Anomalous Cargo - Chapter 3

[Fhg#1893]

Chapter 3


Ever since the Khaak massacre, many people were nervous getting near President's End. Some even people believed that President's End was cursed, and went to great lengths and lavish expense to go around it no matter how many warships the Argon Navy devoted to
patrolling the sector.

Of course, Ted Decker believed that was all a load of Argnu dung. Since the massacre, he'd flown through President's End more times than he could count - ever since the massacre, President's End had become a favorite drop-off point for clients. The Khaak seemed to have
moved on, and the Argon Navy and the lack of profits discouraged most pirates. This often left the sector completely deserted, which made it an almost ideal spot for clients and couriers who didn't care for attention to fly through and drop, or pick up their cargos. In fact, the one entity that he could be almost guaranteed to encounter in President's End was the competition. Tred had just picked up his cargo from near the wreckage of a silicon mine, when just such an entity entered the system.

"Proximity alert!"

"Source?"

"Boron Mako. vicinity; Gate: The wall. Ship registration: BJ5YK-35A. Course, 190 mark 0... incomming signal!"

The upper right corner of Tred's view screen was replaced by the image of a relatively young Argon female. Her eyes were a soft light-blue colour, she had a smallish nose, and long brown hair, and a sharp, smart-looking jaw.

"Hello Tred. Fancy meeting you here. You look like the wrong end of an argnu." She said in a smooth, dark, confident voice.

Tred hesitated a moment before responding in monotone, "Hello Vella." He was going to add a casual insult, but couldn't quite deliver it before she cut him off.

"So tell me Tred, was she worth it?" she asked with just a hint of mischief in her voice.

This elicited a grin in Tred.

"Maybe. That depends on whether or not you make any counter-offers..." breathed Tred with equal mischief.

"Tred, it's not good business to sleep with your rivals!" she said, "Now allies on the other hand..."

"That's a load of Argnu dung and you know it. You certainly didn't think so on Phobass IV!"

Vella pretended to pout, "Oh Tred, you're too up tight. You know we'd make a good team. And how can you resist the fringe benefits?"

Tred was finding it difficult not to think about the secondary benefits to a partnership with Vella.

"Business before pleasure Vella, not business and pleasure."

She fixed him with a hungry gaze, "I see nothing wrong with mixing the two. Don't try to pretend that you aren't thinking about it."

Tred was convinced that Vella had some sort of device that could peer into his mind.

"As tempting as that offer is, you know I work alone Vella. I've seen what your accounts looks like, and I know just how much you love spending credits. Especially my credits."

The thrill of the chase was shattered, but an enduring friendship remained.

"I only spent a few-"

He cut her off, "Eleven thousand, seven hundred, and ninety two credits to be precise Vella, in less than half a wozura. I don't call that just a few credits."

"Tred stop it. I paid you back with interest as I recall."

"Yeah, only after I chased you across half the known universe."

Vella sighed, "Fine, be that way. So where are you headed?"

"Here and there. You?"

"You know, a little bit of everywhere."

There was an unwritten rule among couriers that you did not discuss work. Couriers who broke that rule would normally ran afoul of some very unpleasant people, with equally unpleasant energy-weapons. Still, there was a certain sense of friendly comradeship even among business rivals. These were some of the only times that couriers made face to face contact with anybody, and all couriers placed especial value in balancing both familiarity, and client confidentiality. There was no real shop-talk, ever.

"Got time for a drink Tred?"

"Who's buying?"

"Why sir, you wouldn't be so ungallant as to refuse to buy a lady a drink! I'm shocked!" she said with a dangerous smile.

Drinking with Vella almost always lasted quite a lot longer than either normally planned, and almost always went beyond 'drinks.' Tred could tell by Vella's smile that she was counting on just such an eventuality. The thought of spending another Tazura with Vella was all too tempting, in spite of any financial difficulty he was bound to encounter by spending any time
at all with Vella.

He deeply regretted being forced to turn her down,"Not this tazura Vella. I'm still regretting the last one. Next time?" Tred subconsciously felt for his swollen eye.

"Next time Tred. Just don't get yourself killed, I want that drink."

"The way I understand it Vella, I'm not the one you need to worry about."

"Care to make your right-eye match the left Tred? Later."

Vella cut the transmission.

Tred was smiling all the way through President's End. But it abruptly melted off just as soon as Pride of Decker broke the event horizon of the gate to Elena's Fortune. He sucked in a deep breath, and said to himself, "Here we go."

[SOTS]

Seriously. I'm going to conscript you into writing my conversations, at least. I struggle a bit with character development lol. Even with, say Cova (one of my main characters) seems a little one dimensional to me.

But this Tred... I wouldn't be surprised to see him walk down a high street or something. Apart from, y'know, being fictional and stuff.

[Syndrome]

Absolutely brilliant That chapter was my favorite style, social.