

Still to Casey's left, up a steeper hill, Al ran his Warhammer a little warm.  Hugging the hilltop, the dark-blue Mech weathered fire from a Mad Cat while giving better in return.  His fire was supplemented by missiles from the now functional -3L Crusader, piloted by Jenn.  Gauss and missile fire from Damien's Highlander, sixty-some meters in front of Casey, staggered the iconic Clan Mech.

Two other pirate Mechs, a Whitworth and a Trebuchet, hung back, offering missile support while being ignored for the moment.

Casey looked back at the LAM in time for his weapons to fire.  Disappointingly, the results were mixed.  Some LRMs managed light hits along a wing, but the slight side-slip on the target's part made the PPC's caress across its side and arm ineffectual.  Then his Griffin jinked left and right, spreading out the AirMech's large and medium laser return shots.  The damage did no more than slightly lighten his armor diagram's green outline. 

Suddenly, a DropShip appeared on Casey's sensors, high and from behind.  It was immediately tagged with a friendly icon.  

“So, our partners are finally making an appearance,” he commented.  He let sarcasm drip into his voice.  “Why so soon, I wonder?”  

When the partners hadn't deployed alongside Damien’s mercs, Casey had suspected they were being used as cannon fodder, only for the partners to sweep in and mop up.  But, now it looked like Damien’s small force was doing very well with one enemy down and another about to fall.  The other team would need to make some sort of appearance to claim part of the victory. 

Smiling, Casey followed the LAM's trajectory, quickly lining up another firing solution. 

A familiar, trivid-star quality male voice spoke over broadband.  “To the pirate forces defending the facility.  We are reinforcing the 'Mechs pitted against you.”  Four Mechs stepped out of the DropShip, two on either side.  Stepping off, they started their drop to the field as the ship flew past.  “You are outnumbered.  Surrender now, and you will be treated honorably.”

Only a couple seconds passed before a man's voice, nasal and gravelly, answered in one of the many accents found in the Free Worlds League.  “Standing down.  We do have conditions for our surrender, though.”

* * *

Inside the main facility building, Damien's mercs had taken a meeting room to lounge in while the heads of each force discussed the details of the surrender.  Darran and Jenn had volunteered to stay mounted, on guard, during the proceedings.  Support personnel had been shipped in to begin repairs.  This left Al, Casey, Miko, and one Peregrine Wolf to stare at the décor, offering minor, intermittent speculation on what was actually going down.

The room itself was not much to look at.  White plastic folding chairs complimented a white plastic folding table.  All amid a box of white walls and gray carpet.  A whiteboard hung on the wall opposite the windows, next to the sole metal door to the room. 

Miko stood next to the door, peering through the small square window on occasion.  Al sat at the table near the windows, looking outside, deep in thought.  Casey sat across from him, arms crossed, eyeing Miss Perry.  

The young Clanner woman looked relaxed.  Seated next to Al, her boots were up on the table.  She leaned back in the chair, showing the tan skin of her legs not covered by her very short shorts.  The chair was in contact with the wall behind her, keeping her from falling backward.  But, in spite of her relaxed posture, she looked very bored, as indicated by the way she looked around, making an idle comment every few minutes.

Casey wondered why she was with them on this mission.  Granted, Javier was along, too, even though his Firestarter was hung up in a hangar back on Astrokaszy.  Still, Casey suspected ‘the Spaniard’ had a purpose outside his BattleMech.  

Miko moved away from the door, catching everyone's attention.  Seconds later, Damien entered the room with a wide grin.  Javier followed, his focus on a datapad.  With only a cursory glance around, Jav took the closest seat to the door.  Damien stood at the end of the table.

“So, what's going on?” Casey asked.  “What happened?  And, what's Jav looking at?”

Clapping his hands and rubbing them, Damien looked around with an excited glint in his eyes.  This prompted Perry to drop her feat to the floor.  All eyes and ears, save Javier's, were on him.

“If you haven't guessed already, this facility is a research facility.”

“For LAMs,” Al commented, pronouncing the acronym as the word 'lamb'.

“For LAMs,” Damien echoed.  “As you know from our briefing nearly a month ago, the people who hired us had gotten wind of an impending raid.  Our mission was to protect the facility from the raiders.  Our preparation was somehow leaked, and the raiders upped their schedule.”  He looked around at everyone present.

“The people we fought are fellow mercs.  Camilla’s Curators happen to be tech hunters.  They have no bounties on them.  I’ve already checked.  They work the system and pick contracts where they suspect they can carry away rare technology.  To their chagrin, the place was hastily ransacked by its own employees before they arrived.  The hard drives had been wiped of sensitive information.”  

Damien glanced down momentarily.  “Since we have no bounty to operate from, we will be letting them go.  They won’t get to keep the Phoenix Hawk LAM.  Neither will we.  In fact, our deal with our partners means we net no salvage, whatsoever.”

Damien leaned in and Casey saw the excited glint in his eye return.  “But, guess what?  This was a research facility.”

“For LAMs,” Al said.

“For LAMs,” Damien echoed.  “We believe that the people behind this wouldn’t be so foolish as to not have back-up files stored somewhere off-sight.  They had to do it in a rush.  There were non-vital things still left lying around, like personal logs.”

Damien clapped Javier on the shoulder.  “Jav is my code-breaker.  He spotted something in a journal entry, and is going through it now.  He thinks the off-site hiding spot is nearby.  If he's right, we might be able to locate it.”

“So, you’re thinking we can find the data and sneak some copies of blueprints?”  Al asked.  

“Something of a little treasure hunt,” Damien said.  “What they don’t know won’t hurt them.  We could definitely use some sort of bonus.”

Casey approved of the sentiment.  They would only be making copies of any data they may potentially find.  He offered, “Maybe some extra eyes can help.” 

“I have this,” Jav mumbled, distracted.

“He's the code-breaker,” Damien said.

“Okay.  Then, why is Perry here?” Casey asked.

“She's my Clan expert,” Damien said, unabashed.  “She's not in the trial for a 'Mech with the Legion, and as much as you've experienced with the Invasion, she's an insider.  Nice to have someone to recognize others of her kind.”

“And our 'partners' are ex-Clan,” Perry said, idly.

“Wait.  Really?” Casey asked, surprised.  “I had suspected, since they sound like you and Al, but the contractions made me think they're Terran.”

Perry seemed to come alive.  Standing, she said, “Come with me.  I will show you.”

Damien got out of the way, letting Perry, Al and Casey through.

She took them outside.  Not far from the exit, they could see the landed DropShip the supposed Clanners had arrived in.  Two of their 'Mechs were on guard duty as well.  One was inspired by the Clans, but Casey recognized the cutting edge Federated Commonwealth 'Mech he had seen in news holos.  The second one was alien to him.  It was either cutting edge, or of Clan origin.

“Bushwhacker, and a Naga.” Al mused.  “I think I recall seeing a Stalker, a Catapult and a MadCat out on the field when they dropped in, too.  If I'm not mistaken, the dropper looks like a Clan Broadsword, which has room for a fifth 'Mech.”  

Casey looked over at Al, impressed with his knowledge.  He caught the same curious, approving look on Perry's face as well.  Focusing on Al, he asked, “What's a Naga?”

“Clan second-line artillery 'Mech.  Carries Arrow Four artillery missiles.  It's probably safe to assume that the Bushwhacker has been outfitted with TAG to take advantage of homing rounds.”

Casey shook his head.  “Those aren't in the sims.”

“No, they're not,” Al ceded.

“Then, how do you know?” Perry asked.

And, not for the first time.  Ever since Al mentioned knowledge of the Clans and their equipment and some of their procedures and history, Perry would actively prompt tidbits of information out of him, or sit and listen when Al let something drop.  Each time, she would ask that question.  It had other people thinking or asking the same thing on occasion.  He claimed to be merely Terran, or from Earth.  But, Casey couldn't help wonder if he wasn't from one of the Clans.  

“Too soon,” Al said, flashing Perry an amused smirk.

Perry pouted.  Looking around, she pointed to a couple of the other team's MechWarriors.  A trio were standing around talking among each other and some of their technicians.  

“Well, unlike you, I can tell they are Clan based on the terms they throw around when they think nobody is listening,” Perry said.  “They may be from lower castes, which would explain the contractions.  But there is no mistaking some of the military verbiage we Clan warriors grew up using.”

“You can take the boy out of the farm, but not the farm out of the boy,” Al said.

Perry glanced at him with a smile.  “Or the Clan out of the warrior,” she added.

She waved for Casey and Al to hang back, while she casually strode up to the group in question.  Nobody seemed to notice her until she started talking.  Perry spoke loud enough for Casey and Al to hear over the distance. 

“It must be nice to fool those simple Sphereoids, quiaff?” she said.

The tall guy who had his back turned to her started to answer, “Neg,” but tried to turn it into a question at the last minute.  The rest of the group stiffened and became more alert.  Turning to address her directly, Casey recognized the head of the group from the mission briefing many weeks back, on Astrokaszy.  He was a tall guy, moderate build, with dark hair and a short, trimmed beard.  His voice was the same one heard from the battle not but an hour ago.  “That's how one responds to that kind of question, I believe.  Is that right?”

Before the conversation could carry on any further, a shorter man with a similar haircut, but brown, interrupted the commander.  

“Jones,” he said, his voice deep and rich.  

Jones looked at his subordinate.  

“Let me handle this,” the shorter man said.

Jones nodded.  With a short, “All right, everybody! Back to work,” he dispersed the group, leaving Casey, Al and Perry with the new guy.

“So,” the new guy said, amicably.  “You think we're Clan?” he asked Perry.

“And, you are?” Casey asked.

“I'm Endri.”

“That's it?” Casey pressed.  “Just 'Endri'?  I'm Casey Putnam.  He's Alius Cad'ver.  She's Peregrine.  Of Clan Wolf.”

Endri's eyebrows shot up.  “So, you're Clan,” he said to Perry. 

“Ex-Clan,” she corrected.  “I am not with the Wolf, anymore.”

Endri tried to keep his amicable facade.  However, Casey spotted the temporary mask, the guarded look, when the shorter man reacted to Perry's response.  It came and went in all of a second, showing Endri's strong self-control.  Casey took that as one more piece of evidence in favor of Perry's claim.

“And, you think we're Clan, do you?” Endri asked.

A glint flashed in Perry's eye, her face showing she was not fooled, she said, “Oh!  You think you have us with the contractions, but I have heard you bandying our terminology around on occasion.  You use it with practiced familiarity.  So, drop the act.”

Endri was a blank, unreadable wall for a couple seconds.  Then he deflected with a question, which made Casey start to quirk a brow.  He shot a glance at Al, who looked back with a knowing smirk.

“The Wolf is no more,” Endri said, sounding curious.  “How did one like you end up clear out here?”

Casey watched as Perry acted much like the Wolf her old Clan was named after.  If she had hackles, he imagined he could see them rising as she glared at Endri.  Crossing her arms, she scoffed, “I prefer not to talk about it.”

“Refusal War?”  Al asked out of the blue.  “Between Falcon and Wolf.”

Both Perry and Endri shot guarded looks in Al's direction.  

“It's been a couple years since that resolved,” Al continued, musing aloud.  “You might want to check back with your exiled counterparts.  Vlad Ward should have restored the Clan Wolf under the Crusaders by now, I think.  If not yet, he will, soon.”

He smirked and glanced at Perry and Endri.  “That was a punk move Chistu pulled.  No honor.  Vlad will have his head.”  Looking to the horizon, Al added.  “Of your Clan Khans, I think Kerensky was one of the best.  Would be nice to meet him someday.”

Casey watched as both Perry and Endri slowly changed from guarded to wonder.  The last statement then left them looking confused.

“What do you mean by 'meet him someday'?” Perry asked.  “He died in that ambush.”

Al looked at her and smirked, though his face had a hint of sadness on it.  “Did I say that aloud?  Something for another time.”

Al nodded toward the facility.  Casey looked to see Damien and Miko marching toward them.  Damien didn’t wait when he reached them.  He handed over a data pad to Al, which Al took and perused while their commander spoke. 

“We have a few leads.  I want you to take Miko in your personal car and scout them out.”

“May I tag along?” Casey asked.  

Damien considered for a few seconds, then nodded.  “Sure.”

“May I go, too?” Perry asked courteously.  

Damien didn’t bother to think on this one, automatically saying,  “Go ahead.  More eyes, the better.  I leave discretion to Al, though.  It’s his car, after all.”

“I have no problem with it,” Al said idly.  He handed the pad to Casey.

Casey noted Perry’s gleeful grin with a touch of annoyance.  He plucked the pad from Al’s grip a little too testily in his agitation.  Without a comment, he tried to ignore the situation by looking at the names and addresses before him.  He had to pause and look up when one more request came for a ride-along.

“Would there be room for one more?” Endri asked.  

All eyes turned toward him.  “Call it professional curiosity.  The data you specifically asked for looks too mundane and personal to have anything important in it.  If you think you’ve found something, I’d like to see the end results.”

Damien was neutral while he eyed Endri for a moment.  After a while, he said,  “I leave that to Al.  However, you’ve already got what you wanted out of the deal.  Clan salvage.  What we find is ours to keep.”

“Understood,” Endri said. 

Damien nodded, a suspicious look on his face.

“So, what are we looking for?” Al asked.  “This list wasn’t very intuitive to read.  I see addresses and names.  The addresses I get.  Names I can guess, but I’d like a clearer picture.”

Damien nodded.  “There was a name that kept coming up in the journal.  The Virginia Farm.  Jav suspected it was a codename.  The Virgin Mary.  Mary had a little lamb.”    

Casey nodded, echoing ‘lamb’, the way Al and Damien pronounced the LAM acronym.  

Damien waited for people to finish getting the joke.  “The addresses are farmsteads in the region.  The names are from the journal, people associated with the farm.  You’ll notice none of them have the surname ‘Virginia’.  You may have to do some asking around to get any leads if the farmsteads don’t pay off.  You have a limited window.  Our client will be sending relief forces to take over in a couple days. ”

“Got it,” Al said.  Looking at Miko, he said, “I’m thinking we do a visual survey of each farm before we get into sleuthing among the locals.”

Inside the bay of the DropShip dedicated to Damien’s mercs, Al yanked the tarp off his car.  It was a vintage model DeLorean hovercraft, styled after a similar car in an old movie series.  This model took some liberties with the construction.  The wheels didn’t actually push the car along, instead free-rolling, simply acting as landing gear.  When it took off, they folded sideways, like in the holovids.  The car was boxy and ungainly looking, but Al seemed to love it. 

It also wasn’t very big.

“The DeLorean’s not a real luxury car.  She can fit five, but it’ll be snug for the people in the back.”  Al looked at Endri.  “I don’t mind you tagging along, but it won’t be comfortable if you have joint problems.  With such a large search area, this could take a while.”

Endri studied the vehicle with no hint of emotion.  “I think I will be fine.”

“Okay.  Short people in the back.  Sorry, Miko, that includes you.”

“I understand,” she said with a graceful smile.

Everyone piled in, Perry in the middle in the back seat.  Casey got in the passenger side, navigating under the gull-wing door with practiced ease.  He had ridden with Al in the vehicle on a number of occasions.  Once the doors were shut, Al buckled in and deftly triggered the start-up switch.  Once active, the DeLorean rose on a cushion of air and coasted gently out of the dropper, out onto the tarmac, and into the Gatchina countryside.

* * *

Park Property Border

Gatchina

Free Worlds League

26 June 3059

The countryside around the facility was mostly upland, interrupted by hilly, wooded stream cuts.  The level, mild hills were occupied by sprawling crop fields littered with the remains of last year's harvest.  Even though the temperatures were mild, Casey spotted small pockets of snow in shaded places hidden from the sun.  

The roads they traveled on were well-maintained gravel.  That was the only sign of civilization.  There were hardly any houses or other signs of human activity.  Looking at the map on the datapad, Casey could see that the farmsteads they were scouting were very far apart.  They were getting close to one.  He let Al know about the upcoming left turn.

Al found it, slowed down, and came to a sudden stop once around the corner.  Unseen from their direction by a slight berm was a gatehouse with a crossbar down.  Two soldiers in a uniform Casey didn't recognize occupied the little guard building.  Both stood and came out, hefting rifles.

One kept his rifle across his chest, parade ready, eyes wary.  The other shouldered his rifle and came to Al's driver window on the left of the vehicle.  Al rolled down his window with the press of a button.  The soldier was a middle-aged man with brown skin and a ruddy beard.  He had more of the Asiatic characteristics common in the Free Worlds, compared to Casey's African lineage.  The man's red hair suggested some European in the line, somewhere.  He eyed everyone in the car with golden eyes, his face unreadable.

“We received no word of someone coming through our gate today,” he said once done scanning the car's occupants.  “Do you have papers for border passage?”

“Actually,” Al said, “I think we're lost.  We're looking for Virginia Farms.”

A confused look passed over the soldier's face for a moment.  “I've never heard of it.”  He turned imperious.  This is Park land.  If you don't have official papers to be here, you must turn around and leave.”

Casey watched Al perk up.  “Parkland?  Like a nature preserve?  Where can we go to sign up for a permit?”

The soldier frowned.  “This is private property.  Turn around and leave.  Now!”

Al gave a nod and  sat up straight.  Rolling up the window with a flick of a different switch, he put the car in reverse.  Watching the mirrors and looking over his shoulder on occasion, he backed the car away from the gate and back onto the road.  Casey watched as the soldier that interacted with them got on his personal comm.

They drove about a kilometer down the road.  When they lost sight of the gatehouse, Al pulled over and asked to look at the map.

“Do you think they have something to hide?” Endri asked.

Miko was the first to answer.  “From his reaction, I doubt it.”

Casey watched Al work down the road on the map.  He paused at a road going in the other direction.  Once he saw that, he handed the pad back to Casey.

“It's hard to say,” Al said.  “It's possible.  But, I agree with Miko.  If they are hiding something, it has nothing to do with 'Virginia Farms'.  It could very much be a preserve with restricted access.”

Putting the DeLorean back into gear, he started the car gliding down the road.  They came across more intersections turning left.  He slowed down at each one, and each time, they saw more gatehouses.   Finally, a few kilometers and about an hour later, they came across a road that went to the right.  Al turned down that road to find yet another gatehouse.  He came to a stop, and parked his car.

This gatehouse was different.  It was old, and poorly maintained.  Nobody was around.  The bar was in place.  

Al opened his door.  Before getting out, he said, “This might be a good time for people to stretch their legs.”

Casey got out, and helped Miko out of the back.  Perry and Endri got out on Al's side.  Casey and Miko joined Al at the gate.  

“Does that look familiar?” Al asked, pointing to a coat of arms on display in front of the guard house.  

Once he pointed it out, Casey remembered seeing it on all the guardhouses they had passed on the way here.  

“So, this is Park land, too?” Casey asked.

“It appears so,” Miko said.  “Although, all the activity is on the other side of the road.  Shall we confirm that this is a dead-end?”

“Not right now,” Al said.  He pointed at the padlock and chain securing the gate bar on its rising end.  “That looks new, which means it's probably checked frequently.  I'm not confident enough in my hover skills to hop this or the barbed-wire.”  

Casey finally made mental note of the barbed-wire fencing he had seen on either side of the road at the edges of the fields.  He had taken the sight for granted until now, when it mattered.  Over a meter tall, there was no good way to get across without tearing clothes, or skin, or hover skirt.  The gate bar was the only way in. 

“Let's mark it for now, and come back once we confirm the status of the others,” Al suggested, sounding tired. 

“I concur,” Casey offered.

“Sounds like a plan,” Miko concluded.

“If I'm not mistaken, we should be coming across a town, soon.  Or, at least a major harvest hub,” Al said.  “Hopefully they'll have some sort of store.  I'm feeling hungry, so let's stop there for some food.”

“How do you think that?” Casey asked.  

“The huge silos should be a giveaway,” Al said, pointing down the road.

Casey followed Al's gesture.  Far away, on the horizon, he could make out large steel silos towering over the trees like a cluster of castle turrets.

The clouds thinned as they drove down the road, letting the sun shine through like a thin curtain.  The silos on the horizon started to shine like silver.  As the kilometers between the DeLorean and the town shrank, each intersection revealed more gatehouses.  The ones on the left were manned.  The ones on the right appeared unmanned for a while.  Then, they, too, started to have a guard presence.

Al's hope was revealed to be true.  There were houses down at the feet of the silos.  Casey spotted a sign with a name suggesting a store.  And, the main road appeared to head straight into town.  However, at the edge of town, there was yet another gatehouse complete with guards, and even armored jeeps with pintle mounts.  Casey felt a tinge of frustration as a guard stepped out to greet them when Al coasted to a stop.

The guard's Polynesian eyes scanned Al's car with open appreciation.  The man nodded his helmeted head a couple times.  Once Al's window was rolled down, the guy smiled, speaking in a relatively clean accent.

“We got word of a car matching this description.  You must be the group looking for Virginia Farms.”

“News travels fast,” Casey muttered quietly with raised eyebrows.

“That's right,” Al answered openly.  “Is this the place we can sign up for passes into the park?”

The guard looked confused.  “Park?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Al said, then explained, “We were told this was parkland.”

A light went on behind the guard's eyes, and he smiled.  “I see there was some miscommunication.  This land belongs to Baroness Emilia Park.”

Al nodded, smiling at his mistake.  “The Park Barony,” he said.

“Correct,” the guard said, rubbing his shaven chin.  “I hate to say it, but you folks came a long way for nothing.  There is no Virginia Farms on the Baroness's land.  If it exists, it's in another region.”

“Well,” Al said.  “Before we turn back, is it possible to stop and grab a bite to eat and use the restroom?  We've been driving for a while, now.”

The guard nodded, understanding.  “If you want to go into town, we'll have to perform a search of your car and persons.  'S' 'O' 'P' for random strangers.”

Al turned to look at Casey and the other passengers.  “Well?”

The search process had been relatively painless, though it added yet another half-hour of growing hunger.  In spite of the seasonal transition from winter, the air had been relatively mild, somewhere in the mid-thirties, or the mid-fifties Fahrenheit, according to Al.  Perry Wolf handled the temperatures and the mild breeze without comment, in spite of her shorts, which surprised Casey.  

During the search, another guard had joined the first guard, who called himself Nguyen.  The new guard arrived with a tote that each person could empty their pockets into.  None of the guards were at all surprised when all but Perry revealed sidearms.  Perry didn't have anywhere to hide one.  Not even in her leather pilot's jacket.  

“You understand that we will have to hold onto these while you're here,” the guard said after first Endri 'Jones' and Miko pulled theirs out.  Each gun was put into a separate tote and carried in after a person was done being searched.  Any other belongings were returned to their owners.

Then came Al's turn.  Al carried a lot of things in his vest pockets.  Most items seemed innocuous, like pencils of various kinds, a mix of foreign currencies, a small pad of lined paper, and so on.  But, one item caught everyone's attention when he pulled it out.  It was a crimson silken pouch.  Al held the bag delicately in such a way as to reveal it held something large and heavy.

“This is a very delicate item,” Al said.  “I think I better show it to you, instead of letting you pull it out.”

The guard nodded, and Al opened the pouch.  He delicately pulled out a white silken cloth wrapped around the delicate object.  Holding the edge of the item in his left hand, he carefully unfolded the silken cloth.  Underneath was the largest ruby Casey had ever seen, embossed in a golden frame resembling a dragon's maw.

Casey felt his eyes widen at the sight.  Even the guards looked surprised, mumbling something incomprehensible.  

“Why do you carry something like this around with you?  It could get stolen,” Nguyen said.  

“Because I don't trust anybody with it,” Al replied seriously.  “See, this isn't just some gemstone.  It's an experimental information storage device.  The person who gave it to me lives in his own little world, and fails to realize how dirty the world is.  The oil on our fingers can damage the pathways on the surface, destroying data.”  Al waggled his right hand in emphasis.  “The only way to hold it is with a specially clean cloth, like you see here, or on the golden frame.  The frame is a holographic interface which will display whatever you want.”

Casey couldn't believe what he was hearing.  Terra was known for some extravagant application of tech, and this was a sure example.  Holotech and crystal memory weren't exactly new technologies, but they weren't very common, either.   Casey thought they were friends, and yet, this never came up until now.

The guards looked even more impressed.  

“How much does it have stored?” the lead guard asked. 

“Lots,” Al said, a hint of a smile on his lips.  “Movies, books, TV shows, you name it.”

“Show me.”

“Sure,” Al said.  “Anything in particular?”

The guard eyed Al's sleek black laser pistol in the tub, then the DeLorean.  “You seem to be a man influenced by pop culture.  You choose.”

Quirking a brow in a lopsided smirk, Al started touching the dragon's eyes and ears on the gold frame.  A deep, full male voice addressed Al, sounding very much how Casey imagined a dragon might sound if it were real and could talk.  Its eyes flashed red as it talked.

“Please state your query,” it said. 

“From the twentieth century archives, play episode one of season one of Bay Watch,” Al stated loud and firm.

“Processing,” the dragon voice answered.  “Item found.  Designate display size.”

Al pondered a moment.  “Twenty four inches horizontal.  Match the rest of the display accordingly.

“Acknowledged.  Say 'start' to begin playback.”

“Start.”

Above the ruby, the eyes projected a hologram that was only visible from two sides.  People moved to see a montage of scantily clad men and women, their names prominently displayed, running up and down a beach at sunset or sunrise, striking poses.  All of this to a catchy soundtrack which played from the device as clearly as the dragon voice that acted as an audio interface. 

“Pause playback,” Al said once the show's opening theme had ended.  He looked at the guards.  “You get the idea.  I don't trust anyone with this.  It's very precious to me, given by one of my closest friends.  I will not part with this.”

Al manipulated the controls around the eyes, and the hologram vanished.  He shut the device down with a few more presses before wrapping it in its white cloth and inserting it back into the pouch.  Holding it up, he raised a questioning eyebrow.

The guard took on a lazy look.  “We're not responsible if anything gets lost or stolen.”

Al smirked good-naturedly while putting it back in his vest pocket.  He then retrieved the rest of the odds and ends he had emptied into the bin, leaving the laser.

Casey stared at his newly minted pass.  It was a simple piece of paper with his photo on it, his name printed just below that, and some script letting anyone reading it know that this pass was temporary, and at which gate it was issued.  The main road they had traveled in on was an east-west road, and they were at the west gate.

“As you can see, these passes are temporary,” Nguyen said.  “If you want your guns back, and whatever belongings you decide to leave in our care,” he gave a pointed look at Al, “you will have to come to this gate to retrieve them.  You will not be allowed to leave by any other gate when you leave town.  But, as long as you are here, you can go anywhere in the city limits.  Is that clear?”

Casey, Al, and the others chorused their understanding. 

William's Junction

Gatchina

Free Worlds League

26 June 3059

The  town was big enough.  The main road seemed to be where a lot of services and other businesses resided.  Behind them, amid decorative trees, residential houses stretched out for half a kilometer among neat, straight streets.  At one point, they crossed rail tracks leading to the silos which sat behind small store-houses, refueling stations for vehicles of all types, and the major store.  

“Well, folks,” Al said, “we have our pick of local restaurants.  I saw a couple back the way we came.”  

“They are probably only outfitted to handle local scrip,” Miko said from the back.  “The market looks like a chain store, so we will probably have better luck being able to make purchases there.”

“She's right,” Casey agreed.  “Let's go to the store.”

Al gave a wry smirk.  “Convenience store cuisine.  Great.”

The convenience store had a name.  The Farmer's Market.  It was definitely big enough to service those who lived in town and anyone who came calling from the countryside.  But, it wasn't huge.  A quick query with the checkout clerk confirmed the store did accept C-Bills.  As Casey browsed around, he spotted pretty much anything a person might need.  It was just big enough to even have an active, open hot food deli. 

Casey felt his stomach growl quietly as the smells of breaded fried meats mingled with hot sandwiches and some soups.  Unable to decide right away, he deliberated a few minutes until finally settling on some fried chicken strips with some packets of barbecue sauce.  Then, he joined Al over at the drink coolers.  

“Whatcha thinkin'?” Casey asked.  

Al had a penchant for seeking out any local flavors to see if they were any good.  He already had a staple in the form of peach tea.  He reached in and grabbed a couple others.

“The only thing I'm seeing is the Gatchinroot tea and the Hinaberry,” Al said.  “It'll be interesting to see if the Gatchinroot is anything like root beer or something else.”

“Oh,” a woman said with open concern from the next door down.  “Gatchinroot is an acquired taste.  I wouldn't recommend it,” she added, her mild local accent barely understandable.

Al blinked.  “Really.  Is it anything like tamarind?”

The lady customer's confusion was readable on her Asian features.

“It's a root found on Earth,” Al said, then hastily corrected, “I mean Terra.  South America.  It's bitter, but can taste pretty good when mixed with enough sugar.”  He put the Gotchinroot tea back and scooted down to the pops.  He picked out a Gotchinroot soda.

“Is the Hinaberry any good?” Casey asked the helpful customer. 

Her friendly smile emphasized her middle age, exposing mild crows feet at the corners of her eyes.  “You should be okay with that one.”

Casey nodded his thanks.  Reaching into the tea cooler, he picked out a bottle.  Like Al, he grabbed something recognizable, just in case. 

“You wouldn't know about Virginia Farms, by chance,” Al asked out of the blue. “We've been looking for the place, but nobody seems to know where it might be.” 

The customer's silky black eyebrows shot up for a moment.  “I can't say I heard of it,” she said, distracted while she visibly thought.  Shaking her head, she quickly took on a coy smile.  “Why would you want to find a farm of virgins?”

A shot in the dark, and it missed.  “Well, the only virgin we'd be looking for would be Mary,” Casey quipped.  “You wouldn't happen to be a virgin, by chance?”

He meant it as a joke, and thankfully, the lady took it as much.  Covering her mouth, she chortled, gracefully walking away.  The only answer he had expected.

Casey and Al met the others at the vehicle.  Nobody had gotten back into the DeLorean, yet, but Perry was already munching lightly on her purchase.  Al hitched a thumb over his shoulder, indicating a nearby bench.  

“We could eat here.  Or, I spotted a small public park just a couple blocks from here.”

The others took their time pondering.  Before Casey could reply, he felt a light tap on his shoulder.  Turning he saw the lady customer that had talked with them in the store.

“Your comment about Mary got me thinking,” she said to Casey.  “There is a,” she paused, looking for a word, “how do you say?  A nunnery?”

“A convent,” Al offered.

Casey glanced around to see everyone focused on the conversation.

“A convent,” she said with certainty.  “It's not very far from here.”  To Casey she handed a small slip of paper.  Her tone turned coy.  “But, if virgins aren't your thing, there are other fruits to be had.”

For once, Casey took notice of the woman, giving her a once over.  She was wrapped in something that looked locally traditional.  It emphasized her feminine form, which was pleasantly shapely.  If it weren't for their limited pass in town, he might have checked out the offer.  He just didn't have time to really come calling.  He checked the missive, finding what looked like a local phone number.

“I'm sorry,” Casey said, handing the paper back to her.  “Once we leave this town, we won't be coming back.”

She looked mildly disappointed, but briefly perked back up when she eyed Al.  “And your friend?”

“Same boat, ma'am,” Al answered.  “Besides, I don't do casual coitus.” 

Her eyebrows shot up, and a mischievous look adorned her Asian features.  “Oh!  You're saving yourself.  Perhaps for one of these two lovely maidens?”

Casey felt growing tension from both Miko and Perry.  Perry openly paid close attention to Al.  Miko, on the other hand, was looking a little too intently at the datapad, her fingers not moving.  

“No,” Al said almost reflexively.  He made a minor conciliatory waggle of his head.  “Maybe if God wills it, then sure.  But, as it stands, not really.”

Miko seemed to come alive again, glancing at Al briefly before returning her attention to the datapad.  She was searching for the convent, Casey guessed.  Perry, on the other hand, seemed to turn unreadable.  Endri also took notice of her change in demeanor, looking at her pointedly.  For a moment, the thought that Perry might have had a crush on Al flitted through Casey's mind.  Al's comment certainly shocked her, probably nipping any romantic intentions in the bud.  Casey was partly impressed with what Al did.  On the other hand, he didn't know what to make of knowing the Clanner's feelings.  He decided to ignore his fresh insight.

“Interesting,” the lady customer said.  Casey turned just in time to see intent curiosity written all over her features.  That quickly disappeared with the return of her coy smirk.  “Well.  I hope I was help to you in your search.  Good day to you all.”

With that, she turned and walked back toward the store.  

Casey watched her a few seconds longer before turning back to the group.  

“You won't believe where the convent is,” Miko said, holding up the datapad.

  

Mary – Cause of Our Joy Abbey

Gatchina

Free Worlds League

26 June 3059

Casey stared through the windshield out at the very first unmanned gate they had turned into merely an hour before.  The sun was well on its way to the horizon, casting longer shadows than before.  He looked over at Al, who put the DeLorean into park.

“How far is the convent from here?” Al asked, looking over his shoulder at Miko. 

“Over a kilometer,” she replied.

Past the gate, the gravel road went downhill, then up over another.  Fields occupied the hilltops while trees filled in hollows as close as the next hill over.  Far beyond, Casey thought he could see a portion of a building. 

“Well, we have a couple options,” Al offered.  “We hoof it, or we pick the lock and drive in unannounced.”

“As a religious organization, I'm surprised their gate's even closed,” Casey mused.

“It appears they had to close down a few years ago,” Miko said.

“Let me guess, about the same time as the Technology Transfer facility went up?” Casey asked, ironically.

“It appears so,” Miko mocked surprise.

“It'll be dark soon,” Endri commented.  “It will be dangerous walking that far.”

“Agreed,” Miko said.

“Any of you good at lock-picking?” Al asked.

Both shook their heads.

“Okay,” Al conceded.  “Be right back.”

Popping the gull-wing door, Al climbed out of his car and went up to the gate bar toward the end with the padlock.  Casey watched him look around, gaze lingering on the gatehouse.  When Al bent down to mess with the pad-lock, he obscured Casey's view of his activity.  That left Casey studying the gatehouse, wondering what caught Al's attention for long seconds.

It was then he noticed the camera.  It was angled well enough to see both the hovercar and the gate.  Casey studied the camera, which showed no signs of power.  He then tried to catch a look inside the clear, expansive windows.  Nothing showed signs of power from Casey's vantage.  

Still, he felt a touch of anxiety.  If, by chance, the camera was recording, it wouldn't take much to identify who broke past the gate and onto private property.  That could have legal ramifications.  But, this was the place.  It had to be.  The timing of the convent's closing and the establishment of the LAM research facility was too convenient to be mere coincidence.  There was something there.  He could feel it.

“What was the convent's name?” he asked.

“Mary, Cause of Our Joy, Abbey,” Miko answered.

“Mary had a little lamb,” Casey mused aloud.  “Virginia Farms.”  

Al opened the gate, latching it on its open post before trotting back to the DeLorean.  Once in, he put it into gear, coasted it through, before parking just past the gate bar.  Then he hopped back out and closed the gate behind them.

A prudent move, Casey reflected.  People were probably used to seeing it closed.  A mere passer's-by would easily notice and sound the alarm.  Something they didn't want.  

As Al walked back, Casey watched him cast yet another lingering glance at the gatehouse and the camera before plopping down in the driver's seat.  With a confident smirk, Al buckled in and started the car flying down the road. 

The convent could almost have passed for any other farmstead.   The only real difference was the main housing complex, which matched every small two-story hotel Casey had ever seen or stayed in.  There were a couple large barns, some fallow garden plots, and many other sheds scattered over a couple acres.  

It had a creepy feeling to it by the lack of human occupation.  The windows were dark, showing empty rooms where Casey had a good vantage.  The rest of the place looked unkempt, the lawn overgrown with weeds, husks brown from winter dormancy.  A Gatchina deer equivalent sprang up and raced toward the trees when the DeLorean came to a rest in the circle drive.

Once everyone poured out, Miko gave the standing orders.  “Let’s spread out and see what we can find.  It’s best we go in pairs.  Al, I trust you can take care of yourself.”

Nodding, Al said, “Sure.  I’ll go check the far barn first.  Meet back here?”

“Yes.”

“If it doesn’t bother anyone, I’d like to pair up with Perry,” Endri said.

“Fair enough,” Miko said.  She glanced at Casey.  “That means you’re with me.”

Casey and Miko took the dorm building while Endri and Perry took the different sheds.  It was still unnerving to find the door unlocked.  Even more when every single room was completely empty.  Even the communal kitchen didn’t have a single dish left in the cupboards.  The windows weren’t broken, not yet.  But if nobody came in here to check on things, that could change with time.

The local sun crept ever closer to the horizon, casting longer shadows, and changing the hue on everything by the time Casey met Miko outside.

“It was completely empty,” he said.  “Did you find anything?”

Miko shook her head.  “Nothing.  Not even signs for a secret level.  Whatever they did here, it’s not in here.”  She looked around.  “I’m gonna check on Al.  Care to keep an eye on our Clanners?”

Casey saw the two already waiting at Al’s car.  He honestly didn’t want to be around them.  He still held too much of a grudge for what happened during the invasion.  Then, his paranoia kicked in.  Best to keep enemies closer than friends, as the saying went. 

“Sure.”

Miko trotted off to the barns, while Casey waltzed to the parked hovercar.  He could feel the awkward silence long before he arrived.  They stood at opposite corners on one side.  Perry was lost in thought, while Endri looked at her with open worry.  

So, even Clanners have feelings, Casey mused.  For all their talk of being more than human, they were still ultimately full of emotion as any normal person.  He decided to put that thought aside and keep things platonic.

“Did you find anything?” he asked.

“No,” Endri responded.  “The sheds are all empty. No signs of hidden basements or anything of that sort.”

Perry seemed to come alive.  “But there are signs of recent activity.”  She pointed to heavy tire tracks that led from the drive to one of the barns, leaving a wake of flattened weeds and grass.

“I hadn’t noticed this before,” Casey muttered.

“Neither did I, until now,” Perry stated.

“Should we check it out?” Casey asked.

Perry’s vision went distant again.  “I saw Al go in already.”

“Well, I’m not leaving either of you alone,” Casey said, adamant.  “Either we all go, or we all stay.”

Perry didn’t answer, looking to the ground, deep in thought again.

With a sigh, Casey went up to the other side of the DeLorean to lean against the hood.  After a minute, Endri sauntered over to lean beside him.  Casey glanced at the shorter merc, who looked back, obviously wanting to say something.

Casey quirked a brow, crossing his arms.  “What?”

Endri hesitated, casting a wary look at Perry.  Quietly, he asked, “How long has Perry been with your group?”

Casey wanted to laugh.  Apparently, Endri was more than concerned for Perry.  He seemed interested in her.  How much and why was still unknown to Casey, and he honestly didn’t care.  Even though he stifled the urge to laugh, it left him in a good enough mood to answer openly.  A small devil on his shoulder even suggested that Endri might try to take her with him. 

“Not long.  She and Down were discovered by the Legion about the same time Al and I were inducted into Damien’s group.”

“The Legion?” 

“Yeah,” Casey said.  “They’re a group of nomads back on Astrokazsy.  Dispossessed.  They have a working relationship with Damien, providing us a home and security while promising to let them pilot any salvage we bring back.”  Casey held off on telling him about the company’s salvage clauses, allowing individual warriors to keep what they killed once it was confirmed.  Word of that getting out was risky.  It could draw all kinds of unsavory characters.  “It hasn’t been a full year yet,” Casey added.  “She’s still in probation with the Legion, not allowed to test for an empty slot until that year is up.”

“Interesting,” Endri muttered, thinking.  

He was about to say more, but Al appeared at the entrance to the barn at the end of the tracks.  Casey stood up and started walking over, worry knotting his gut when he saw Miko in his arms.  Endri also noticed, standing erect.  They were soon joined by Perry, a grim look on her face.

Al hustled over to them.  “Casey, we have a problem,” he said, once close enough.

“What did you do?” Perry demanded.

“Nothing,” Al replied, casually, sounding oblivious to her hidden accusation.  “And, if I had, what would you do about it?”

Casey could tell that Al didn’t mean anything by that statement, the way he tossed it out.  However, the fight with Down came rushing back to him, along with what he saw on the security footage from their trial run.  His hackles rose.  

“If you have -,” Endri growled.

Perry put up a restraining arm.  She looked at him blankly, and told him flatly, “You would try, and you would fail.”

Casey couldn’t appreciate the reaction warring across Endri’s face, because he felt the same.  He had known Al for a couple years, now.   Confident enough in Al’s character, Casey was sure his friend wouldn’t harm someone if he could help it, especially colleagues.  

Still, Al’s physical enhancement had only come out a few months ago.  And, today, Al had revealed a very expensive piece of tech, but only by necessity.  If nobody had asked, Casey wondered if Al would have brought it up.  But, then, Casey had his own secrets yet to reveal.

Looking at Miko’s unconscious form cradled in Al’s arms, Casey felt a twinge of guilt at what he saw.  Here was an honesty that spoke loudly of Al’s trust in the people around him.  He looked at Endri and said, “Logically, Endri, do you think he would have brought Miko out like this if he had something to hide?”

“He could have left her to be found and feign surprise,” Endri admitted.  

Saying it seemed to set the Clanner at ease.

Taking a breath to calm himself, Casey asked, “What happened?”

With an excited smirk, Al said, “I found something.”  He continued to move to the passenger side of the car.  “Help?”

Casey quickly caught up and triggered the door release.  Al gently set Miko down in the passenger’s seat.  All the while, he spoke.

“You see the tracks leading to the barn?”

“Yeah,” Casey answered.  “Just noticed them before you came out.”

“Well, I followed them.  Noticed an electric junction with wires leading into the floor along the wall.  I followed them.  Found a door leading down some stairs into a really big basement.  Looked like it might be big enough for a ’Mech.  I was busy trying to find a light switch when Miko came in and fell over the side of the gantry I was on.  Thankfully, I managed to catch her, or she wouldn’t be breathing, right now.  I’m sure she will corroborate when she’s awake.”

“She may be breathing, but she should be taken back for proper care,” Perry said.  

“That won’t be necessary,” Miko said, sounding weak and groggy.  

All eyes turned toward her.  Droopily at first, her eyes opened, fluttered, then opened wide.  She quickly took in her surroundings before sitting up.

“Do you remember what happened?”  Casey asked.

She looked at him, then glanced at each other person in turn, ending on Al.  “I do.”

“What happened?” Casey prompted.

Miko was silent for a minute, cheeks brightening into a pink Casey didn’t think he would ever see on her.  “I’d rather not say.  It’s kind of embarrassing.”

“Did you fall?” Endri asked.

“Did Al catch you?”  Perry added.

Miko nodded.  “I did fall.  I can’t say whether Al caught me or not.  All I know is that it was completely dark and I hit something after going over the railing.”

Casey looked at Al, satisfied.  He noticed Al’s attention on the road leading away from the convent.  There was too much foliage in the way to see anything.  About the time Al said something, Casey heard motors.

“Guys.  We have company,” Al warned.

Miko stood up as a trio of armored jeeps rolled into view.  They were in the colors of the Park family.  The heraldry emblazoned the sides and tops of the vehicles when they rolled up and fanned out to either side of the DeLorean.  The last one simply stopped in the middle of the drive.  The mercs were effectively penned in.

Soldiers quickly hopped out, their uniforms matching the security guards at the gatehouses.  They all had firearms at the ready.  Casey hadn't drawn his laser pistol, yet, but his hand was on the butt, ready to draw at a moment's notice.  A quick glance around showed the others in similar poses.

Finally, out of the back of the middle jeep stepped a woman that Casey immediately recognized.  She wasn't dressed in the conservative wrap from the grocery store in town.  Her garb was much more functional, though revealing enough.  She wore tight padded pants and a shirt under a short, unzipped jacket covered in pockets.  Her hair was bound tightly in a ponytail, giving her a fiercer countenance. 

“Baroness Emilia Park, I presume?” Casey asked.

“You will only speak when spoken to,” a guard commanded.

She smiled, waving the guard to be silent.  “They are not my subjects.  They are free to speak their mind.  Within reason.”  Turning her attention to Al, she asked, “How was the Gatchinroot Soda?”

“It had enough sugar to counteract the odd flavor,” Al replied cordially.  “I thought I detected a hint of bitter aftertaste.”

Lady Park looked around at the abbey.  “I'm glad to see my hint helped you.  When the Abbess came to me complaining about being ousted from their home, it left a bad taste in my mouth.  I always wondered why Technology Transfer would want to do that.  I had granted them access to the land expecting they simply needed a buffer to keep prying eyes away from their building.”

She studied each mercenary in turn.  “I had always wondered what, if anything, might be here.  I've received reports of their coming and going.  Especially in the last few days.  I finally found my opportunity when you came along, asking about 'Virginia Farms'.  You found something.  Show me.  Show me what Technology Transfer is hiding on my land.”

Casey was anxious.  They were in a standoff of sorts, and the Baroness knew a lot more than the mercs had suspected.  Heck, she had gone out of her way to interact with them in town.  Could they get away with feigning ignorance? 

“In that barn, there,” Al said, causing Casey's heart to skip a beat.  “You can see the tire tracks in the weeds.  Pretty fresh.”

Lady Park's eyebrows rose up in surprise.  “You aren't even going to try to pretend ignorance?”

“You already know,” Al stated.  “Our trespassing is just your excuse to barge in.  Let's just get past the meaningless stuff, and skip to the consequences.”

Turning to her troops, Lady Park said, “Five of you with me.  The rest of you stay alert.  Do not mess with anything.  Nothing comes up missing from the DeLorean.”

The soldiers chorused their acknowledgments.  A sergeant, the one that had tried to command the mercs to silence, picked out four other troops.  Once the team was gathered, Lady Park turned to Casey and Al, gesturing for them to lead the way.  

“All of you come along,” she said.  “I'm sure you want to see for yourself.”

Al led the way.  In the barn, a slat-wooden floor filled the interior, save for the open trap-door to one side.  As a barn, it had two entrances.  At the trap-door, Al led them down a concrete stairway.  At the bottom, was an open metal door, leading into a large, black room.

“Hang on,” Al said, stepping into the darkness.  “Oh.  Here they are.”

Casey heard switches flicked.  Inside, lights winked on, revealing a very deep concrete box.  Once he stepped onto the gantry that ran the edge of the basement, he came face-to-face with a Wasp BattleMech.  The basement was four stories deep, with a dual cradle set-up at the center.  Just behind the Wasp was a Stinger, facing the other direction.  

As soon as Endri stepped in, he looked at the gantry, and the ground below.  He leaned over to Miko.  “You fell from this?” he hissed.

“It was dark,” Miko said, cheeks burning red again.

“Al caught her,” Casey said.

Casey noticed Lady Park looking in their direction.  She said nothing as Al led them down a spiraling rectangular cage of stairs.  At the bottom, Casey looked over to see a ramp leading up behind the barn floor to a pair of heavy-duty doors.  He guessed that to be the entrance and exit for the 'Mechs.  

“Look,” Al said.  He pointed to a pair of collapsible tables laden with hard drive cases, data wafers, and actual paper documents.  “Looks like the stuff they didn't want to lose from their primary facility.”  

“The only thing that can pass for monitors are the diagnostic stations,” Endri said.  “I doubt we can simply plug a drive in to view its contents.”

“What were you intending to do with what you found?” Lady Park asked, still surveying the whole complex.

Al shot a look at Miko.  

She shrugged.  “The idea was to make copies of all the hidden data for personal use, later, leaving them unaware of the duplication,” she said.

“I wonder why they left no guard,” Perry mused.

“They were probably counting on the stealth of the hiding place to defend their work,” Lady Park suggested.  She turned serious, looking at Miko.  “Take it.  Take it all.  It's all yours, now.”

“This may be your land, but the equipment belongs to TechTran,” Al said.  

“It is my land.”  She speared Al with a glare.  Turning imperious, she said,  “And I am revoking their access to the Abbey parcel.  They are now trespassing.  Anything of theirs is subject to confiscation.”

“And, why don't you?” Casey asked.  “These look like two functional BattleMechs.  And you have information on how to run them if they prove to be anything other than stock.”

“I don't have anyone qualified to make full use of their abilities,” she replied frankly.  “I have MechJocks, and some AeroJocks.  Neither have cross-trained as the other.”

“If I'm not mistaken, I think the Falcons are working on using tandem cockpits to allow both pilot types to run a LAM in the appropriate mode,” Al mused.

Casey noted the sudden looks of interest from Endri and Perry.

“I was practically coerced into giving Technology Transfer this land,” the Baroness said.  “If these 'Mechs disappear, I will be under sharp scrutiny.  Imagine the heat I would receive when these appeared in my service?”

“But, why?” Casey pressed.  “What did TechTran do to you that you would be willing to hand off their gear without even asking for an offer?”

Lady Park wandered slowly around while she talked.  “When the offer was presented to me to allow them on my land, I had some expectations that turned out to be misconceived.  I was expecting that they would hire some of my people and bring money into my locale.  They did no such thing.  Not to the extent I was hoping.  They brought in their own construction crews, which did buy food out of my store.  But that was it.  Once the construction was done, one person came into town only once a week and bought enough food for what amounted to a small family.  

“And, they ousted the nuns from their convent.  This Abbey has history on this world.  One of the first religious establishments during the colonial expansion on Gatchina.”

She paused, casting her glance to the ground.  “All of this happened because someone wanted to keep this a secret.  My people and I were used.  I don't appreciate that.  I want them gone, so I can reclaim my land for my use.  As it stands, I can't go back on the deal that was made and force them to leave.  The person behind the deal is my own liege.  They need to want to leave.  Technology Transfer should come back to find their research is no longer viable, their secret compromised.”  

Looking back up, Lady Park sauntered toward Al.  “Would you feel comfortable if I made an offer?”  She cast a seductive look at Al.  Reaching up, she barely touched one of his vest pockets.  Casey recalled that one was where Al kept his holo-archive.  “I could think of one thing -” 

“Not happening,” Al snipped, interrupting. 

Lady Park stopped, looking at Al shrewdly. 

“It's too important to my travels.  It would take an act of God to remove that from my person,” Al added, flat. 

Snatching her hand away, she said, “I have no doubt.”  Casually, she stepped away.  Park speared him with another shrewd look, giving Al a full once-over.  Casey thought he detected a hint of disgust in her next statement.  “You're enhanced, aren't you?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Casey saw Endri's head whip around to look at Al.

Al smirked lopsidedly.  “The camera works.”

“It does,” Lady Park said.  “We had a chance to study the video feed before coming to confront you.  A very interesting solution to dealing with the lock.”

“You simply broke it?” Endri asked. 

He cast a brief look at Perry.  Casey realized that Endri was just now processing the ramifications.  Perry had been the one to tell the Clansman he had no chance at dueling Al in a physical confrontation.  Casey found it fascinating to see someone else react to that fact for the first time.

“I don't care about the 'Mechs,” the Baroness said.  “And, once they're gone, I will be under sharp scrutiny, so any money that goes into my coffers from some outside source will be suspect.  Which is why I'm willing to part with them so readily.”  

She suddenly brightened.  “Actually, there is one thing I would take as payment for all this.”  She looked at Al again with mischief on her face.  “Tell me who you're saving yourself for.”

“What?” Al asked surprised.  “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” she said.

“Nobody,” Al answered, perplexed.  Then he worked his brows and rolled his eyes, a sign of concession.  “Well, maybe Jesus, since the body of Christ is considered his bride when he returns for them.  But, that's more an outlier.”

“You save yourself for no one?” The Baroness sounded dubious.

“Missus Right hasn't come along,” Al said.  “Don't get me wrong.  I've met plenty of beautiful women who I would have considered settling down with.  But, I'm forced to be constantly on the move.  I'm not allowed to stay in one place for long.  None of them were able to come with me.  And I can't go back to them.”

Casey was surprised by Al's candor.  Looking around, Casey saw all eyes were on Al.  Perry, in particular, seemed to be coming out of the malaise that had walled her off emotionally.  

“And what has you on the run?” the Baroness asked, looking and sounding far more interested.

Al smirked.  “You want the truth?  I'm not from your reality.  I'm a universe-hopper.  I'm in any given reality for an unknown amount of time, then I have to move on.”

It looked like Al was joking.  Casey wasn't feeling it, smirking humorlessly.  However, Lady Park seemed amused. 

“You answer in jest?” she asked in mock accusation.

Al's smirk deepened into a genuine close-lipped smile.  He certainly found it funny.  

“You won't elaborate?” the Baroness pressed.

Al's mirth waned quickly as he momentarily cast his gaze ground-ward.  “You have my answer,” he said.

Casey was surprised by Lady Park's sudden change in demeanor.  She slowly turned her head to an odd angle, looking like she was reflecting.  But, he saw her eyes take in the rest of the mercenaries, including Casey.  After a few seconds, she straightened, smiling shrewdly.  “You are a bold one.”

“Not normally,” Al replied, candid.  “I figured you were a special case.”

This moment had Casey confused.  There was context in their exchange that he wasn't getting.  It was  like listening to a couple courtiers trying to verbally joust with one another.  This was one thing about the royal life Casey absolutely hated.  For a moment, he wished he had a recording of the dialogue so he could go back and pick through each phrase.

Was Al's joke really a joke at all?  That thought brought back some of the odd things he heard Al say.  Casey had a hard time believing what he was starting to think.  But the evidence thus far weighed heavily that Al had spoken the truth right in front of everyone.  

The Baroness was used to court intrigue and verbal sleight-of-hand, and she had caught on.  How long before the others put the clues together?  But what did it matter in the long run?  So, he's a multidimensional traveler.  It just meant Al was a little more different than everyone else.  

Casey decided that there would be no point in confronting Al about it later.  Given time, like with Perry and Down, Casey expected that Al would eventually bring it up on his own.  Or, like today, he might end up in a position where he had to explain it.  

The man had his secrets.  Casey had his own secrets.  Endri had his own secrets.  Perry had hers.  A lot of them were probably moments of embarrassment.  Casey wasn't particularly proud of why he was in the periphery.  But, that didn't make Al any less of a friend.

Lady Park smiled, her gaze distant.  “Serves me right for being snoopy.”  She returned to her regular level of attention.  “It may not have been the answer I was expecting, or wanting.  But, you did answer my question.  So, I'm satisfied with the deal.  You're free to come and go.”

“Actually,” Miko said, “It might be a good idea if you escorted us out and back to the TechTran facility proper.  If you're worried about surveillance, we can't forget the sat net.  If we're to keep up the subterfuge, make it look like you caught us trespassing and escort us off the property.  Then, you can make your case for giving these 'Mechs away to our boss.”

Baroness Park studied Miko with a sly smile.

Technology Transfer Research Facility

Gatchina

Free Worlds League

26 June 3059

Endri turned to address the rest of the mercenaries once he had gotten out of the DeLorean.  Al had landed it near the front door of the TechTran building.  The sun was now setting, the sky darkening, and this was one of the few places where an overhead lamp lit the area.

“I am impressed by your team's resourcefulness.  I hope we will be able to fight together again.”  His gaze lingered meaningfully on Perry.  “What was your role in the Refusal War, Perry?”

“I still prefer not to say,” Perry replied.

Casey was going to head inside, not really concerned with Clan affairs.  Then he recalled his personal little prediction on an offer.  Halting, Casey listened to the conversation.

“I think he wants to know if you were a Crusader or Warden,” Al said.

Endri shot a curious look at Al.  “Indeed.”  He looked again at Perry.  “You are correct about my team.  We are ex-Clan.  We were on the Crusader side of the Wolf split.  But, once we saw what the Falcons turned the Wolf Clan into, we knew the Wolf was dead.  We stole some experimental equipment, hijacked a DropShip, then a JumpShip, and made our way into the Inner Sphere.”

Perry blinked at the information.

Endri continued.  “Knowing that you were also ex-Wolf, there is room for you with us, if you wish to come along.”

Casey nodded, proud of his predictive talents.  He turned to head back inside, but he paused when he heard Perry's reply. 

“I decline your offer,” she said, sounding kind.  “I already have friends and family to return to.  Besides, I cannot bring myself to leave Down on her own.”

Casey had to look back to see what was going on.  This meant she was going to be sticking around.  He caught the look of wistful hope on her face when she glanced up at Al.  Casey realized what Perry had taken out of the exchange between Al and the Baroness.

“Perry,” Casey asked, “how old are you?”

Perry scoffed at Casey, “A gentleman should never ask a lady such things.”

“Where did you learn that one?” Casey muttered.

“When did you graduate from your sibko?” Al asked.

“3056,” Perry answered automatically.  “I was considered a Ristar in my group.”

“Endri,” Al asked, “how old are warriors when they graduate from their sibko?”

Endri had a smirk on his face.  “Usually twenty.  But, I've heard tales of some Ristars testing as early as fifteen.”

Perry's eyes widened.  Then, she started to fume.  She scoffed again.  “I will have you know that I am considered of-age in most Inner Sphere societies.”

“So, you're eighteen?” Al asked.

Perry marched into the building in a huff.