{"data":{"id":17101,"title":"One Last Job: Part One","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/17101-One-Last-Job-Part-One","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/17101","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/17101","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"One Last Job","images":[],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"Writer\u2019s Note: One Last Job: Part One was published originally in Jump Point 3.9.\nThe bar stank of sour beer and ship fuel. It was a favorite dockside watering hole, though Jonah couldn\u2019t figure out why. His feet squelched on the sticky floor and a crusted piece of God only knew what crunched beneath the toe of his boot. The lighting was poor and the bartender gave him a dirty look as he wiped a greasy towel on a dirty glass.\n\nJonah took a seat in a wobbly plastic chair made up to look like wood. The table had a large scratch down the center of it, likely made by a knife or broken bottle.\n\nThe bartender\u2019s eyes jerked to the entrance and his nostrils flared as the door slid open.\n\nJonah only came here when he had to meet someone, and there was only one person who ever wanted to meet him here. And at this moment, he owed that person money. A lot of money. In fact, he was behind on payments. Jonah sank into the chair as an uneasy feeling settled over him. The man he was about to meet took late payments personally.\n\nThis was going to hurt.\n\n\u201cAin\u2019t you a sight,\u201d said Mickey \u201cGills\u201d Black. He slapped Jonah on the back. Mickey\u2019s right eye bulged and his skin was splotchy and purple. The story was, Mickey survived being sucked into space without a suit. Granted, it was only for maybe a second at the longest, but it was enough to permanently disfigure his face.\n\nJonah wished Mickey had stayed in the vacuum. It would have made his life so much easier.\n\n\u201cMickey,\u201d said Jonah. He tried to sound cheerful, but his voice still came out sour. They had a long-standing arrangement, but Jonah\u2019s opinion of Mickey Black had not improved with time.\n\nMickey snapped to the bartender who gave him just as dirty a look as he had given Jonah and stalked off.\n\n\u201cNo respect,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cHis bar wouldn\u2019t even be open if it weren\u2019t for me. Gonna have to remind him, but not till I\u2019ve had a nice chat with my dear old friend Jonah.\u201d\n\nJonah swallowed. \u201cDear\u201d and \u201cfriend\u201d were not the words he would use, but he bit his tongue.\n\n\u201cHow ya been, Jonah? Business good?\u201d\n\n\u201cAs good as can be expected,\u201d said Jonah, trying to keep his voice even.\n\n\u201cFair \u2019nough, fair \u2019nough,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cS\u2019pose it could be better though, yeah?\u201d\n\nMickey leaned in closer, careful to turn his half-ruined eye to Jonah. Jonah backed away and Mickey only grinned and fell back into his chair with a laugh.\n\nJonah gave him a small smile. \u201cIt can always be better.\u201d He chose his words carefully. He didn\u2019t want to give too much of an opening. This was a dance he was used to, one he and Mickey had played out dozens of times in their dealings over the last decade.\n\nThe surly bartender plodded over and thumped two beers on the table. Jonah tried to tell him he didn\u2019t want any, but the man had already walked away, shoulders hunched and muttering to himself.\n\nMickey took a big swig and slammed the mug down. \u201cIf that ain\u2019t the biggest glass o\u2019 sewage water I ever swilled.\u201d He spat on the floor and the bartender looked daggers at him. Jonah squirmed uncomfortably. The man either had a short memory or a death wish. Anyone else would have hidden under the bar or scurried to wipe up the mess. Jonah began to fear for the man, but Mickey just laughed.\n\nJonah shivered and sipped at his beer. He grimaced. It was sour with a moldy aftertaste.\n\n\u201cI assume you have work for me?\u201d said Jonah. He really hoped it was work and not a collection.\n\nMickey took another swig of beer, sloshing it down his front, and sidled his chair around the table to lean on Jonah\u2019s shoulder.\n\n\u201cAs it so happens, I do,\u201d he said.\n\nJonah felt his shoulders sag with relief. A knot at the base of his skull unwound. Maybe this wouldn\u2019t be so painful.\n\n\u201cVery, very simple,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cJust run some light cargo, supplies and such. You\u2019ll take it out on your next run, divert your course, meet with the client, drop it off, then go about your merry way. We\u2019ll take, what, five thousand off what you owe me?\u201d\n\nJonah\u2019s stomach squirmed. Five thousand was very generous for simple work. But usually when Mickey said simple, it was anything but.\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019s the catch?\u201d said Jonah.\n\n\u201cNo catch,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cJust a drop off.\u201d\n\nJonah\u2019s thinned his lips. \u201cWho\u2019s the client?\u201d\n\n\u201cIt really is just a simple drop off,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cI swear on the life of me mother.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor all I know, you killed your mother,\u201d said Jonah. \u201cWho\u2019s the client?\u201d\n\n\u201cAn old friend of yours,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cPietro.\u201d\n\nA cold sweat broke out on Jonah\u2019s skin. Pietro was an old acquaintance, but certainly not someone Jonah would call a friend. If anything, they were colleagues in Mickey\u2019s network of spies and couriers, Pietro being a spy.\n\nPietro Marquez was a disgraced Advocacy Agent. His old partner found out he was working for Mickey and things got messy. Most recently, Pietro had left a path of destruction escaping the Advocacy, and he was currently on the top of their most wanted list. His image was everywhere.\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d said Jonah, \u201cI won\u2019t do it. He\u2019s too hot right now.\u201d Jonah started to get up and Mickey grabbed his arm.\n\n\u201cThought you might feel that way,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cWay I see it, you owe me and you\u2019re behind on payment.\u201d\n\nThe knot in his shoulders was back and tighter than before. Jonah almost would have preferred the pain of a collection over the mess that was Pietro Marquez.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll have it for you in a few days. Really,\u201d Jonah assured. \u201cI would have had it sooner, but my oldest girl, she got sick. Had to spring for a medbay visit. You\u2019ll get it end of the week, tops.\u201d\n\n\u201cSuch a good father. It\u2019d be a shame for those girls to grow up without you,\u201d said Mickey.\n\nJonah sank back into his chair, his eyes fixated on the hand that gripped his arm. He couldn\u2019t really back away from a job, and he\u2019d never tried to, but this was too much.\n\n\u201cPietro knows you,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cHe trusts you. And I trust you. We both know you\u2019ll get him what he needs. He requested you. By name. He thinks very highly of you.\u201d\n\nJonah doubted that. Pietro called him a spineless lapdog the last time they worked together. And considering what Jonah was about to agree to, Pietro was probably right.\n\n\u201cDo this for me,\u201d said Mickey, \u201cand consider your debt settled. You\u2019ll be free and clear and never have to do another job for me.\u201d\n\nJonah raised his eyes to look Mickey in the face, bulging eye and all.\n\n\u201cYou have my word,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cAnd you know me. I never go back on my word, do I?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou don\u2019t,\u201d said Jonah, dejected. Everything inside him screamed that this job was a mistake, but he couldn\u2019t afford to miss the chance to get away from Mickey once and for all.\n\n\u201cOkay,\u201d said Jonah. \u201cI\u2019ll do it.\u201d\n\nA grin spread across Mickey\u2019s face. \u201cFantastic. Shake on it?\u201d\n\nJonah nodded and took Mickey\u2019s proffered hand.\n\n\u201cI appreciate this, lad,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cReally.\u201d\n\nHe squeezed Jonah\u2019s hand harder.\n\n\u201cConversely, if you don\u2019t do this, or decide you\u2019re better off running, I will collect on my debt. Do you understand?\u201d\n\nJonah swallowed and nodded.\n\n\u201cI didn\u2019t hear you,\u201d said Mickey.\n\n\u201cI understand,\u201d said Jonah.\n\n\u201cGood,\u201d said Mickey. He released Jonah\u2019s hand and slapped him on the shoulder. \u201cI\u2019ll send all the details and the cargo to your ship.\u201d He finished his beer and pushed away from the table.\n\nJonah watched as he walked up to the bar, hopped over it and proceeded to pummel the bartender into a bloody pulp. Several of the other customers pretended nothing was going on, but Jonah watched. He watched every brutal moment of it.\n\nSatisfied that he\u2019d made his point, Mickey stood, washed his hands in the ice bucket, climbed back over the bar without a word to anyone. He sauntered out the door, whistling as he went.\n\nHis mouth suddenly dry, Jonah took another sip of putrid beer and pushed away from the table. Slowly, he made his way to the bar. His stomach tied itself in a knot. He peered over.\n\nThe bartender lay in a puddle of beer and other fluids. His face was a bloody mess and he\u2019d probably need reconstructive surgery. He groaned and rolled over into a fetal position. The man would live, but he would never forget that you don\u2019t piss off Mickey \u201cGills\u201d Black.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re grounded, Ardoss.\u201d\n\nArdoss glanced up from his flight bag to see Junior Director Vami leering over his desk. Her dark hair was pinned back in a tight bun. She wore a dove gray, vintage pant suit with charcoal pinstripes.\n\nHe went back to packing. He was used to her melodrama. He took in her appearance only out of habit. An Advocacy Agent had to take in all of his surroundings, no matter how mundane or ordinary.\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t make threats you can\u2019t keep,\u201d he said as he checked his gun.\n\n\u201cThis isn\u2019t a threat,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re done. Early retirement.\u201d\n\nShe touched her mobiGlas and a form flashed onto his terminal screen.\n\nArdoss blinked. \u201cRetirement? I\u2019ve got two more years.\u201d\n\n\u201cYour last mission turned into a raging gun battle that killed one person and injured eight more. Not to mention the millions of credits of damage you did. I don\u2019t know if that shopping complex will be usable again. I\u2019ve gotten at least a hundred complaints from business owners, the city council, citizens\u2019 groups, you name it. This is a mess. To top that off, your quarry escaped.\u201d\n\nArdoss licked his lips. \u201cI\u2019m very close. He\u2019s hiding with outlaws; they\u2019ve given him safe harbor. But I know his associates. I know his friends. It\u2019s only a matter of time before I find him.\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t care if you\u2019ve got him locked in your desk, you\u2019re out. You have your orders.\u201d\n\n\u201cJust like that,\u201d said Ardoss. \u201cYou\u2019d destroy my career. Because Pietro was one of us? I didn\u2019t know. How could I know?\u201d\n\nShe placed her hands on his desk and leaned forward. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t. It\u2019s not about what happened, it\u2019s about how you handled it. Someone died in the crossfire. You ignored the safety of those around you. The higher-ups wanted to fire you on the spot.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s happened before,\u201d he said, \u201cto other Agents.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt happened to you,\u201d she said, \u201cyou\u2019re too high profile. Catching Pietro is a priority. It\u2019s a black eye to the Agency. I\u2019m trying to help you, Ardoss. Let someone else take it.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re gunning for Section Chief,\u201d he said.\n\nVami pushed away from the desk and turned. She glanced sideways at him and shook her head.\n\n\u201cMy concern is for the image of this Agency, the safety of its agents, and the people we are supposed to protect.\u201d\n\n\u201cRight,\u201d he said. \u201cIt looks pretty bad that one of your Agents was a rat. You wanna show your bosses you\u2019ve got it all under control.\u201d\n\n\u201cSomeone died, Ardoss.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd how many people do you think Pietro has killed while he spied on us for Mickey Black?\u201d said Ardoss.\n\nVami dropped her head. \u201cYou\u2019re making this personal.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is personal,\u201d said Ardoss. \u201cPietro Marquez was my partner. I should have seen it sooner. Let me have this, Vami, just this last capture. If he makes it to Banu space, we\u2019ll never find him again.\u201d\n\nShe pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. \u201cYou don\u2019t even know where he is.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, not yet,\u201d insisted Ardoss, \u201cbut I screwed up his escape when I found him out. His exit ship was damaged. All he has now is his Agency ship. His regtags are still active and I know he went back to Black. I\u2019ve talked to a few informants. Black\u2019s given him a place to lay low until he can swap out his tags or get a new ship. Trust me, I can find him.\u201d\n\nVami sank into the chair on the other side of Ardoss\u2019 desk. \u201cGive me all the information you have and we\u2019ll assign the case to someone else. You\u2019re too close.\u201d\n\n\u201cExactly. I trained him, Vami,\u201d said Ardoss. \u201cTwenty years together. We were side-by-side for hundreds of jobs. I know Pietro better than anyone in this organization. I didn\u2019t see it before, but I know what to look for now. There\u2019s this cargo pilot, Jonah Ruskella, I\u2019ve seen his name a few places.\u201d\n\nVami shrugged. \u201cSo they\u2019re drinking buddies.\u201d\n\n\u201cNope,\u201d said Ardoss. \u201cRuskella is a courier for Mickey Black. They\u2019ve been seen together. I got it from three different sources.\u201d\n\n\u201cOkay, so what does that have to do with Pietro?\u201d said Vami.\n\n\u201cThey say Ruskella is moving equipment and supplies for Mickey in the next twenty-four hours.\u201d\n\nVami crossed her arms and thinned her lips. \u201cThat\u2019s a lot of speculation, Ardoss. A lot.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat else do I have to go on?\u201d he said. \u201cI could stake out the jump points into Banu space, hope I get lucky, or follow a lead.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re assuming I\u2019m going to let you,\u201d she said.\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t do this to me, Vami,\u201d he said. \u201cDon\u2019t end my career like this. Let me finish it out with one last recovery.\u201d\n\nShe dropped her arms. \u201cEven if your information is correct . . .\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is,\u201d he said. \u201cThese guys wouldn\u2019t lie to me. Not at the prices I pay them.\u201d\n\nShe clenched her jaw.\n\n\u201cI need this,\u201d he said.\n\nShe sighed. \u201cI don\u2019t want a repeat of the mall. You keep it quiet.\u201d\n\n\u201cI will,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll board Ruskella\u2019s ship, incognito, follow him to the rendezvous with Pietro, and make the arrest.\u201d\n\n\u201cJust like that?\u201d she asked.\n\n\u201cJust like that.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd if the drop isn\u2019t for Pietro?\u201d\n\nHe shrugged. \u201cI\u2019ll find another lead.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, you won\u2019t,\u201d she said, standing. \u201cThis is it. This is all you get. You board this ship and you look for your old partner. If you don\u2019t find Pietro, you come back.\u201d\n\nHe ground his teeth. He knew his hunch was right. It had to be. He didn\u2019t need Vami clouding his judgment. This had to work. There weren\u2019t any other options.\n\n\u201cFine,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cI want to make something very clear,\u201d she said. \u201cAny deaths, accidental or otherwise, any damages, any complaints and you can forget about retirement. You\u2019ll find yourself in a cell.\u201d\n\n\u201cUnderstood,\u201d Ardoss said, nostrils flaring.\n\nWith that, she left his office. She didn\u2019t even look at him.\n\nSo that was the way it had to be. He could live with that. All he wanted was Pietro Marquez. He wanted to ask him why. He wanted to understand. He didn\u2019t think he ever would.\n\nJonah stared at the manifest, his hands shaking. It was just supposed to be cargo. No passengers this time. But there they were, four passengers.\n\nHe went to his boss, the dock master.\n\n\u201cThere aren\u2019t supposed to be any people on this flight,\u201d he said. He slapped the manifest down on the man\u2019s desk.\n\nDock Master Haru gazed at him through rheumy, wrinkled eyes. A WiDoW addict who didn\u2019t bother to hide it, he was tall and wiry. The stained black veins made his arms look infected. The spider tattoos didn\u2019t help. Jonah had only ever seen a spider once, but the memory of it was burned into his brain. It had gotten into some cargo from Earth. He\u2019d seen other insects from other planets, but that spider was the one that crawled into his nightmares. Too many legs. Char, his co-pilot, told him he should see a centipede sometime. Jonah didn\u2019t like the sound of that.\n\nHaru placed those frightful hands on the rickety desk and pushed himself up. He licked his lips, which were thin and papery. \u201cYou have passengers when I say you have passengers.\u201d\n\nHaru was a bully. He had a reputation of withholding payments, grounding ships, and suspending pilots just because someone pissed him off. Jonah had to tread carefully.\n\n\u201cI leave in four hours,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t have time to prepare.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen leave in five,\u201d said Haru. \u201cI really don\u2019t care when you leave as long as you leave with what\u2019s on the manifest.\u201d He raised a hairless eyebrow and stared at Jonah.\n\nHe couldn\u2019t leave in five hours. He had a schedule to keep. Haru wouldn\u2019t care, and Jonah didn\u2019t want to have to tell Mickey why his shipment was late.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll leave in four,\u201d said Jonah, his shoulders sagging. \u201cI\u2019ll keep the schedule.\u201d\n\nHaru smiled. \u201cExcellent news. I\u2019ll tell the drop-off port to expect you at the normal time.\u201d\n\nJonah gave his boss an uneasy smile. Haru was almost as bad as Mickey. The only difference was, Haru wouldn\u2019t beat you to a pulp or shove you in a vacuum for defying him.\n\nIf Jonah had the money, he could go into business on his own, then he could tell Haru if he was taking on passengers or not. As it was, all his spare cash went to Mickey or into a trust fund for his kids. It wasn\u2019t much, but he wanted them to have a better life than he did.\n\nThat would change after this job. Jonah could start building his business and break away from Haru and Mickey.\n\nProvided, of course, that Mickey kept his word.\n\nHe turned away from Haru and hurried to his ship, Open Sky. He had a lot to prepare before they left. Secure the airlock, clean the passenger area, arrange for food for the trip. These things took time. Normally, twenty-four hour notice was standard for passenger manifests, but Jonah couldn\u2019t be too surprised since Haru was always pulling shit like this. Give the man enough Credits, and he\u2019d pretty much ignore any protocol.\n\nHe boarded and went straight for the cockpit.\n\n\u201cWe have passengers,\u201d he said, catching his breath as he pushed through the doorway.\n\n\u201cI know,\u201d replied Char, not looking up from her pre-flight check. Her long dark hair was pulled back loosely. A few gray strands escaped the mass and blended in with her silver flight suit.\n\nJonah sighed; she always knew. After well over a decade flying together, he struggled to think of a single time his co-pilot had been caught off guard.\n\n\u201cSome pop-off, low-level politician was in here about an hour ago making a big fuss about his arrangements,\u201d she said. \u201cDemanded private quarters and shoved his mobiGlas in my face trying to show me some sort of document for preferential treatment.\u201d She laughed. \u201cLike we\u2019re a starliner.\u201d\n\nA bureaucrat, no matter how low-level, was just the type Haru would bend over backwards to please. That explained a lot. Jonah still didn\u2019t like it. It made the job harder.\n\n\u201cWhat did you tell him?\u201d he said.\n\nShe laughed again. \u201cI sent him to our \u2018VIP lounge\u2019 and told him to come back when we called for boarding. If all he can get is a little ship like ours, he gets what we give him.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe don\u2019t have a VIP lounge,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cHe knows that now,\u201d she said. \u201cHe\u2019s probably still sitting in that break room.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat about the other passengers?\u201d he said.\n\nShe shrugged. \u201cI think one is a businesswoman. I haven\u2019t met her, but nothing alarming on her documentation. Another one is some nineteen-year-old kid. He\u2019s probably headed out looking for work or visiting family.\u201d\n\nSafe enough. They\u2019d probably stay out of the way.\n\n\u201cWhat about the fourth one?\u201d said Jonah.\n\n\u201cA retiree,\u201d she said. \u201cOld codger on vacation most likely. It should be a cake run. I\u2019ve already got the food packs ordered and I managed to requisition some cleaners from one of the bigger ships. We\u2019ll make the schedule.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat would I do without you, Char?\u201d said Jonah.\n\nShe gave a wicked grin. \u201cDie in a vacuum, most likely. Or get murdered by a pirate.\u201d\n\nThat was still a possibility.\n\n\u201cI picked up some packages for you in port,\u201d he said. \u201cLooks like some stuff from your sister.\u201d\n\n\u201cUgh, what does she want now?\u201d Char said.\n\nJonah shrugged. \u201cGuess you\u2019ll have to open them. Oh, also found some licorice in the market.\u201d He dug in his satchel and pulled out a small, plastic sealed packet.\n\nChar\u2019s eyes lit up. \u201cWonders never cease.\u201d She tore open the package and took out a piece. She popped it in her mouth and closed her eyes.\n\n\u201cSo good.\u201d\n\nHe made a face. \u201cIf you say so.\u201d\n\nShe grinned. \u201cMore for me.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe need to take a detour before our last stop,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cGot another side job?\u201d she said.\n\n\u201cYeah,\u201d he said. He\u2019d never told Char about Mickey, didn\u2019t want to cause her trouble. She was ex-military, so she could probably handle herself, but Jonah admired her too much to dirty her hands. After flying together for sixteen years, Char was his oldest and dearest friend. And there were just some things you didn\u2019t do to your friends. Mickey Black was one of them.\n\nThey finished the pre-flight with some help from a couple of day laborers and started to board the passengers with half an hour to spare.\n\nThe politician, a man by the name of Nickolas Thrumm, was just as bad as Char said.\n\nHe was an oily man, with slicked back hair, well-manicured hands, and an expensive suit. He carried leather luggage and smelled like wood. Char said it was sandalwood, some kind of rare tree or such.\n\nThrumm gave one look at the ship and frowned.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s so small,\u201d he said.\n\nChar shrugged. \u201cIt\u2019s a small ship.\u201d\n\nHe glanced at the passenger area.\n\n\u201cAnd cramped.\u201d His voice took on a nasal quality that made Jonah wince.\n\n\u201cWhere are my quarters?\u201d Thrumm asked.\n\n\u201cThere are no private quarters,\u201d said Jonah.\n\n\u201cThe passenger area\u2019s not so bad,\u201d added Char. \u201cThe seats are fully reclining and you get your own stow space for luggage. There\u2019s even sleep netting for zero-g.\u201d\n\n\u201cI have to sleep out here?\u201d said Thrumm.\n\nChar shrugged. \u201cIt\u2019s the best we have. If you don\u2019t like it, you should have considered that when you pushed through the booking on such a small flight. Now, if you don\u2019t mind, we need to finish boarding.\u201d\n\nThrumm moved on in a huff and they welcomed the remaining passengers.\n\nThe teenager, a young man who only went by Mitt, grunted at them and took a seat at the back. The businesswoman, one Winona Crim, sat next to the teen. She didn\u2019t even acknowledge Char or Jonah. She sat down with a sigh, dug in her bag and pulled out a bottle of pills. She downed a handful and laid back with a pinched look on her face that said she\u2019d rather be anywhere but on that ship.\n\n\u201cNot an easy flier,\u201d said Char.\n\nJonah nodded in agreement.\n\nThe last passenger, the retiree, was a gnarled looking man. He had white hair and was missing part of his left ear. The name on the manifest said Tom White. He sat across from Thrumm.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s everyone,\u201d said Jonah. \u201cStrap in folks. We\u2019ll be leaving just as soon as flight control gives us the all clear.\u201d\n\nThe passengers were silent as Jonah and Char settled into the cockpit. Everything was good to go and they got the signal for take-off shortly after. They pulled out of the space dock and keyed in the jump point. Jonah switched over to the nav computer and turned to see if the passengers were buckled in.\n\nThrumm was staring at the retiree, White.\n\n\u201cYou look familiar,\u201d said Thrumm.\n\n\u201cI just have one of those faces,\u201d said White. \u201cI get that all the time.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d said Thrumm, shaking his head. \u201cI\u2019ve seen you before. You weren\u2019t in a vid, were you?\u201d\n\nWhite smiled. \u201cIf only.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s it,\u201d said Thrumm. \u201cI saw you on the news. You\u2019re an Advocacy Agent aren\u2019t you? Ardoss, isn\u2019t it?\u201d\n\nJonah felt all the blood drain from his face and he turned back to his console. Ardoss. That was the name of Pietro\u2019s partner. He was screwed.\n\nTo be continued","de_DE":"Anmerkung des Autors: Ein letzter Auftrag: Teil Eins wurde urspr\u00fcnglich in Jump Point 3.9 ver\u00f6ffentlicht.\nDie Bar stank nach saurem Bier und Schiffskraftstoff. Es war ein beliebtes Wasserloch am Hafen, obwohl Jonah nicht herausfinden konnte, warum. Seine F\u00fc\u00dfe quetschten auf dem klebrigen Boden und ein verkrustetes St\u00fcck Gott wusste nur, was unter der Zehe seines Stiefels knirschte. Die Beleuchtung war schlecht und der Barkeeper sah ihn schmutzig an, als er ein fettiges Handtuch an einem schmutzigen Glas wischte.\n\nJonah setzte sich in einen wackeligen Plastikstuhl, der wie Holz aussah. Der Tisch hatte einen gro\u00dfen Kratzer in der Mitte, wahrscheinlich durch ein Messer oder eine kaputte Flasche.\n\nDie Augen des Barkeepers ruckten zum Eingang und seine Nasenl\u00f6cher flackerten, als die T\u00fcr aufrutschte.\n\nJonas kam nur hierher, wenn er jemanden treffen musste, und es gab nur eine Person, die ihn hier jemals treffen wollte. Und in diesem Moment schuldete er dieser Person Geld. Eine Menge Geld. Tats\u00e4chlich war er mit den Zahlungen im R\u00fcckstand. Jonah sank in den Stuhl, als sich ein unbehagliches Gef\u00fchl \u00fcber ihn legte. Der Mann, den er treffen wollte, nahm versp\u00e4tete Zahlungen pers\u00f6nlich.\n\nDas h\u00e4tte wehgetan.\n\n\"Bist du nicht ein Anblick\", sagte Mickey \"Gills\" Black. Er schlug Jonah auf den R\u00fccken. Mickeys rechtes Auge w\u00f6lbte sich und seine Haut war fleckig und lila. Die Geschichte war, dass Mickey \u00fcberlebte, ohne Anzug ins All gesaugt zu werden. Zugegeben, es war nur f\u00fcr vielleicht eine Sekunde, aber es reichte aus, um sein Gesicht dauerhaft zu entstellen.\n\nJonah w\u00fcnschte sich, Mickey w\u00e4re im Vakuum geblieben. Es h\u00e4tte sein Leben so viel einfacher gemacht.\n\n\"Mickey\", sagte Jonah. Er versuchte, fr\u00f6hlich zu klingen, aber seine Stimme kam immer noch sauer heraus. Sie hatten eine langj\u00e4hrige Vereinbarung, aber Jona's Meinung \u00fcber Mickey Black hatte sich mit der Zeit nicht verbessert.\n\nMickey schnappte nach dem Barkeeper, der ihn genauso schmutzig ansah, wie er Jonah gesehen hatte, und stolzierte davon.\n\n\"Kein Respekt\", sagte Mickey. \"Seine Bar w\u00e4re nicht einmal offen, wenn ich nicht gewesen w\u00e4re. Ich werde ihn daran erinnern m\u00fcssen, aber erst, wenn ich ein nettes Gespr\u00e4ch mit meinem lieben alten Freund Jonah hatte.\"\n\nJonah schluckte. \"Lieber\" und \"Freund\" waren nicht die Worte, die er benutzen w\u00fcrde, aber er biss sich auf die Zunge.\n\n\"Wie geht es dir, Jonah? Ist das Gesch\u00e4ft gut?\"\n\n\"So gut, wie man es erwarten kann\", sagte Jonah und versuchte, seine Stimme gleichm\u00e4\u00dfig zu halten.\n\n\"Nicht schlecht, nicht schlecht\", sagte Mickey. \"S'pose, es k\u00f6nnte aber besser sein, ja?\"\n\nMickey lehnte sich n\u00e4her heran und achtete darauf, sein halb zerrissenes Auge auf Jonas zu richten. Jonah wich zur\u00fcck und Mickey grinste nur und fiel lachend in seinen Stuhl zur\u00fcck.\n\nJonah schenkte ihm ein kleines L\u00e4cheln. \"Es kann immer besser sein.\" Er w\u00e4hlte seine Worte sorgf\u00e4ltig aus. Er wollte nicht zu viel von einer Er\u00f6ffnung geben. Dies war ein Tanz, an den er gew\u00f6hnt war, einen, den er und Mickey in den letzten zehn Jahren dutzende Male bei ihren Gesch\u00e4ften gespielt hatten.\n\nDer m\u00fcrrische Barkeeper stolperte hin\u00fcber und warf zwei Biere auf den Tisch. Jonas versuchte, ihm zu sagen, dass er keine wollte, aber der Mann war bereits weggegangen, die Schultern gebeugt und murmelte vor sich hin.\n\nMickey nahm einen gro\u00dfen Schluck und schlug den Becher zu. \"Wenn das nicht das gr\u00f6\u00dfte Glas Abwasser ist, das ich je gegrillt habe.\" Er spuckte auf den Boden und der Barkeeper sah ihn mit Dolchen an. Jonah wand sich unbehaglich. Der Mann hatte entweder ein kurzes Ged\u00e4chtnis oder einen Todeswunsch. Jeder andere h\u00e4tte sich unter der Bar versteckt oder sich beeilt, um das Chaos aufzur\u00e4umen. Jonas fing an, um den Mann zu f\u00fcrchten, aber Mickey lachte nur.\n\nJona zitterte und trank an seinem Bier. Er hat Grimassen geschnitten. Er war sauer mit einem schimmeligen Nachgeschmack.\n\n\"Ich nehme an, du hast Arbeit f\u00fcr mich?\", sagte Jonah. Er hoffte wirklich, es sei Arbeit und keine Sammlung.\n\nMickey nahm einen weiteren Schluck Bier, schwappte es seine Vorderseite hinunter und schob seinen Stuhl um den Tisch, um sich auf Jona's Schulter zu lehnen.\n\n\"Wie es der Zufall will, tue ich es\", sagte er.\n\nJonah f\u00fchlte, wie seine Schultern erleichtert nachgaben. Ein Knoten an der Basis seines Sch\u00e4dels wurde abgewickelt. Vielleicht w\u00e4re das nicht so schmerzhaft.\n\n\"Sehr, sehr einfach\", sagte Mickey. \"Lass einfach etwas Leichte Ladung, Vorr\u00e4te und so laufen. Du wirst es bei deinem n\u00e4chsten Lauf herausnehmen, deinen Kurs umleiten, dich mit dem Kunden treffen, ihn abgeben und dann deinen lustigen Weg gehen. Wir nehmen, was, f\u00fcnftausend von dem, was du mir schuldest?\"\n\nJona's Bauch wand sich zusammen. F\u00fcnftausend war sehr gro\u00dfz\u00fcgig f\u00fcr einfache Arbeiten. Aber normalerweise, wenn Mickey einfach sagte, war es alles andere als das.\n\n\"Wo ist der Haken?\", sagte Jonah.\n\n\"Kein Haken\", sagte Mickey. \"Nur ein kleiner Sprung.\"\n\nJonah hat seine Lippen verd\u00fcnnt. \"Wer ist der Kunde?\"\n\n\"Es ist wirklich nur ein einfacher Absprung\", sagte Mickey. \"Ich schw\u00f6re auf das Leben meiner Mutter.\"\n\n\"Soweit ich wei\u00df, hast du deine Mutter get\u00f6tet\", sagte Jonas. \"Wer ist der Kunde?\"\n\n\"Ein alter Freund von dir\", sagte Mickey. \" Pietro.\"\n\nEin kalter Schwei\u00df brach auf Jona's Haut aus. Pietro war ein alter Bekannter, aber sicher nicht jemand, den Jonah einen Freund nennen w\u00fcrde. Wenn \u00fcberhaupt, dann waren sie Kollegen in Mickeys Netzwerk von Spionen und Kurieren, Pietro war ein Spion.\n\nPietro Marquez war ein besch\u00e4mter Advocacy-Agent. Sein alter Partner fand heraus, dass er f\u00fcr Mickey arbeitete und die Dinge wurden chaotisch. Zuletzt hatte Pietro einen Weg der Zerst\u00f6rung hinter sich gelassen, der der Advocacy entging, und er stand derzeit ganz oben auf der Liste der Meistgesuchten. Sein Bild war \u00fcberall.\n\n\"Nein\", sagte Jonah, \"Ich werde es nicht tun. Er ist im Moment zu hei\u00df.\" Jonah stand auf und Mickey packte seinen Arm.\n\n\"Ich dachte, du k\u00f6nntest so denken\", sagte Mickey. \"So wie ich das sehe, schuldest du mir etwas und bist mit der Bezahlung im R\u00fcckstand.\"\n\nDer Knoten in seinen Schultern war zur\u00fcck und enger als zuvor. Jonah h\u00e4tte den Schmerz einer Sammlung fast lieber gehabt als das Chaos, das Pietro Marquez war.\n\n\"Ich werde es in ein paar Tagen f\u00fcr dich haben. Wirklich\", versicherte Jonah. \"Ich h\u00e4tte es fr\u00fcher gehabt, aber mein \u00e4ltestes M\u00e4dchen, sie wurde krank. Ich musste f\u00fcr einen Medbay-Besuch herkommen. Du bekommst es Ende der Woche, h\u00f6chstens.\"\n\n\"So ein guter Vater. Es w\u00e4re eine Schande f\u00fcr diese M\u00e4dchen, ohne dich aufzuwachsen\", sagte Mickey.\n\nJonas sank zur\u00fcck in seinen Stuhl, seine Augen fixierten sich auf die Hand, die seinen Arm packte. Er konnte sich nicht wirklich von einem Job zur\u00fcckziehen, und er hatte es nie versucht, aber das war zu viel.\n\n\"Pietro kennt dich\", sagte Mickey. \"Er vertraut dir. Und ich vertraue dir. Wir wissen beide, dass du ihm das besorgst, was er braucht. Er hat dich angefordert. Mit Namen. Er sch\u00e4tzt dich sehr.\"\n\nDas bezweifelte Jonah. Pietro nannte ihn einen r\u00fcckgratlosen Scho\u00dfhund, als sie das letzte Mal zusammenarbeiteten. Und wenn man bedenkt, was Jonah im Begriff war, zu akzeptieren, hatte Pietro wahrscheinlich Recht.\n\n\"Tu das f\u00fcr mich\", sagte Mickey, \"und betrachte deine Schulden als beglichen. Du wirst frei und klar sein und nie wieder einen Job f\u00fcr mich machen m\u00fcssen.\"\n\nJonah hob die Augen, um Mickey ins Gesicht zu sehen, mit vorgew\u00f6lbten Augen und allem drum und dran.\n\n\"Du hast mein Wort\", sagte Mickey. \"Und du kennst mich. Ich gebe mein Wort nie auf, oder?\"\n\n\"Das tust du nicht\", sagte Jonah niedergeschlagen. Alles in ihm schrie, dass dieser Job ein Fehler sei, aber er konnte es sich nicht leisten, die Chance zu verpassen, Mickey ein f\u00fcr allemal zu verlassen.\n\n\"Okay\", sagte Jonah. \"Ich werde es tun.\"\n\nEin Grinsen breitete sich \u00fcber Mickeys Gesicht aus. \"Fantastisch. Sch\u00fctteln?\"\n\nJonah nickte und nahm Mickeys angebotene Hand.\n\n\"Ich wei\u00df das zu sch\u00e4tzen, Junge\", sagte Mickey. \" Wirklich.\"\n\nEr dr\u00fcckte Jona's Hand h\u00e4rter.\n\n\"Umgekehrt, wenn du das nicht tust, oder entscheidest, dass du besser dran bist, wenn du l\u00e4ufst, werde ich meine Schulden eintreiben. Hast du verstanden?\"\n\nJona schluckte und nickte.\n\n\"Ich habe dich nicht geh\u00f6rt\", sagte Mickey.\n\n\"Ich verstehe\", sagte Jonah.\n\n\"Gut\", sagte Mickey. Er lie\u00df Jona's Hand los und schlug ihm auf die Schulter. \"Ich schicke alle Details und die Ladung an dein Schiff.\" Er trank sein Bier aus und schob sich vom Tisch weg.\n\nJonas beobachtete, wie er zur Bar ging, dar\u00fcber sprang und den Barkeeper in einen blutigen Brei schlug. Einige der anderen Kunden gaben vor, dass nichts vor sich ging, aber Jonah sah zu. Er beobachtete jeden brutalen Moment davon.\n\nZufrieden, dass er sich zu Wort gemeldet hatte, stand Mickey auf, wusch seine H\u00e4nde in den Eisk\u00fcbel, kletterte zur\u00fcck \u00fcber die Bar, ohne ein Wort zu jemandem zu sagen. Er schlenderte zur T\u00fcr hinaus und pfeifte, w\u00e4hrend er ging.\n\nSein Mund war pl\u00f6tzlich trocken, Jonas nahm einen weiteren Schluck verfaultes Bier und schob sich vom Tisch weg. Langsam machte er sich auf den Weg zur Bar. Sein Bauch hat sich in einen Knoten gefesselt. Er blickte hin\u00fcber.\n\nDer Barkeeper lag in einer Pf\u00fctze aus Bier und anderen Fl\u00fcssigkeiten. Sein Gesicht war ein blutiges Durcheinander und er w\u00fcrde wahrscheinlich eine rekonstruktive Operation brauchen. Er st\u00f6hnte und rollte sich in eine fetale Position. Der Mann w\u00fcrde leben, aber er w\u00fcrde nie vergessen, dass man Mickey \"Gills\" Black nicht ver\u00e4rgert.\n\n\"Du hast Hausarrest, Ardoss.\"\n\nArdoss blickte aus seiner Flugtasche auf, um zu sehen, wie Junior Director Vami \u00fcber seinen Schreibtisch blickte. Ihr dunkles Haar wurde in einem engen Br\u00f6tchen zur\u00fcckgesteckt. Sie trug einen taubengrauen, klassischen Hosenanzug mit Holzkohle-Nadelstreifen.\n\nEr ging zur\u00fcck zum Packen. Er war an ihr Melodrama gew\u00f6hnt. Er nahm ihr Aussehen nur aus Gewohnheit an. Ein Advocacy-Agent musste seine gesamte Umgebung einbeziehen, egal wie allt\u00e4glich oder gew\u00f6hnlich.\n\n\"Mache keine Drohungen, die du nicht halten kannst\", sagte er, als er seine Waffe \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte.\n\n\"Das ist keine Bedrohung\", sagte sie. \"Du bist fertig. Vorzeitige Pensionierung.\"\n\nSie ber\u00fchrte ihr mobiGlas und eine Form blitzte auf seinen Terminalbildschirm.\n\nArdoss blinzelte. \"Ruhestand? Ich habe noch zwei Jahre.\"\n\n\"Deine letzte Mission verwandelte sich in eine w\u00fctende Schie\u00dferei, bei der eine Person get\u00f6tet und acht weitere verletzt wurden. Ganz zu schweigen von den Millionen von Credits an Schaden, die du angerichtet hast. Ich wei\u00df nicht, ob dieser Einkaufskomplex wieder nutzbar sein wird. Ich habe mindestens hundert Beschwerden von Gesch\u00e4ftsinhabern, dem Stadtrat, B\u00fcrgerinitiativen, etc. erhalten. Das ist ein Chaos. Au\u00dferdem ist dein Steinbruch entkommen.\"\n\nArdoss leckte seine Lippen. \"Ich bin sehr nah dran. Er versteckt sich mit Gesetzlosen; sie haben ihm einen sicheren Hafen gegeben. Aber ich kenne seine Mitarbeiter. Ich kenne seine Freunde. Es ist nur eine Frage der Zeit, bis ich ihn finde.\"\n\n\"Es ist mir egal, ob du ihn in deinem Schreibtisch eingesperrt hast, du bist drau\u00dfen. Du hast deine Befehle.\"\n\n\"Einfach so\", sagte Ardoss. \"Du w\u00fcrdest meine Karriere zerst\u00f6ren. Weil Pietro einer von uns war? Ich wusste es nicht. Woher soll ich das wissen?\"\n\nSie legte ihre H\u00e4nde auf seinen Schreibtisch und lehnte sich nach vorne. \"Das k\u00f6nntest du nicht. Es geht nicht darum, was passiert ist, sondern darum, wie du damit umgegangen bist. Jemand starb im Kreuzfeuer. Du hast die Sicherheit der Menschen um dich herum ignoriert. Die H\u00f6heren wollten dich auf der Stelle feuern.\"\n\n\"Es ist schon mal passiert\", sagte er, \"f\u00fcr andere Agenten.\"\n\n\"Es ist dir passiert\", sagte sie, \"du bist zu auff\u00e4llig. Pietro zu fangen ist eine Priorit\u00e4t. Es ist ein blaues Auge auf die Agentur. Ich versuche, dir zu helfen, Ardoss. Lass es jemand anderen nehmen.\"\n\n\"Du willst zum Sektionsleiter\", sagte er.\n\nVami schob sich vom Schreibtisch weg und drehte sich um. Sie blickte ihn seitw\u00e4rts an und sch\u00fcttelte den Kopf.\n\n\"Meine Sorge gilt dem Image dieser Agentur, der Sicherheit ihrer Agenten und der Menschen, die wir sch\u00fctzen sollen.\"\n\n\"Richtig\", sagte er. \"Es sieht ziemlich schlecht aus, dass einer deiner Agenten eine Ratte war. Du willst deinen Vorgesetzten zeigen, dass du alles unter Kontrolle hast.\"\n\n\"Jemand ist gestorben, Ardoss.\"\n\n\"Und wie viele Leute hat Pietro wohl get\u00f6tet, w\u00e4hrend er uns wegen Mickey Black ausspioniert hat?\" sagte Ardoss.\n\nVami lie\u00df ihren Kopf fallen. \"Du machst es pers\u00f6nlich.\"\n\n\"Es ist pers\u00f6nlich\", sagte Ardoss. \"Pietro Marquez war mein Partner. Ich h\u00e4tte es fr\u00fcher sehen sollen. Gib mir das, Vami, nur diese letzte Aufnahme. Wenn er es bis zum Banu-Raum schafft, werden wir ihn nie wieder finden.\"\n\nSie kneifte den Nasenr\u00fccken und seufzte. \"Du wei\u00dft nicht einmal, wo er ist.\"\n\n\"Nein, noch nicht\", bestand Ardoss, \"aber ich habe seine Flucht versaut, als ich ihn fand. Sein Ausstiegsschiff wurde besch\u00e4digt. Alles, was er jetzt hat, ist sein Agenturschiff. Seine Regtags sind immer noch aktiv und ich wei\u00df, dass er zu Schwarz zur\u00fcckgekehrt ist. Ich habe mit ein paar Informanten gesprochen. Schwarz hat ihm einen Platz gegeben, um sich zur\u00fcckzuziehen, bis er seine Tags austauschen oder ein neues Schiff kaufen kann. Vertrau mir, ich kann ihn finden.\"\n\nVami sank in den Stuhl auf der anderen Seite von Ardoss' Schreibtisch. \"Gib mir alle Informationen, die du hast, und wir weisen den Fall jemand anderem zu. Du bist zu nah dran.\"\n\n\"Genau. Ich habe ihn trainiert, Vami\", sagte Ardoss. \"Zwanzig Jahre zusammen. Wir waren Seite an Seite f\u00fcr Hunderte von Jobs. Ich kenne Pietro besser als jeder andere in dieser Organisation. Ich habe es vorher nicht gesehen, aber ich wei\u00df, wonach ich jetzt suchen muss. Da ist dieser Frachtpilot, Jonah Ruskella, ich habe seinen Namen schon ein paar Mal gesehen.\"\n\nVami zuckte mit den Schultern. \"Also sind sie Trinkfreunde.\"\n\n\"Nein\", sagte Ardoss. \"Ruskella ist ein Kurier f\u00fcr Mickey Black. Sie wurden zusammen gesehen. Ich habe es von drei verschiedenen Quellen.\"\n\n\"Okay, also was hat das mit Pietro zu tun?\", sagte Vami.\n\n\"Man sagt, Ruskella bewegt Ausr\u00fcstung und Vorr\u00e4te f\u00fcr Mickey in den n\u00e4chsten 24 Stunden.\"\n\nVami verschr\u00e4nkte ihre Arme und verd\u00fcnnte ihre Lippen. \"Das sind eine Menge Spekulationen, Ardoss. Sehr oft.\"\n\n\"Was soll ich sonst noch tun?\", sagte er. \"Ich k\u00f6nnte die Sprungbretter im Banu-Raum abstecken, hoffen, dass ich Gl\u00fcck habe, oder einer F\u00fchrung folgen.\"\n\n\"Du nimmst an, dass ich dich lassen werde\", sagte sie.\n\n\"Tu mir das nicht an, Vami\", sagte er. \"Beende meine Karriere nicht so. Lass es mich mit einer letzten Genesung beenden.\"\n\nSie lie\u00df ihre Arme fallen. \"Selbst wenn deine Informationen korrekt sind....\"\n\n\"Ist es\", sagte er. \"Diese Typen w\u00fcrden mich nicht anl\u00fcgen. Nicht zu den Preisen, die ich ihnen zahle.\"\n\nSie presste ihren Kiefer zusammen.\n\n\"Ich brauche das\", sagte er.\n\nSie seufzte. \"Ich will keine Wiederholung des Einkaufszentrums. Du h\u00e4ltst es geheim.\"\n\n\"Das werde ich\", sagte er. \"Ich besteige Ruskellas Schiff, inkognito, folge ihm zum Rendezvous mit Pietro und nehme die Verhaftung vor.\"\n\n\"Einfach so?\", fragte sie.\n\n\"Einfach so.\"\n\n\"Und wenn die \u00dcbergabe nicht f\u00fcr Pietro ist?\"\n\nEr zuckte mit den Schultern. \"Ich werde eine andere Spur finden.\"\n\n\"Nein, wirst du nicht\", sagte sie im Stehen. \"Das ist es. Das ist alles, was du bekommst. Du besteigst dieses Schiff und suchst nach deinem alten Partner. Wenn du Pietro nicht findest, kommst du zur\u00fcck.\"\n\nEr knirschte mit den Z\u00e4hnen. Er wusste, dass seine Vermutung richtig war. Es musste so sein. Er brauchte Vami nicht, der sein Urteilsverm\u00f6gen tr\u00fcbt. Das musste funktionieren. Es gab keine anderen M\u00f6glichkeiten.\n\n\"Gut\", sagte er.\n\n\"Ich m\u00f6chte etwas sehr Klares sagen\", sagte sie. \"Jeder Tod, ob versehentlich oder nicht, jeder Schaden, jede Beschwerde und Sie k\u00f6nnen den Ruhestand vergessen. Du wirst dich in einer Zelle wiederfinden.\"\n\n\"Verstanden\", sagte Ardoss und die Nasenl\u00f6cher flammten.\n\nDamit verlie\u00df sie sein B\u00fcro. Sie sah ihn nicht einmal an.\n\nSo musste es also sein. Damit konnte er leben. Alles, was er wollte, war Pietro Marquez. Er wollte ihn fragen, warum. Er wollte es verstehen. Er dachte nicht, dass er das jemals tun w\u00fcrde.\n\nJona starrte auf das Manifest, seine H\u00e4nde zitterten. Es sollte nur Fracht sein. Diesmal keine Passagiere. Aber da waren sie, vier Passagiere.\n\nEr ging zu seinem Chef, dem Dockmeister.\n\n\"Es sollen keine Leute in diesem Flug sein\", sagte er. Er schlug das Manifest auf den Schreibtisch des Mannes.\n\nDock Master Haru starrte ihn mit rheumatischen, faltigen Augen an. Ein WiDoW-S\u00fcchtiger, der sich nicht die M\u00fche machte, es zu verstecken, er war gro\u00df und drahtig. Die schwarzen Adern lie\u00dfen seine Arme infiziert aussehen. Die Spinnen-Tattoos halfen nicht. Jona hatte noch nie eine Spinne gesehen, aber die Erinnerung daran wurde ihm ins Gehirn gebrannt. Es war in eine Ladung von der Erde eingedrungen. Er hatte andere Insekten von anderen Planeten gesehen, aber diese Spinne war diejenige, die in seine Alptr\u00e4ume kroch. Zu viele Beine. Char, sein Co-Pilot, sagte ihm, er solle mal einen Tausendf\u00fc\u00dfler sehen. Jonah gefiel der Klang davon nicht.\n\nHaru legte diese schrecklichen H\u00e4nde auf den klapprigen Schreibtisch und dr\u00fcckte sich nach oben. Er leckte seine Lippen, die d\u00fcnn und papierartig waren. \"Du hast Passagiere, wenn ich sage, dass du Passagiere hast.\"\n\nHaru war ein Tyrann. Er hatte den Ruf, Zahlungen zur\u00fcckzuhalten, Schiffe zu stoppen und Piloten auszusetzen, nur weil ihn jemand ver\u00e4rgert hat. Jonas musste vorsichtig vorgehen.\n\n\"Ich gehe in vier Stunden\", sagte er. \"Ich habe keine Zeit f\u00fcr die Vorbereitung.\"\n\n\"Dann geh in f\u00fcnf Minuten\", sagte Haru. \"Es ist mir wirklich egal, wann du gehst, solange du mit dem, was auf der Liste steht, gehst.\" Er hob eine haarlose Augenbraue und starrte Jona an.\n\nEr konnte nicht in f\u00fcnf Stunden gehen. Er musste einen Zeitplan einhalten. Haru w\u00fcrde es nicht k\u00fcmmern, und Jonah wollte Mickey nicht sagen m\u00fcssen, warum seine Lieferung zu sp\u00e4t kam.\n\n\"Ich gehe in vier Minuten\", sagte Jonah, seine Schultern hingen nach unten. \"Ich werde den Zeitplan einhalten.\"\n\nHaru l\u00e4chelte. \"Ausgezeichnete Neuigkeiten. Ich werde der Abfahrtsstelle sagen, dass sie dich zur normalen Zeit erwartet.\"\n\nJonah schenkte seinem Chef ein unbehagliches L\u00e4cheln. Haru war fast so schlimm wie Mickey. Der einzige Unterschied war, dass Haru dich nicht zu Brei schlagen oder in ein Vakuum schieben w\u00fcrde, weil du dich ihm widersetzt hast.\n\nWenn Jonah das Geld h\u00e4tte, k\u00f6nnte er alleine Gesch\u00e4fte machen, dann k\u00f6nnte er Haru sagen, ob er Passagiere nimmt oder nicht. So wie es war, ging sein ganzes Reservegeld an Mickey oder in einen Treuhandfonds f\u00fcr seine Kinder. Es war nicht viel, aber er wollte, dass sie ein besseres Leben haben als er.\n\nDas w\u00fcrde sich nach diesem Job \u00e4ndern. Jonah konnte mit dem Aufbau seines Unternehmens beginnen und sich von Haru und Mickey l\u00f6sen.\n\nVorausgesetzt nat\u00fcrlich, Mickey hielt sein Wort.\n\nEr wandte sich von Haru ab und eilte zu seinem Schiff, Open Sky. Er hatte viel vorzubereiten, bevor sie gingen. Sichern Sie die Luftschleuse, reinigen Sie den Fahrgastraum, sorgen Sie f\u00fcr Essen f\u00fcr die Fahrt. Diese Dinge brauchten Zeit. Normalerweise war eine Vorank\u00fcndigung rund um die Uhr Standard f\u00fcr Passagierlisten, aber Jonah konnte nicht allzu \u00fcberrascht sein, da Haru immer so einen Schei\u00df abzog. Gib dem Mann genug Credits, und er w\u00fcrde so ziemlich jedes Protokoll ignorieren.\n\nEr stieg ein und ging direkt zum Cockpit.\n\n\"Wir haben Passagiere\", sagte er und holte Luft, als er durch die T\u00fcr dr\u00fcckte.\n\n\"Ich wei\u00df\", antwortete Char und sah nicht von ihrer Vorflugkontrolle auf. Ihr langes dunkles Haar wurde locker zur\u00fcckgezogen. Ein paar graue Str\u00e4nge entkamen der Masse und verschmolzen mit ihrem silbernen Fluganzug.\n\nJonas seufzte; sie wusste es immer. Nachdem er weit \u00fcber ein Jahrzehnt zusammen geflogen war, k\u00e4mpfte er damit, an ein einziges Mal zu denken, als sein Co-Pilot unvorbereitet erwischt worden war.\n\n\"Irgendein Pop-Off-Politiker auf niedriger Ebene war vor etwa einer Stunde hier und machte ein gro\u00dfes Aufsehen um seine Arrangements\", sagte sie. \"Verlangte Privatquartiere und schob mir sein mobiGlas ins Gesicht, um mir eine Art Dokument zur bevorzugten Behandlung zu zeigen.\" Sie lachte. \"Als w\u00e4ren wir ein Starliner.\"\n\nEin B\u00fcrokrat, egal wie niedrig, war nur der Typ, den Haru nach hinten beugen w\u00fcrde, um zu gefallen. Das hat einiges erkl\u00e4rt. Jonah gefiel es immer noch nicht. Es machte den Job schwieriger.\n\n\"Was hast du ihm gesagt?\", sagte er.\n\nSie lachte wieder. \"Ich schickte ihn in unsere VIP-Lounge und sagte ihm, er solle zur\u00fcckkommen, als wir zum Einsteigen riefen. Wenn er nur ein kleines Schiff wie unseres bekommt, bekommt er, was wir ihm geben.\"\n\n\"Wir haben keine VIP-Lounge\", sagte er.\n\n\"Das wei\u00df er jetzt\", sagte sie. \"Er sitzt wahrscheinlich immer noch in diesem Pausenraum.\"\n\n\"Was ist mit den anderen Passagieren?\", sagte er.\n\nSie zuckte mit den Schultern. \"Ich glaube, einer ist eine Gesch\u00e4ftsfrau. Ich habe sie nicht getroffen, aber nichts Beunruhigendes in ihren Unterlagen. Ein anderer ist ein neunzehnj\u00e4hriges Kind. Er ist wahrscheinlich auf der Suche nach Arbeit oder besucht die Familie.\"\n\nSicher genug. Sie w\u00fcrden wahrscheinlich aus dem Weg gehen.\n\n\"Was ist mit dem vierten?\" sagte Jonah.\n\n\"Ein Rentner\", sagte sie. \"Der alte Kauz im Urlaub ist h\u00f6chstwahrscheinlich. Es sollte ein Kuchenlauf werden. Ich habe die bestellten Lebensmittelverpackungen bereits erhalten und es ist mir gelungen, einige Reinigungskr\u00e4fte von einem der gr\u00f6\u00dferen Schiffe zu beschaffen. Wir machen den Zeitplan.\"\n\n\"Was w\u00fcrde ich ohne dich tun, Char?\" sagte Jonah.\n\nSie grinste b\u00f6se. \"Sterben Sie h\u00f6chstwahrscheinlich im Vakuum. Oder von einem Piraten ermordet zu werden.\"\n\nDas war noch m\u00f6glich.\n\n\"Ich habe im Hafen ein paar Pakete f\u00fcr dich abgeholt\", sagte er. \"Sieht aus wie ein paar Sachen von deiner Schwester.\"\n\n\"Ugh, was will sie jetzt?\" Sagte Char.\n\nJonah zuckte mit den Schultern. \"Ich sch\u00e4tze, du musst sie \u00f6ffnen. Oh, ich habe auch etwas S\u00fc\u00dfholz auf dem Markt gefunden.\" Er grub sich in seine Tasche und zog eine kleine, plastisch versiegelte Packung heraus.\n\nChar's Augen leuchteten auf. \"Wunder h\u00f6ren nie auf.\" Sie riss das Paket auf und nahm ein St\u00fcck heraus. Sie steckte es sich in den Mund und schloss die Augen.\n\n\"So gut.\"\n\nEr machte ein Gesicht. \"Wenn du es sagst.\"\n\nSie grinste. \"Mehr f\u00fcr mich.\"\n\n\"Wir m\u00fcssen vor unserer letzten Station einen Umweg machen\", sagte er.\n\n\"Hast du noch einen Nebenjob?\", sagte sie.\n\n\"Ja\", sagte er. Er hatte Char nie von Mickey erz\u00e4hlt, wollte ihr keine Probleme bereiten. Sie war Ex-Milit\u00e4rin, also konnte sie wahrscheinlich auf sich selbst aufpassen, aber Jonas bewunderte sie zu sehr, um sich die H\u00e4nde zu verschmutzen. Nachdem er sechzehn Jahre lang zusammen geflogen war, war Char sein \u00e4ltester und liebster Freund. Und es gab nur einige Dinge, die du deinen Freunden nicht angetan hast. Mickey Black war einer von ihnen.\n\nSie beendeten den Vorflug mit Hilfe von ein paar Tagel\u00f6hnern und begannen, die Passagiere mit einer halben Stunde Pause zu besteigen.\n\nDer Politiker, ein Mann namens Nickolas Thrumm, war genauso schlimm, wie Char sagte.\n\nEr war ein \u00f6liger Mann, mit glattem R\u00fcckenhaar, gut gepflegten H\u00e4nden und einem teuren Anzug. Er trug Ledergep\u00e4ck und roch nach Holz. Char sagte, es sei Sandelholz, eine Art seltener Baum oder so.\n\nThrumm warf einen Blick auf das Schiff und runzelte die Stirn.\n\n\"Es ist so klein\", sagte er.\n\nChar zuckte mit den Schultern. \"Es ist ein kleines Schiff.\"\n\nEr blickte auf den Fahrgastraum.\n\n\"Und verkrampft.\" Seine Stimme nahm eine nasale Qualit\u00e4t an, die Jonah zucken lie\u00df.\n\n\"Wo ist mein Quartier?\" fragte Thrumm.\n\n\"Es gibt keine privaten R\u00e4ume\", sagte Jonah.\n\n\"Der Passagierbereich ist nicht so schlecht\", f\u00fcgte Char hinzu. \"Die Sitze sind vollst\u00e4ndig verstellbar und Sie erhalten Ihren eigenen Stauraum f\u00fcr Gep\u00e4ck. Es gibt sogar ein Schlafnetz f\u00fcr Null-Gramm.\"\n\n\"Ich muss hier drau\u00dfen schlafen?\", sagte Thrumm.\n\nChar zuckte mit den Schultern. \"Es ist das Beste, was wir haben. Wenn es dir nicht gef\u00e4llt, solltest du das bedenken, als du die Buchung f\u00fcr einen so kleinen Flug durchgesetzt hast. Nun, wenn es dir nichts ausmacht, m\u00fcssen wir das Boarding beenden.\"\n\nThrumm bewegte sich in einem Schnaufen weiter und sie begr\u00fc\u00dften die verbleibenden Passagiere.\n\nDer Teenager, ein junger Mann, der nur an Mitt vorbeikam, grunzte sie an und nahm auf der R\u00fcckseite Platz. Die Gesch\u00e4ftsfrau, eine Winona Crim, sa\u00df neben dem Teenager. Sie hat Char oder Jonah nicht einmal anerkannt. Sie setzte sich mit einem Seufzer hin, grub in ihre Tasche und zog eine Flasche Pillen heraus. Sie legte eine Handvoll nieder und legte sich mit einem gekniffenen Blick auf ihr Gesicht zur\u00fcck, der sagte, dass sie lieber \u00fcberall au\u00dfer auf diesem Schiff sein w\u00fcrde.\n\n\"Kein einfacher Flieger\", sagte Char.\n\nJonas nickte zustimmend.\n\nDer letzte Passagier, der Rentner, war ein knorrig aussehender Mann. Er hatte wei\u00dfes Haar und fehlte ein Teil seines linken Ohres. Der Name auf dem Manifest lautete Tom White. Er sa\u00df Thrumm gegen\u00fcber.\n\n\"Das sind alle\", sagte Jonah. \" Schnallt die Leute an. Wir werden abreisen, sobald die Flugkontrolle uns die Freigabe gibt.\"\n\nDie Passagiere waren still, als Jonah und Char sich ins Cockpit setzten. Alles war gut zu gehen und sie bekamen das Signal zum Start kurz darauf. Sie zogen sich aus dem Raumdock zur\u00fcck und verriegelten den Sprungpunkt. Jonah stellte auf den Navi-Computer um und drehte sich um, um zu sehen, ob die Passagiere angeschnallt waren.\n\nThrumm starrte auf den Rentner, White.\n\n\"Du kommst mir bekannt vor\", sagte Thrumm.\n\n\"Ich habe nur eines dieser Gesichter\", sagte White. \"Ich h\u00f6re das die ganze Zeit.\"\n\n\"Nein\", sagte Thrumm und sch\u00fcttelte den Kopf. \"Ich habe dich schon mal gesehen. Du warst nicht in einem Video, oder?\"\n\nWei\u00df l\u00e4chelte. \"Wenn nur.\"\n\n\"Das ist es\", sagte Thrumm. \"Ich habe dich in den Nachrichten gesehen. Du bist ein Advocacy-Agent, nicht wahr? Ardoss, nicht wahr?\"\n\nJonas sp\u00fcrte, wie das ganze Blut aus seinem Gesicht floss, und er kehrte zu seiner Konsole zur\u00fcck. Ardoss. Das war der Name von Pietros Partner. Er war am Arsch.\n\nFortsetzung folgt","zh_CN":"Writer\u2019s Note: One Last Job: Part One was published originally in Jump Point 3.9.\nThe bar stank of sour beer and ship fuel. It was a favorite dockside watering hole, though Jonah couldn\u2019t figure out why. His feet squelched on the sticky floor and a crusted piece of God only knew what crunched beneath the toe of his boot. The lighting was poor and the bartender gave him a dirty look as he wiped a greasy towel on a dirty glass.\n\nJonah took a seat in a wobbly plastic chair made up to look like wood. The table had a large scratch down the center of it, likely made by a knife or broken bottle.\n\nThe bartender\u2019s eyes jerked to the entrance and his nostrils flared as the door slid open.\n\nJonah only came here when he had to meet someone, and there was only one person who ever wanted to meet him here. And at this moment, he owed that person money. A lot of money. In fact, he was behind on payments. Jonah sank into the chair as an uneasy feeling settled over him. The man he was about to meet took late payments personally.\n\nThis was going to hurt.\n\n\u201cAin\u2019t you a sight,\u201d said Mickey \u201cGills\u201d Black. He slapped Jonah on the back. Mickey\u2019s right eye bulged and his skin was splotchy and purple. The story was, Mickey survived being sucked into space without a suit. Granted, it was only for maybe a second at the longest, but it was enough to permanently disfigure his face.\n\nJonah wished Mickey had stayed in the vacuum. It would have made his life so much easier.\n\n\u201cMickey,\u201d said Jonah. He tried to sound cheerful, but his voice still came out sour. They had a long-standing arrangement, but Jonah\u2019s opinion of Mickey Black had not improved with time.\n\nMickey snapped to the bartender who gave him just as dirty a look as he had given Jonah and stalked off.\n\n\u201cNo respect,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cHis bar wouldn\u2019t even be open if it weren\u2019t for me. Gonna have to remind him, but not till I\u2019ve had a nice chat with my dear old friend Jonah.\u201d\n\nJonah swallowed. \u201cDear\u201d and \u201cfriend\u201d were not the words he would use, but he bit his tongue.\n\n\u201cHow ya been, Jonah? Business good?\u201d\n\n\u201cAs good as can be expected,\u201d said Jonah, trying to keep his voice even.\n\n\u201cFair \u2019nough, fair \u2019nough,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cS\u2019pose it could be better though, yeah?\u201d\n\nMickey leaned in closer, careful to turn his half-ruined eye to Jonah. Jonah backed away and Mickey only grinned and fell back into his chair with a laugh.\n\nJonah gave him a small smile. \u201cIt can always be better.\u201d He chose his words carefully. He didn\u2019t want to give too much of an opening. This was a dance he was used to, one he and Mickey had played out dozens of times in their dealings over the last decade.\n\nThe surly bartender plodded over and thumped two beers on the table. Jonah tried to tell him he didn\u2019t want any, but the man had already walked away, shoulders hunched and muttering to himself.\n\nMickey took a big swig and slammed the mug down. \u201cIf that ain\u2019t the biggest glass o\u2019 sewage water I ever swilled.\u201d He spat on the floor and the bartender looked daggers at him. Jonah squirmed uncomfortably. The man either had a short memory or a death wish. Anyone else would have hidden under the bar or scurried to wipe up the mess. Jonah began to fear for the man, but Mickey just laughed.\n\nJonah shivered and sipped at his beer. He grimaced. It was sour with a moldy aftertaste.\n\n\u201cI assume you have work for me?\u201d said Jonah. He really hoped it was work and not a collection.\n\nMickey took another swig of beer, sloshing it down his front, and sidled his chair around the table to lean on Jonah\u2019s shoulder.\n\n\u201cAs it so happens, I do,\u201d he said.\n\nJonah felt his shoulders sag with relief. A knot at the base of his skull unwound. Maybe this wouldn\u2019t be so painful.\n\n\u201cVery, very simple,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cJust run some light cargo, supplies and such. You\u2019ll take it out on your next run, divert your course, meet with the client, drop it off, then go about your merry way. We\u2019ll take, what, five thousand off what you owe me?\u201d\n\nJonah\u2019s stomach squirmed. Five thousand was very generous for simple work. But usually when Mickey said simple, it was anything but.\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019s the catch?\u201d said Jonah.\n\n\u201cNo catch,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cJust a drop off.\u201d\n\nJonah\u2019s thinned his lips. \u201cWho\u2019s the client?\u201d\n\n\u201cIt really is just a simple drop off,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cI swear on the life of me mother.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor all I know, you killed your mother,\u201d said Jonah. \u201cWho\u2019s the client?\u201d\n\n\u201cAn old friend of yours,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cPietro.\u201d\n\nA cold sweat broke out on Jonah\u2019s skin. Pietro was an old acquaintance, but certainly not someone Jonah would call a friend. If anything, they were colleagues in Mickey\u2019s network of spies and couriers, Pietro being a spy.\n\nPietro Marquez was a disgraced Advocacy Agent. His old partner found out he was working for Mickey and things got messy. Most recently, Pietro had left a path of destruction escaping the Advocacy, and he was currently on the top of their most wanted list. His image was everywhere.\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d said Jonah, \u201cI won\u2019t do it. He\u2019s too hot right now.\u201d Jonah started to get up and Mickey grabbed his arm.\n\n\u201cThought you might feel that way,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cWay I see it, you owe me and you\u2019re behind on payment.\u201d\n\nThe knot in his shoulders was back and tighter than before. Jonah almost would have preferred the pain of a collection over the mess that was Pietro Marquez.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll have it for you in a few days. Really,\u201d Jonah assured. \u201cI would have had it sooner, but my oldest girl, she got sick. Had to spring for a medbay visit. You\u2019ll get it end of the week, tops.\u201d\n\n\u201cSuch a good father. It\u2019d be a shame for those girls to grow up without you,\u201d said Mickey.\n\nJonah sank back into his chair, his eyes fixated on the hand that gripped his arm. He couldn\u2019t really back away from a job, and he\u2019d never tried to, but this was too much.\n\n\u201cPietro knows you,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cHe trusts you. And I trust you. We both know you\u2019ll get him what he needs. He requested you. By name. He thinks very highly of you.\u201d\n\nJonah doubted that. Pietro called him a spineless lapdog the last time they worked together. And considering what Jonah was about to agree to, Pietro was probably right.\n\n\u201cDo this for me,\u201d said Mickey, \u201cand consider your debt settled. You\u2019ll be free and clear and never have to do another job for me.\u201d\n\nJonah raised his eyes to look Mickey in the face, bulging eye and all.\n\n\u201cYou have my word,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cAnd you know me. I never go back on my word, do I?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou don\u2019t,\u201d said Jonah, dejected. Everything inside him screamed that this job was a mistake, but he couldn\u2019t afford to miss the chance to get away from Mickey once and for all.\n\n\u201cOkay,\u201d said Jonah. \u201cI\u2019ll do it.\u201d\n\nA grin spread across Mickey\u2019s face. \u201cFantastic. Shake on it?\u201d\n\nJonah nodded and took Mickey\u2019s proffered hand.\n\n\u201cI appreciate this, lad,\u201d said Mickey. \u201cReally.\u201d\n\nHe squeezed Jonah\u2019s hand harder.\n\n\u201cConversely, if you don\u2019t do this, or decide you\u2019re better off running, I will collect on my debt. Do you understand?\u201d\n\nJonah swallowed and nodded.\n\n\u201cI didn\u2019t hear you,\u201d said Mickey.\n\n\u201cI understand,\u201d said Jonah.\n\n\u201cGood,\u201d said Mickey. He released Jonah\u2019s hand and slapped him on the shoulder. \u201cI\u2019ll send all the details and the cargo to your ship.\u201d He finished his beer and pushed away from the table.\n\nJonah watched as he walked up to the bar, hopped over it and proceeded to pummel the bartender into a bloody pulp. Several of the other customers pretended nothing was going on, but Jonah watched. He watched every brutal moment of it.\n\nSatisfied that he\u2019d made his point, Mickey stood, washed his hands in the ice bucket, climbed back over the bar without a word to anyone. He sauntered out the door, whistling as he went.\n\nHis mouth suddenly dry, Jonah took another sip of putrid beer and pushed away from the table. Slowly, he made his way to the bar. His stomach tied itself in a knot. He peered over.\n\nThe bartender lay in a puddle of beer and other fluids. His face was a bloody mess and he\u2019d probably need reconstructive surgery. He groaned and rolled over into a fetal position. The man would live, but he would never forget that you don\u2019t piss off Mickey \u201cGills\u201d Black.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re grounded, Ardoss.\u201d\n\nArdoss glanced up from his flight bag to see Junior Director Vami leering over his desk. Her dark hair was pinned back in a tight bun. She wore a dove gray, vintage pant suit with charcoal pinstripes.\n\nHe went back to packing. He was used to her melodrama. He took in her appearance only out of habit. An Advocacy Agent had to take in all of his surroundings, no matter how mundane or ordinary.\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t make threats you can\u2019t keep,\u201d he said as he checked his gun.\n\n\u201cThis isn\u2019t a threat,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re done. Early retirement.\u201d\n\nShe touched her mobiGlas and a form flashed onto his terminal screen.\n\nArdoss blinked. \u201cRetirement? I\u2019ve got two more years.\u201d\n\n\u201cYour last mission turned into a raging gun battle that killed one person and injured eight more. Not to mention the millions of credits of damage you did. I don\u2019t know if that shopping complex will be usable again. I\u2019ve gotten at least a hundred complaints from business owners, the city council, citizens\u2019 groups, you name it. This is a mess. To top that off, your quarry escaped.\u201d\n\nArdoss licked his lips. \u201cI\u2019m very close. He\u2019s hiding with outlaws; they\u2019ve given him safe harbor. But I know his associates. I know his friends. It\u2019s only a matter of time before I find him.\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t care if you\u2019ve got him locked in your desk, you\u2019re out. You have your orders.\u201d\n\n\u201cJust like that,\u201d said Ardoss. \u201cYou\u2019d destroy my career. Because Pietro was one of us? I didn\u2019t know. How could I know?\u201d\n\nShe placed her hands on his desk and leaned forward. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t. It\u2019s not about what happened, it\u2019s about how you handled it. Someone died in the crossfire. You ignored the safety of those around you. The higher-ups wanted to fire you on the spot.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s happened before,\u201d he said, \u201cto other Agents.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt happened to you,\u201d she said, \u201cyou\u2019re too high profile. Catching Pietro is a priority. It\u2019s a black eye to the Agency. I\u2019m trying to help you, Ardoss. Let someone else take it.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re gunning for Section Chief,\u201d he said.\n\nVami pushed away from the desk and turned. She glanced sideways at him and shook her head.\n\n\u201cMy concern is for the image of this Agency, the safety of its agents, and the people we are supposed to protect.\u201d\n\n\u201cRight,\u201d he said. \u201cIt looks pretty bad that one of your Agents was a rat. You wanna show your bosses you\u2019ve got it all under control.\u201d\n\n\u201cSomeone died, Ardoss.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd how many people do you think Pietro has killed while he spied on us for Mickey Black?\u201d said Ardoss.\n\nVami dropped her head. \u201cYou\u2019re making this personal.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is personal,\u201d said Ardoss. \u201cPietro Marquez was my partner. I should have seen it sooner. Let me have this, Vami, just this last capture. If he makes it to Banu space, we\u2019ll never find him again.\u201d\n\nShe pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. \u201cYou don\u2019t even know where he is.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, not yet,\u201d insisted Ardoss, \u201cbut I screwed up his escape when I found him out. His exit ship was damaged. All he has now is his Agency ship. His regtags are still active and I know he went back to Black. I\u2019ve talked to a few informants. Black\u2019s given him a place to lay low until he can swap out his tags or get a new ship. Trust me, I can find him.\u201d\n\nVami sank into the chair on the other side of Ardoss\u2019 desk. \u201cGive me all the information you have and we\u2019ll assign the case to someone else. You\u2019re too close.\u201d\n\n\u201cExactly. I trained him, Vami,\u201d said Ardoss. \u201cTwenty years together. We were side-by-side for hundreds of jobs. I know Pietro better than anyone in this organization. I didn\u2019t see it before, but I know what to look for now. There\u2019s this cargo pilot, Jonah Ruskella, I\u2019ve seen his name a few places.\u201d\n\nVami shrugged. \u201cSo they\u2019re drinking buddies.\u201d\n\n\u201cNope,\u201d said Ardoss. \u201cRuskella is a courier for Mickey Black. They\u2019ve been seen together. I got it from three different sources.\u201d\n\n\u201cOkay, so what does that have to do with Pietro?\u201d said Vami.\n\n\u201cThey say Ruskella is moving equipment and supplies for Mickey in the next twenty-four hours.\u201d\n\nVami crossed her arms and thinned her lips. \u201cThat\u2019s a lot of speculation, Ardoss. A lot.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat else do I have to go on?\u201d he said. \u201cI could stake out the jump points into Banu space, hope I get lucky, or follow a lead.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re assuming I\u2019m going to let you,\u201d she said.\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t do this to me, Vami,\u201d he said. \u201cDon\u2019t end my career like this. Let me finish it out with one last recovery.\u201d\n\nShe dropped her arms. \u201cEven if your information is correct . . .\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is,\u201d he said. \u201cThese guys wouldn\u2019t lie to me. Not at the prices I pay them.\u201d\n\nShe clenched her jaw.\n\n\u201cI need this,\u201d he said.\n\nShe sighed. \u201cI don\u2019t want a repeat of the mall. You keep it quiet.\u201d\n\n\u201cI will,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll board Ruskella\u2019s ship, incognito, follow him to the rendezvous with Pietro, and make the arrest.\u201d\n\n\u201cJust like that?\u201d she asked.\n\n\u201cJust like that.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd if the drop isn\u2019t for Pietro?\u201d\n\nHe shrugged. \u201cI\u2019ll find another lead.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, you won\u2019t,\u201d she said, standing. \u201cThis is it. This is all you get. You board this ship and you look for your old partner. If you don\u2019t find Pietro, you come back.\u201d\n\nHe ground his teeth. He knew his hunch was right. It had to be. He didn\u2019t need Vami clouding his judgment. This had to work. There weren\u2019t any other options.\n\n\u201cFine,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cI want to make something very clear,\u201d she said. \u201cAny deaths, accidental or otherwise, any damages, any complaints and you can forget about retirement. You\u2019ll find yourself in a cell.\u201d\n\n\u201cUnderstood,\u201d Ardoss said, nostrils flaring.\n\nWith that, she left his office. She didn\u2019t even look at him.\n\nSo that was the way it had to be. He could live with that. All he wanted was Pietro Marquez. He wanted to ask him why. He wanted to understand. He didn\u2019t think he ever would.\n\nJonah stared at the manifest, his hands shaking. It was just supposed to be cargo. No passengers this time. But there they were, four passengers.\n\nHe went to his boss, the dock master.\n\n\u201cThere aren\u2019t supposed to be any people on this flight,\u201d he said. He slapped the manifest down on the man\u2019s desk.\n\nDock Master Haru gazed at him through rheumy, wrinkled eyes. A WiDoW addict who didn\u2019t bother to hide it, he was tall and wiry. The stained black veins made his arms look infected. The spider tattoos didn\u2019t help. Jonah had only ever seen a spider once, but the memory of it was burned into his brain. It had gotten into some cargo from Earth. He\u2019d seen other insects from other planets, but that spider was the one that crawled into his nightmares. Too many legs. Char, his co-pilot, told him he should see a centipede sometime. Jonah didn\u2019t like the sound of that.\n\nHaru placed those frightful hands on the rickety desk and pushed himself up. He licked his lips, which were thin and papery. \u201cYou have passengers when I say you have passengers.\u201d\n\nHaru was a bully. He had a reputation of withholding payments, grounding ships, and suspending pilots just because someone pissed him off. Jonah had to tread carefully.\n\n\u201cI leave in four hours,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t have time to prepare.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen leave in five,\u201d said Haru. \u201cI really don\u2019t care when you leave as long as you leave with what\u2019s on the manifest.\u201d He raised a hairless eyebrow and stared at Jonah.\n\nHe couldn\u2019t leave in five hours. He had a schedule to keep. Haru wouldn\u2019t care, and Jonah didn\u2019t want to have to tell Mickey why his shipment was late.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll leave in four,\u201d said Jonah, his shoulders sagging. \u201cI\u2019ll keep the schedule.\u201d\n\nHaru smiled. \u201cExcellent news. I\u2019ll tell the drop-off port to expect you at the normal time.\u201d\n\nJonah gave his boss an uneasy smile. Haru was almost as bad as Mickey. The only difference was, Haru wouldn\u2019t beat you to a pulp or shove you in a vacuum for defying him.\n\nIf Jonah had the money, he could go into business on his own, then he could tell Haru if he was taking on passengers or not. As it was, all his spare cash went to Mickey or into a trust fund for his kids. It wasn\u2019t much, but he wanted them to have a better life than he did.\n\nThat would change after this job. Jonah could start building his business and break away from Haru and Mickey.\n\nProvided, of course, that Mickey kept his word.\n\nHe turned away from Haru and hurried to his ship, Open Sky. He had a lot to prepare before they left. Secure the airlock, clean the passenger area, arrange for food for the trip. These things took time. Normally, twenty-four hour notice was standard for passenger manifests, but Jonah couldn\u2019t be too surprised since Haru was always pulling shit like this. Give the man enough Credits, and he\u2019d pretty much ignore any protocol.\n\nHe boarded and went straight for the cockpit.\n\n\u201cWe have passengers,\u201d he said, catching his breath as he pushed through the doorway.\n\n\u201cI know,\u201d replied Char, not looking up from her pre-flight check. Her long dark hair was pulled back loosely. A few gray strands escaped the mass and blended in with her silver flight suit.\n\nJonah sighed; she always knew. After well over a decade flying together, he struggled to think of a single time his co-pilot had been caught off guard.\n\n\u201cSome pop-off, low-level politician was in here about an hour ago making a big fuss about his arrangements,\u201d she said. \u201cDemanded private quarters and shoved his mobiGlas in my face trying to show me some sort of document for preferential treatment.\u201d She laughed. \u201cLike we\u2019re a starliner.\u201d\n\nA bureaucrat, no matter how low-level, was just the type Haru would bend over backwards to please. That explained a lot. Jonah still didn\u2019t like it. It made the job harder.\n\n\u201cWhat did you tell him?\u201d he said.\n\nShe laughed again. \u201cI sent him to our \u2018VIP lounge\u2019 and told him to come back when we called for boarding. If all he can get is a little ship like ours, he gets what we give him.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe don\u2019t have a VIP lounge,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cHe knows that now,\u201d she said. \u201cHe\u2019s probably still sitting in that break room.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat about the other passengers?\u201d he said.\n\nShe shrugged. \u201cI think one is a businesswoman. I haven\u2019t met her, but nothing alarming on her documentation. Another one is some nineteen-year-old kid. He\u2019s probably headed out looking for work or visiting family.\u201d\n\nSafe enough. They\u2019d probably stay out of the way.\n\n\u201cWhat about the fourth one?\u201d said Jonah.\n\n\u201cA retiree,\u201d she said. \u201cOld codger on vacation most likely. It should be a cake run. I\u2019ve already got the food packs ordered and I managed to requisition some cleaners from one of the bigger ships. We\u2019ll make the schedule.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat would I do without you, Char?\u201d said Jonah.\n\nShe gave a wicked grin. \u201cDie in a vacuum, most likely. Or get murdered by a pirate.\u201d\n\nThat was still a possibility.\n\n\u201cI picked up some packages for you in port,\u201d he said. \u201cLooks like some stuff from your sister.\u201d\n\n\u201cUgh, what does she want now?\u201d Char said.\n\nJonah shrugged. \u201cGuess you\u2019ll have to open them. Oh, also found some licorice in the market.\u201d He dug in his satchel and pulled out a small, plastic sealed packet.\n\nChar\u2019s eyes lit up. \u201cWonders never cease.\u201d She tore open the package and took out a piece. She popped it in her mouth and closed her eyes.\n\n\u201cSo good.\u201d\n\nHe made a face. \u201cIf you say so.\u201d\n\nShe grinned. \u201cMore for me.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe need to take a detour before our last stop,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cGot another side job?\u201d she said.\n\n\u201cYeah,\u201d he said. He\u2019d never told Char about Mickey, didn\u2019t want to cause her trouble. She was ex-military, so she could probably handle herself, but Jonah admired her too much to dirty her hands. After flying together for sixteen years, Char was his oldest and dearest friend. And there were just some things you didn\u2019t do to your friends. Mickey Black was one of them.\n\nThey finished the pre-flight with some help from a couple of day laborers and started to board the passengers with half an hour to spare.\n\nThe politician, a man by the name of Nickolas Thrumm, was just as bad as Char said.\n\nHe was an oily man, with slicked back hair, well-manicured hands, and an expensive suit. He carried leather luggage and smelled like wood. Char said it was sandalwood, some kind of rare tree or such.\n\nThrumm gave one look at the ship and frowned.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s so small,\u201d he said.\n\nChar shrugged. \u201cIt\u2019s a small ship.\u201d\n\nHe glanced at the passenger area.\n\n\u201cAnd cramped.\u201d His voice took on a nasal quality that made Jonah wince.\n\n\u201cWhere are my quarters?\u201d Thrumm asked.\n\n\u201cThere are no private quarters,\u201d said Jonah.\n\n\u201cThe passenger area\u2019s not so bad,\u201d added Char. \u201cThe seats are fully reclining and you get your own stow space for luggage. There\u2019s even sleep netting for zero-g.\u201d\n\n\u201cI have to sleep out here?\u201d said Thrumm.\n\nChar shrugged. \u201cIt\u2019s the best we have. If you don\u2019t like it, you should have considered that when you pushed through the booking on such a small flight. Now, if you don\u2019t mind, we need to finish boarding.\u201d\n\nThrumm moved on in a huff and they welcomed the remaining passengers.\n\nThe teenager, a young man who only went by Mitt, grunted at them and took a seat at the back. The businesswoman, one Winona Crim, sat next to the teen. She didn\u2019t even acknowledge Char or Jonah. She sat down with a sigh, dug in her bag and pulled out a bottle of pills. She downed a handful and laid back with a pinched look on her face that said she\u2019d rather be anywhere but on that ship.\n\n\u201cNot an easy flier,\u201d said Char.\n\nJonah nodded in agreement.\n\nThe last passenger, the retiree, was a gnarled looking man. He had white hair and was missing part of his left ear. The name on the manifest said Tom White. He sat across from Thrumm.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s everyone,\u201d said Jonah. \u201cStrap in folks. We\u2019ll be leaving just as soon as flight control gives us the all clear.\u201d\n\nThe passengers were silent as Jonah and Char settled into the cockpit. Everything was good to go and they got the signal for take-off shortly after. They pulled out of the space dock and keyed in the jump point. Jonah switched over to the nav computer and turned to see if the passengers were buckled in.\n\nThrumm was staring at the retiree, White.\n\n\u201cYou look familiar,\u201d said Thrumm.\n\n\u201cI just have one of those faces,\u201d said White. \u201cI get that all the time.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d said Thrumm, shaking his head. \u201cI\u2019ve seen you before. You weren\u2019t in a vid, were you?\u201d\n\nWhite smiled. \u201cIf only.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s it,\u201d said Thrumm. \u201cI saw you on the news. You\u2019re an Advocacy Agent aren\u2019t you? Ardoss, isn\u2019t it?\u201d\n\nJonah felt all the blood drain from his face and he turned back to his console. Ardoss. That was the name of Pietro\u2019s partner. He was screwed.\n\nTo be continued"},"links_count":0,"comment_count":16,"created_at":"2019-06-04T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"6 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 22:12:17","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":17099,"next_id":17102}}