Sounds of clanking glasses competed with the rising murmurs, conversations and laughter in the Bar. Sasha Smokkelaar was enjoying her third ale, contemplating how she was going to spend the small fortune that awaited her on Manhattan. She had been running straight for twenty hours, when her contacts on Malta sent word of a Cryer patrol entering the Tau-29 System from Baffin, effectively blocking her route. The cardimine in her cargo holds would put them at instant odds, as Cryer Pharmaceuticals preferred to be the only supplier of controlled substances in Sirius and the Outcasts had taken their share of the market long ago with the Orange Dream. Rather than risk an encounter, Sasha decided to play it smart and nosed her transport into the nearest dock. A sultry wink and a 10K Credit Card to the Dock Master purchased her six hours of sanctuary on Freeport 6, but the drinks were extra. Sasha was not troubled by the expense; she finished her ale and produced a well-worn brochure. Opening it slowly, as if unwrapping a present on Christmas morning, a small smile teased at her full lips as she brushed back her raven mane. She read for the hundredth time
"Ryuujin" Class Kusari Train
With her graceful lines and imposing defenses, the Ryuujin serves as much as a potent hauler of the State's production wonders as a diplomatic envoy of the nation's ideals. With the rich tapestry of ritual and tradition that guides Kusarian business practices, many stretching back to the centuries before space was a romantic dream, many merchants of the nation have found the accommodations of foreign ports of call to be undignified for the task of establishing trust and mutual friendship while working to gain the greatest deals. To the delight of many, these super haulers have been outfitted with suites designed to accommodate such needs, with compartmentalized, but stately, gardens and teahouses incorporated for the pleasure of collaborating men of business and industry.
Price: 170,614,750.cR - Base
As Sasha studied the specifications, she sighed and pushed the paper forward a bit, still keeping it within reach.
Soon she concluded, lighting a hand rolled smoke.
Why not now? a voice queried from over her left shoulder.
Excuse me? Sasha turned to see a rather handsome man, his rugged looks and dark features offset by a surprisingly disarming smile. The two ales in his hands didnt hurt either.
Whats her name? he inquired moving around to the other side of the small table.
She doesnt have a name she doesnt existjust a dream, she replied dryly.
Without fanfare, he placed one of the ales before her and sat down, the smile never leaving his face.
My name is Vigil and I hate to drink alone.
After a few moments, Sasha noticed that Virgil had not touched his ale. She commented on that fact and was quickly informed that the second was actually for her, as he never touches the stuff. Liquor, it seems is the only thing that he'll drink with any regularity. This brought a smile to her face. He was a handsome man with a winning smile and something felt familiar about him. She didn't know why, but she felt comfortable sharing her dream of the "Mourning.Dove" and her aspirations to become one of the "BIG" players in the shipping and logistics game. While she babbled on, Virgil nodded and smiled, taking in all of her words. After finishing the second Ale, Sasha was starting to feel it's effect upon her. Virgil, allowed her to take his arm and lead her to the dock where he planned to give her a guided tour of his Kusari Train. It was marvelous, and Sasha would have enjoyed the tour, but she had passed out cold by the time they stepped aboard. She would remember nothing, save Virgil's disarming smile.
Virgil gently handed her over to his first mate.
"See that she's comfortable in her new abode... Something tells me this one will do us proud", He chuckled heading toward the bridge as his first made carried her back onto the deck to an awaiting transport moored beside her own Borderworld Transport. Her reaction was sure to be of great interest to the man in Newark who had given the order for Sasha to be... secured. She slept on oblivious as her security code and moor pass were liberated from her left breast pocket and she was covered with a soft throw. The first mate then dimmed the lights, closing the door behind him, shaking his head... it was too easy.
The man at Newark got a coded message...
"The package is en route"
The sound of water trickling over rocks coursed through Sasha Smokkelarr's mind. Water, pure and clean, washing away her worries. Could there be anything more soothing, she wondered as she slowly opened her eyes to find that she had absolutely no idea where she was. Her mind suddenly lurched forward at breakneck speed as her instincts kicked into high gear. Taking a quick mental inventory, Sasha took in the her immediate surroundings; the back of her head was slightly numb, no doubt from one too many ales at the bar. The Bar! She was at the bar. She sat up, allowing the black satin sheets to fall to her waist exposing her frame to the slightly chilled air of the chamber.
'I'm naked?' she questioned looking about the chamber. It was evident that she had slept alone, as the other side of the bed was untouched, and so was she, save her clothes which were no where to be seen but how did she get here? Sasha remembered a few ales at the Freeport Bar. She recalled a handsome man, but where was she now?
The chamber was magnificent. Decorated in the Kusari fashion, simple yet elegant. Black walnut furniture, silkscreen prints on the walls, and... a delightful, arrangement of flowers on the table beside the bed. A door on other side of the chamber opened and a young man with dark hair and dark eyes stepped in with a Kusari female in tow.
"Good Morning, Miss", he said softly.
"I don't mean to be rude," Sasha began, "but where am I, who are you, why am I naked and did YOU get me this way?” she questioned, pulling the sheets to cover her breasts, as her face began to color a bit.
The young man with dark features answered her politely... that she'd had too much to drink, it was thought she would be more comfortable here, that all of her questions and concerns would be addressed in time, that her comfort was paramount, hence the removal of her clothes, that the lithe Kusari girl behind him had seen to her undressing and would see to her dressing this morning and finally that she had an appointment in approximately an hour and a half in the main conference hall. With this, the young man introduced himself as Thomas Kai. He introduced the girl, Kiku who simply nodded but remained quiet, save the single word "Hai" in response to Thomas' instructions to her. With a slight bow, Thomas departed leaving the two women.
"Kiku, what is that sound of water?"
"It is the pond just outside, in the garden, Miss"
"Am I in trouble, Kiku?"
"With respect, if I awoke in such beautiful surroundings, I would have many questions... Thomas has made all the arrangements, Miss. Kiku is sure you will feel more at ease... perhaps after you have had a chance to freshen up..." her voice trailed as she held up a short, black silk robe for Sasha, who rose from the bed, letting the satin fall from the curves of her body, the silk of the robe embracing her flesh like a dark lover. Kiku smiled seeing the pleasure upon Sasha's face as she led her to the bathing chamber.
Sasha always loved Kusari and her culture. Such grace and simplicity. Perhaps that is why she dreamed of her "Mourning.Dove" She had burned the exterior of vessel in her mind, but save the obvious compliments, each was custom built, owing to the taste of her owner. A reflection of her passion, Sasha was a free spirit... and the thought of a conventional life made her shudder. She did not want that. That was a slow death for a sad person. Sasha contemplated all of this as she bathed in a jasmine scented room, part of her taking to this luxury as if born to it, while another part of her could not wait for the next discovery.
Following breakfast, Kiku bid her good day and excused herself, leaving Sasha in the garden by the waterfall. Thomas arrived and conducted her to the Conference room. Holding the door for her, she nodded and smiled to him.
"Thank you, Thomas"
"You are quite welcome, Miss Castille", he said and closed the door.
"Castille?"
Two figures sat in silhouette at the end of the Conference room and Sasha heard them chuckling.
Sasha collected herself and sat on the long end of the conference table, her hands upon her lap, she felt like a little girl, small and vulnerable.
Good Morning, she said.
The figures across the room remained motionless and a warm familiar voice found her ear. It was Virgil.
Did you sleep well?
I think I had one too many last night, Sasha explained.
The shapes remained perfectly still across the table, the slightly larger figure on the left spoke next, his voice was melodic and his tone suggested amusement. She sensed no immediate threat coming from either of them. Still her mind was working put everything into order. Her headache was nearly gone, but a trace of it lingered at the base of her neck and it distracted her.
One drink with Virgil is usually too many, Miss Castille, the one on the left began, We apologize for the ruse, however time was a factor and yours was running out quickly. That Cryer patrol you had so skillfully evaded, arrived shortly after you did, thanks to a tip off by the Dock Master. It seems ten thousand credits does not buy what it used to these days. He concluded.
Sashas eyes narrowed at this information. There was that name again her inside voice was whispering doubts and caution. Was she in trouble? Somewhere in the depth of her core, she felt a chill licking its way up her spine as if she were sitting upon a block of ice, naked. The one on the left continued, his voice carrying the words in an almost poetic way.
Your transport is moored at Manhattan, the cardimine offloaded and your accounts updated, consolidated and liquidated. He said.
Trouble! This is the way it always begins, her inner voice squeaked, they wine you, dine you then
Sasha cleared her throat and refocused, speaking with a confidence and command that surprised even her. Fear does that and she was becoming very fearful.
I believe there has been a terrible mistake. My name is Sasha Smokkelarr, and yet this is the second time I have been addressed as Castille. My transport was empty upon my arrival at Freeport, having just delivered a load of antibiotics to Malta. The people there need medicines and I admit there is a tidy profit there, which is not a crime. This man, Virgil, has obviously mistaken me for someone else and from the way my head is still tingling, Id say he slipped a little something into my drink because Ive never been hit so hard by three drinks in my life and everyone knows the ale is weak on the Freeports. Further, I wake up in splendid surroundings with two strangers who allude to alleged illegal activities with regard to my hauling practices. Gentlemen, I do not wish to appear rude, however, in as far as I can tell, the only persons present who appear to have violated the Sirius Codex are the two of you.
The two began to chuckle again; their confidence was slowly chipping away at her own. She paused to pour herself a tumbler of water and a holo folder came sliding across the conference table to her. Sasha tapped the upper right corner and the digital folder opened to reveal a personnel jacket, complete with flight logs, bills of lading, photos, registrations, bank account information, and birth certificates. Her whole life in a single file before her. Suddenly, Sashas mouth became very dry and nature began calling in a very loud way. She squeezed her thighs together and looked up. The unidentified man continued with his melodic, amused voice,
Sasha Smokkelarr, Liberty Native, Place of residence: Manhattan; Parents killed on a transport, Life support malfunction; No living relatives. Interned on the Jollie.Fille, where you received an education and secured flight credentials as a top rated navigator. Stellar academic marks. Impressive. No indictments or convictions, unless of course you count the incident three weeks ago, where you were pursued into the Pittsburg debris fields by the Liberty Navy on suspicion of Cardimine smuggling. Evidently, you lead the unsuspecting pilots into a group of awaiting pirates.
Then later that same day you executed a high speed vertical moor at Manhattan, holds swollen with Cardimine, ignoring commands to halt by the authorities offloaded then smugly lifted and commenced to argue most vehemently with the Law Enforcement Officials, citing that their command to Halt was lacking a name and therefore ambiguous resulting in your immediate release from detainment with a stern warning. A quick check of the Neural Net shows neither Sanctions nor alerts concerning one Sasha.Smokkelarr. We have been watching you and while your activities have been under the radar for quite some time, your recent exploits have illuminated you and brought unwanted attention. I gave the order to have you, secured. Your relations across Sirius are impressive and you have cultivated a fine group of individuals who seem to have taken a shine to you in all the major houses, in which you trade. You see We do not run Sirius, but we have an understanding with those who do.
An interesting side note, your very name originates from an old terrain country, Holland and it is Dutch for the word Smuggler. We have done our homework, Miss. We know all about you. Further, your name affiliations, financial holdings and physical property are now scrubbed and liquidated. For all intents and purposes, Sasha Smokkelarr no longer exists. There is only Sasha Castille. An independent trader with a penchant for all things Kusari. Who is currently employed by the [IND]. You own two ships, a Kusari Train Registered out of New Tokyo under the name Mourning Dove and a Border world Transport out of Newark Station. Your offices are there. Now, if you will excuse us, Virgil and I have shipments to run. It seems there are some DSE miners in Penny who need logistical support. Please inspect your Offices at Newark and Tell Thomas Kai what you may require, as he is your Second in command. Kiku is your personal assistant and she will serve you well. The term, Miss Castille, is Shanghaied. My name is John. Welcome to the [IND].
When do I get to see the Dove? Sasha asked, after she had recovered her jaw from the conference table.
My dear We are already aboard her, in the main conference hall, moored at Newark Station, John said bringing the lights up. His face handsome, chiseled features with short sliver mane, he looked just like an old terrain singer circa 1980s. The Doobie Brothers Michael something
Dont say it John laughed.
Virgil gave her a winning smile then followed John from the room without comment. That is when the song began playing in Sashas head.
He came from somewhere back in her long ago
The sentimental fool don't see
Tryin' hard to recreate
What had yet to be created once in her life
She musters a smile
For his nostalgic tale
Never coming near what he wanted to say
Only to realize
It never really was
She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go
But what a fool believes he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems to be
Is always better than nothing
And nothing at all keeps sending him...
Somewhere back in her long ago
Where he can still believe there's a place in her life
Someday, somewhere, she will return
She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go
But what a fool believes he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems to be
Is always better than nothing
There's nothing at all
But what a fool believes he sees...
Thomas Kai appeared, at the door, his face framed by a short dark crop and horn rimmed glasses. While polite and respectful, his manner concealed something Sasha could not quite put her finger on. Confidence, perhaps? Surely but it seemed the confidence that comes with knowing ones abilities and limitations. Thomas appeared confident, yes but also very capable. He walked with a smoothness and grace that was almost feminine, yet not. There was no mistaking that this was indeed a man. Sasha felt a hint of a smile upon her face as she touched the upper right corner of the holo file and watched it fade to an inky black. Thomas quickly retrieved the folder, having posted himself to her immediate left. Sasha rose and looked into his dark, almond eyes
Thomas She began, I am still getting up to speed here, so bare with me. What is on the agenda?
This is totally understandable, Miss. We are currently performing system checks on the Mourning Dove and outfitting her with a few enhancements to her drives and navigation systems. These updates will be completed, I expect, by the time you have settled in to your office on Newark. Your BWT is similarly undergoing similar updates. Kiku is currently ordering tailoring supplies and overseeing the custom touches to this ships interior. The introduction of the newest Kusari holo and nano technologies allow for a wide range of possibilities.
Tailoring supplies? Sasha questioned.
Yes, Miss. Kiku is a very talented girl. In addition to her training in administration, she is an accomplished musician, chef, interior designer and tailor, he concluded.
So then my wardrobe
Will not be a problem, Miss Castille Thomas smiled.
Thomas then reached into his jacket pocket and produced a delicate bracelet.
Your main offices are indeed in Newark, Miss, but you also maintain offices in Kusari, specifically on Roppongi, in addition you have compartments available in all IND bases. May I have your wrist, Miss?
Sasha extended her left arm and Thomas adorned her wrist with a delicate multi strand silver bracelet, which seemed to have no claspthe bracelet seem to fuse upon her wrist, forming perfect circles. It was lovely.
Thank you, Thomas, it is beautiful she smiled.
It is form following function; Miss Castille this bracelet serves as your neural net interface and primary communication device. It allows you to speak with myself, Kiku and other members of the IND. It has a memo function, holographic function and top-level access to the Company databanks. Information is sent to your optical auditory receptors as long as you have skin contact with this bracelet. It is voice activated, you simply address the person you wish to speak with and the neural connection will be established.
Thomas extended his arm to show her his own bracelet. He smiled and conducted her to the airlock and they began their tour of Newark Station.