Systems In Chaos: Dissention

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

“So, what are you accusing him of? It seems a little farfetched to me. I know his feelings on the matter, but I don’t think he would go to such lengths as that,” Titan Lord Varko Kinn had just finished listening to Galvin’s recap of what had happened in the Lower City. About the information brokers, about the assassins and that this Yarran he’d met had the idea that it was Daego Vix behind the hits on the information brokers.

Second Seat Jane Gand sat next to Galvin, staring out the window of the transit taxi the three of them were riding in. They were headed to the offices of Fallen Glory. Her eyes followed the other skycars as they zoomed past, flying in all directions. All the sky traffic was organised into lanes which were marked by red and green lights that floated in the air. The green lights produced a green holographic lane for the sky cars to follow, and the red lights created a red lane. Each lane kept the traffic lanes moving in opposite directions. At intersections the holographic buoys were timed so that only the lanes with leave to go appeared, while the others turned off until the timer flicked them back on again. Also, at the intersections, there were a set of lights, usually on a pole jutting out from one of the level platforms. There were a series of traffic levels, one at each of the levels of the Upper City. Typically no one flew in the space between the levels unless they were going to a building parking spot or some other clove within the side of a skyscraper, either above or below them. To go up a level a driver had to take the ascending holographic ‘road’, which were located near buildings every four blocks or so. Descending ramps were also located every four blocks, alternating with the ascending lanes.

Jane loved watching the cars fly by as she just stared out the window. As Zeuti Guardians, they were entitled to free taxi rides anywhere within the Upper City of Khaal Garr, so most never bothered to buy private skycars. She had listened to Galvin’s story as well. To her, it seemed all too likely that Daego was behind this. Although, that didn’t stop her from feeling surprised and disgusted by the First Seat’s actions. She knew what he had been up to, but hearing another Titan talk about one of the attacks in detail left a sour taste in her mouth. “He would, and he has. Daego Vix will do anything to make sure things unfold in the Guardians’ interest. It doesn’t surprise me that he tried to kill this woman, Yarran. Until you started this investigation, he thought all the information brokers with ties to the Alpha Centauri system had been dealt with or were in hiding. He may have tried to eliminate any chance of you finding the last broker by killing off the only person you’ve discovered to know his location.”

Galvin had feared as much. He rubbed his head and took a drink of water, he had brought a cantina of cold water with him after he had returned to the Spire of Wisdom to ask for Jane’s and Varko’s help. “What I don’t understand, is: how did he know that I had found out about Yarran, though? I moved on her as soon as I knew where to look.” The sky car jerked sideways as the taxi driver yelled out some curse as another flyer took advantage of a small gap next to them to come up through the green translucent highway and take his place next to their cab.

“I’m not sure. He could have done many things.” Jane regained her posture after jostling about the car.

“You said that after you found out, you had to wait almost four hours for back up. Right?” Varko asked, Galvin nodded. “He probably followed you then. Well, had the Bounty Hunters follow you. If he had known where it was, exactly, they would have killed her while you were waiting. But they didn’t know any more than you, so they followed you.”

Galvin shook his head, “No, that’s not it. They had organised a meeting with her before hand, posing as clients. It may have just been coincidence that I was there when they were meeting.”

“Lucky that you were. Now we can find out about what is happening on Kalorin and Fathom,” Jane agreed. Varko turned his head in his seat to see where they were.