Version 2006 - Ch 38

SIN 4

I found shelter in a stinking pipe, but one counts his blessings. I was at least able to relieve myself. Something with tentacles, milky white and oozing with slime crawled from the back of the pipe. It took several blasts to make it stop move. I waited till the suns set. The flyer with the dark robed goon had searched for me for a while but he was gone now for hours. I sneaked back hoping the drive section of the Courier ship was not completely destroyed. Other men and beings appeared fighting over the Courier ship. There was no way to get back to it and try to escape. They were too many. But the first flyer was still there buried halfway under a mound of debris. It was a Union Manufacture. A Daihatsu-Enroe armored glider of recent manufacture. The shields had deflected much of the tank shot, but not all. The left Arti grav was destroyed. I poked my blaster into the open hatch first and then looked. A dead human was still sitting in the driver's seat, the sudden impact had broken his neck. A small palm sized box with the logo of the First Union Bank caught my eye. I put it in my pocket and was elated as I took the weapon of the dead man. It was finest Terran Weapon Tech, a H&K Missile Gun and he had even two magazines. I took his boots. Taking a dead man's boots was maybe not right, but I was bare feet and had already a dozen cuts in them. So with the first aid pack I doctored my feet and put them on. They were not auto-dresser size adjustable and a tad to big but still better than bare feet. I was sure I could not linger here for long. Eventually those scavengers or whatever was out there would find it. Put the dead man's jacket on to disguise my uniform as much as I could not wanting to be recognized as a Union Officer right away until I knew where I was. He had a sizeable bag of radshield coated polonium coins with him and a wicked looking combat knife of unknown origin. I felt much better, armed to the teeth, boots on my feet. Where ever I was seemed not to be isolated from Union Space so I hoped to find a GalNet terminal or other means to communicate. A gun battle erupted outside and through a view port I saw now three groups battling over the Courier ship. Still they had not taken notice of the flyer or me, but I still didn't want to push my luck. Quickly I searched the rest of the flier and the cargo hold. The Hold was clearly designed to hold a prisoner, me! I used the twilight and plenty of cover to leave. To the north south and east was a huge city. To the west I now saw an ocean but it was not blue or green even from the distance it looked dead and gray! The air was alive with fliers and they all were armed and in only a short time. I saw three aerial dog fights of fliers shooting at each other! What I thought was the Space Port terminal from the distance turned out to be ruins with busted and broken windows, missing doors and crumbling Duro Crete. Something like a control tower had an added Gun turret and it slowly rotated its barrels pointed to the sky. Beyond the Space port buildings I saw floating light sings and project-a-signs for Hotels, Bars and Casinos offering gambling and sex for any flavor imaginable. The terminal building was pock marked with blaster holes and dark. It was so it appeared the only access to the city beyond. The space field was separated from that city by a 12 meter high Duro-Crete wall. With my hand at the H&K I entered the dark building. Staying close to the walls. The exit doors on the other side were about 100 meters away. My eyes used to the darkness of oceans could still see much details. The Interior of the place stank of feces, urine and other indescribable organic odors. Here too was litter and trash everywhere and corpses of many species in various states of decomposition strewn in between. I also knew I was not alone, there were others here hiding! I heard a whispered word, pointed the H&K and fired a three rocket burst. The smart little rockets homed in on infrared signatures and exploded with force! the flash of light revealed six beings, one of them a Quadiped and three Spindlars. The other two could have been Oghars, a brutish non Union Species. I didn't waste the opportunity and fired six times, this time in optical recognition mode and ran as fast as I could to the exit. Something hot singed my left arm. The rockets exploded. I made it into the street. A Being in a vintage looking battle suit swopped from the roof of a building and yelled." I found him first! He is mine!" Both of his arms ended in weapons and he fired. If he had a modern Quasimodo I would have been dead. The blasts hammered into the dirty Duro-crete before me. I send a few rockets after him and dodged into an alley, slipped through a broken grating into a building and kept on running down a barley lit corridor of gray. Through three basements and down two alleys I collapsed behind a heap of stinking garbage. My left arm was almost numb of pain and I saw that the blast had torched me worse than I thought. A ripped black flexpast sack caught my eye. I fashioned a crude cape and hood out of it and slipped back into the main street. In the distance I saw the being in the armor, his shield was flickering and smoking and he talked to a group of others pointing down the alley I had ran. There were other beings all over scavenging through the waste, taking no notice of others. The buildings where of every architectural style imaginable, some looked new, others old and desolate. Sky bridges and cluttered the sky as far as I could see Light came only from the Advertisement signs far above. I walked along not running, keeping in the shadows as much as I could the smelly plasti hood pulled deep over my face. There was nothing clean. The street looked wet as if from a recent down pour, and there was trash simply everywhere. Then I noticed a little light sign. It's writing alien over a hole in a wall. A dozen beings and a few humanoids stood there buying some kind of food from an Oghar. A banged up heavy armored Flyer was hovering next to that street kitchen, it was painted dark orange, had three gun turrets and the word TAXI on a dimly lit sign. I walked up to it. The Gun turrets immediately followed me and black dressed Oghar standing by the Kitchen yelled." Skaakh get away from my Cap! I only take Polonium, Union Creds. Not recy scrap!" Skaakh, he called me Skaakh and I knew I heard this name before. Of course! Wetmouth told me about it. That meant I was on Sin 4. "I have money. I need a ride!" He came over his hand on a gun. Then he saw my gun."Alright you are no Skaakh. Get in!" At his command the door opened and I climbed into the passenger compartment. A steel bench and two Neuro Rippers pointed at whoever was sitting there. I heard his voice through a speaker." Touch your guns and the Computronic fries you on the spot. Fare is 100 Union Creds per 15 minutes or one Polo Chip. I don't take Kerms. First payment due before we go anywhere!" I dropped a Polo Coin in a drawer that opened. "Very well then. Where would you want to go!" "A decent hotel." "You're in luck. My wives' brother works for a fine establishment. Clean, heavy security. All insurances paid." The cap whisked up and only after maybe five minutes it slowed down and he said." Opening door fee is also 1 Polo!" I placed the coin in the chute. The door opened and I was almost outside when I heard him say."Come back in I got a deal for you!" While the loutspeakers were active I could hear another voice." ..repeat we are looking forthe human male in this holo pic. Big reward..." I jumped. The Neuro-Rippers hummed angry. I landed on a sky bridge, that lead to a double door with the sign reading Hotel. The sky bridge had no railing nor safety field and I was dangerously close to the edge, below I saw another one within jumping range but it was far to the ground below. The Cap above me was changing position so he could fire. I had no choice and jumped. I miscalculated and just barely managed to grab the ledge with my left. My arm already numb of pain sent a jolt of mind numbing pain into my mind and I cursed the taxi cab. I saw another sky bridge, at a slight angle over ten meters below, but better than the what seemed to be 500 meters to the ground. I let go this time I hit the bridge square in the middle, but my left ankle bent over and it hurt even more than my arm. I limped to the end of the bridge. How many hours I limped through that strange city, always staying in the shadows as much as I could, I could not tell, but I barley felt my feet and my left arm was now completly numb. Then I saw what looked like a Dance Club with bright lights and expensive skimmers. Heavily armed guards and Robots and a little to the side stood Wetmouth smoking one of Muhammad's smoke sticks! I said." Oh thanks Odin. Wetmouth! You guys found me!" She looked at me and said." I am Moistpromise. I am a Sojonit but I know of Wetmouth." She turned and waved."Come with me!" Next to the Sky bridge parked a sporty pink colored Mercedes Skimmer. It was not openly armed nor did it look armored. I went in and she placed herself behind the controls. The expensive luxury skimmer shot into the night sky. I did see the controls of a state of the Art SII- Battles shield and knew there was no need for armor then I passed out. When I came around I found myself in a large bed of with peach colored sheets. The bed had curtains, a mirror above the bed and stood in a large girlish decorated room in a matching color scheme. My arm was bandaged with a Derma-Regen Patch, I was clean and otherwise naked under the thin soft sheet. My foot felt as good as new, sticking inside a thin rigid brace. The Sojonit sat in a chair next to a Terminal and noticed me waking up. She looked exactly like Wetmouth. Pink Hair and mask. I never saw Wetmouth in a pink sheer costume, and knee high boots though. "So you are Eric Olafson. Half the Planet is looking for you. Someone put a huge bounty and a very good description of yours in circulation. That is bad news on a planet without laws and full of bounty hunters, assassins, killers and pirates to name just the tip of the iceberg." "I am on Sin 4 right?" "Yes you are and I just talked to the Mother Superior and she will get a message off planet to Wetmouth." "There is no GalNet Terminal somewhere?" "I wish there would be but we are 170 Light years away from the closest one. Only the Union developed this marvelous instantaneous communication net. The Kermac have faster than light communication but barley faster than a space ship. There are PSI-Post stations here, but you can't trust a long range telepath with your sensitive messages. Who knows who listens in." She got up and came closer sitting on the bed." No worries, a sister is on her way with a message and your friends will know you are alright in no time." "Can a passage be booked on a ship or something?" She laughed behind her mask." Eric this is Sin 4, we are in Free space. There is no Space bus service. Yes I am sure you can get a ride on a ship, but you would have to hire a Privateer and everyone is looking for you. Ten Million Union Creds paid out in Creds or Polo is a mighty sum and I doubt you can trust anyone right now!" "Can I trust you?" "You have to trust me, but no worries. We are bound by the rule of Mother Superior and the Goddess and no amount of money can make us sell out! You need to see the Mother Superior she will explain it to you better than me." "Thank you for rescuing me!" "No problem. I am a friend of Wetmouth and she has told me about you in many letters. I know you are close friends!" "What happened to my uniform?" "It's somewhere on the bottom of the South Ocean. It had several tracers inside. You had a few in you yourself, but I was able to take care of those as well." "There was a piece of metal in a leather holster." "I have your weapons and things right here. Along with your credit box." "We need to leave soon and get you to the Temple Island. Only there will you be safe!" "Someone knows we are here?" "Not that I know of, but this is only a love hotel. I am sure someone saw me renting it and if they want to see who my customer is I can't refuse. We Sojonits are under protection of the Four Families by old contracts, but whoever is searching for you appears to be has the blessing of the Four Families to turn every stone to find you. The Island is off limits but we need to get there!" "Then we should go!" "Not like this. My flyer is open and they can see who is inside. You need a disguise!" "Alright." "It is forbidden by one of our highest laws that anyone who has not taken the oaths of our order shall impersonate a Sojonit. We command very high prices and respect for our services and there are those who want to cash in on our brand. We kill those who do and without mercy, but the highest law is still the word of the Mother Superior and she told me to disguise you as a Sojonit. So you can freely travel." The luxury suite had an Auto Dresser and she asked me to use it. It seemed like a small eternity ago when I last used an Auto Dresser this way. It took longer than usual as the unit was old and Moistpromise feed the items in by hand. But when I stepped out I too looked exactly like her. I wore a corset style top, a short skirt and long boots, over it a sheer jacket and all in shades of pink. Including the wig. I had not forgotten about my other persona but the events of the past month left little time, but now the female inside me burst to life and brushed all maleness aside. Finally free to be me. Moist clapped her hands." Either Wetmouth was a very good teacher or you have talents of your own. I know few females and even fewer males that could walk like that in those heels." "Its hidden talents. Wetmouth had little chance of wearing anything but Uniform since I know her." "Impractical they are and not exactly healthy. Fashion comes and goes but high heels have always been there." She said." Now help me deleting any trace of your presence." We stripped the bed, threw the sheets down a garbage chute and she sprayed the Auto dresser and everything liberally with a disinfectant. I found my weapons and she put them in a bag."Weapons are second nature to anyone here, they won't raise an eyebrow, but Sojonits do not wear such crude weapons openly. We have more subtle ways." I took the Credit box I had found in the Flyer and just out of curiosity checked the read out and almost fell over. The readout showed a secure account with 100 million Union Creds. She came out of the bathroom and looked around."As good as it gets. Let's pay for the room and extra cleaning then all DNA traces are gone for sure." We went down a glass elevator into a plush foyer. A truly white faced humanoid with sunken eyes wearing a tuxedo like outfit bowed slightly behind the counter."We are very grateful for Sojonit patronage. I hope everything was to the Sisters satisfaction?" Moistpromise declined her head gracefully. "The Velvet Pasha meets our best customers expectations, as always. We had a rather extensive session and I would like to order immediate room service and book the room for the rest of the week." He pressed a contact and nodded." Room service is dispatched." The readout showed 1900 Creds and I swiped the box and left a hefty tip. I batted my eyes behind the mask and said." That is for you. Your attention to excellent service is well received." He pushed his chest out and smiled proudly." You are too kind!" Just then six beings came through the main entrance. They wore armor plated uniforms, and were armed to the teeth. One of them came straight to the counter and projected a holo of my face! "Have you seen this man?" "This is the Pasha! We are operated and owned by the Cartel ! We do not divulge such information if we had it!" A Perthanian giant appeared from behind an alcove and planted his massive body behind the Desk clerk and rasped with his steel barrel voice." It is very unhealthy to mess with the Cartel. I suggest you bounty hunters leave now!" "We have permission from the Cartel to search. You are welcome to check. Now have you seen this man?" "No I have not." Moistpromise took me by the arm and walked towards the exit. But one of the Bounty hunters. More Cyborg than man stepped in our way and he too produced the Holo." Have you seen him? There is a nice reward on his head!" "We serviced no such man!" She said." Now let us pass!" He grunted but let us go. I could feel his eyes on my back as we left for the park deck. Only after the Mercedes shot into the air, protected by its powerful shields did I relax. " Whew, I thought he noticed something." She giggled. "Yes he did, your ass! He has lots of machine parts but he is still a man." The city was as dirty and gray during the day as it was at night. The air was full of smoke and dirt." What a place!" "Sin 4 produces lots of illegal things and all waste is simply dumped. The City takes much of the Northern Continent and some estimate that there are 3 billion beings at all times. Most of them living at the bottom of the feeding chain, including the Stiks." "Who are the Stiks?" "A tribal pre industrial species that is native to Sin 4. They are treated worse than the Skaakh." "I wonder why anyone wants to live here!" "Because Sin 4 is within reach of the four big powers. Not to mention a dozen Civilizations not associated to any of the big four. The Union, the Kermac, Nul-Nul and Shiss are called the Big Four. By treaty of the last cease fire agreement, this is Free Space. None of the four powers are allowed to send Warships here and all four watch closely the others don't violate the treaty. It is a haven for the scum and criminal elements and it is big business. Anything that is illegal in any of the four powers can be bought or sold here. It is a neutral meeting ground, hostages and blackmail money can be exchanged, as you learned yourself. Just as we were about to leave the city behind us and aimed to fly over the ocean. Two armed skimmers came close looked us over and left."That is why we use open skimmers. So they can see we never have anything to hide." I noticed the ocean becoming blue after we flew a few hundred clicks. I saw small islands with huge villas on them. She made a big circle around them." Those are the family villas. Belonging to the top bosses of the Cartel. They have any weapon money can buy, the best mercenaries and they shoot first and rarely ask questions if you get to close." Then we approached a larger green Island it was covered with a well tended green park. In its center an immense Statue of a reclined naked woman in a very provocative position. The Statues face looked exactly like the masks all Sojonits wore. I estimated the Statue to be at last 600 meters tall. "Welcome to Sojo Island. This is our sanctuary and our temple!" Small structures that looked like frilly Garden pagodas, turned with us and I saw the muzzles of modern FTL projector following our flight path. She noticed too." The island is perhaps the best defended place on this planet and it is well known. Here you are as safe as can be as no man is allowed in the inner sanctuary. You will be the first. Do not reveal your true nature to anyone till we met the Mother Superior!" "I won't." "Your mask and wig are registered and you can freely move. Anyone trying to use a fake disguise would not make it that far!" "Good to know!" We approached one of the gigantic perky breasts of the statue and a hidden door opened and admitted the Flyer and us. There was a fleet of pink Mercedes Flyers parked and hers was just one." Well it seems business is good!" She laughed." It is often called the oldest business in the universe and no matter the times, we always have a steady stream of customers." It was cool and smelled of a faint feminine perfume. The same scent I always noticed on Wetmouth . The corridors and rooms had no straight lines and had an organic look to them. The floors covered with soft carpets. Muffling our steps. Even though I did enjoy the staccato of our heels in the Hotel lobby. There were Sojonits everywhere and only few wore masks. Some wore simple white robes and others nothing at all."Here in the temple we do not have to wear our masks. Only to some of us they became such an integral part we feel naked without them." She explained. Antiques and artwork from all over the Galaxy depicting humans and non human species in all forms of sexual contact. "How is it you can offer your services to let's say a Quadiped and yet I see no non human species here?" "That are secrets I can not reveal to you, but maybe the Mother Superior will!" We stepped into a small elevator that followed the arched body of the female body into its head and from there into a very tasteful decorated room with antique looking furniture. A Sojonit awaited us. She was the first I saw that did not wear pink but a deep red gown and her was cut in the same style but much longer and black. the Lips of her mask were closed. "Welcome Eric, I am the Mother Superior of the Order of the Sojonit Goddess, Mother of the Universe and source of all pleasure." I bowed. " It is an honor, Ma'am!" She said to Moisture." Thank you for bringing him here save and unnoticed." " I live to serve the Goddess!" With these words she left and I was alone with the mysterious woman. "Have a seat and get comfortable. You are welcome to take of the mask of course." I sat down and took the flexible mask of. "Would you care for something to drink? I have real Terran Line Aquavit here and a nice selection of beers!" "No thank you, not at the moment. You seem to know a lot about me." She sat down crossed her legs." I believe your security clearance is Blue-Blue-Red and I know Stahl and Mc Elligott trust you. I am like those two an Immortal. And you are not only inside the Sojonit Temple but also at the most important Outpost of Terran Space Intelligence." I was completely surprised."But I thought the TSI was dissolved like all the other Intel branches of the other member species with the Unification Contract of 3002!" "We don't officially exist. There very few that know it still does and only four, well now five beings know that this Sojonit Temple is more than what it seems." "Do you know how I ended up here?" "Yes I do. Admiral Dent an agent for the Kermac Hegemony and his Assistant Decker working for the Worm plotted to abduct you for the Kermac. The Exchange was supposed to take place here on Sin 4. Before I could intervene a third party known as the Church of the Dark One interfered and wanted you for their own purposes!" "But why me? Why would the Kermac to go through all this trouble to get me? I am just a midshipman!" "You are way more than that Eric. You were made High Representative of the Narth. You are the only Non Narth to have unlimited access to all Narth Secrets!" "I know very little about them!" "Because you have not yet been to Narth and received all your instructions." "If Dent is an agent of the Kermac he could put his goons everywhere! Admiral Stahl must be informed!" " He has been informed and your friends know you are alive. Your friend Narth is with them. You and I will leave this planet and join your friends soon. We are just waiting for a ship." "So Wetmouth is an agent of TSI?" "No Eric she does not know. Neither do most of the other Sojonits. This order exists for a very long time and it is much more than a cover. The Sojonits know all the secrets of sexual pleasure of almost every being in the known Universe." "How can they?" "Some of us are not human Eric. We are shape shifters and can take on any form." "I never heard of a species that can do that, but then I've seen many species unknown to me in the last days." "It is a great secret Eric, however it appears as if you attract and collect the great secrets of this Universe like others collect pottery pieces, maybe it is because you are keeping secrets well and you can be trusted with them." "I never really asked for them, it sort of all happened!" "Well you are not very good at keeping your own secret to well. It seems you are quite comfortable in this costume. Much more than a Neo Viking supposed to be!" My cheeks started burning and I felt ashamed as she was right. She leaned forward and padded my knee." Don't be ashamed I was trying to make a joke. I am very much like you!" "You are?" "Very much so and I was that way before they manipulated unborn children's DNA and psyche and before I was able to shift shape at will!" "Well I bet it sure helps to get into the nice outfits!" She laughed."Indeed it does!" I showed her the Cred Box." What do I do with this?" She checked it and whistled behind her mask. "This isn't small change anymore. I assume it is the sum brokered between Worm and Kermac for you. The Worm spend quite some money on this operation but the Kermac can afford it. I think you should keep it. You could retire from the Navy right away and be a very wealthy individual. I have no idea what to do with all this money and I don't think I am going to retire anytime soon." "Keep it anyway it might come in handy. There are few more potent weapons in the universe than money."She got up and tugged at her skirt and listened to something I could not hear."It's time we leave and remember you never been here and all I told you was never said." "I will not mention anything to anyone." "Now be a Sojonit again, and follow me!" ________________________________________