Tales from the Drift: Old Lessons, Hard Futures

Chapter 5 - The Asset

PLANET GAAMA-HELIKE // CITY OF TRISKALIA // MISSION TIME +25:03:98

Okoda's head twitched toward the speaker, but the voice had broken into the squad com. There was no point of origin beyond the audio inside his helmet. His sensors were still garbled with distortions from the explosion. There was no way of getting an exact reading on the voice's position.

Brick and mortar shifted and crunched.

Okoda and the rest of the squad snapped to; the muzzles of their weapons trained on the torso of the figure stepping on to the street.

Two arms, two legs, one head; standard bipedal of average height and stature. Species unknown. Okoda squinted, his gaze sweeping across the figure for any discerning marks or sigils.

Armored boots, large gear packs strapped to each thigh, a long knife fixed to a large angular belt buckle just below the waistline. A tactical vest laden with ordnance and equipment worn beneath a thick, dark brown leather coat turned burnt orange from use and age. It draped the figure's narrow shoulders.

A dark mustard yellow hood was drawn up and over the helmeted head and paired with a matching scarf which was wrapped loosely around the neck inside the coat's collar. The helmet was nearly featureless, hardly more than a smooth curvature over the figure's face. Dark bronze, with a single protrusion where the right eye might be which pulsed a bright green light. They carried a long, thin barreled rifle outfitted with a long, narrow scope.

There were no distinguishing marks.

His muscles tensed; Okoda kept the muzzle of his assault cannon aimed the figure's chest. He turned, presenting his torso and left shoulder as the bigger target to keep Nono covered.

"Zadru," croaked the synthetic voice. "That is how you will address me. Zadru." Unconcerned by the aimed weapons, Zadru settled into a casual lean against a wall, hooking a gloved hand around the large metal buckle with the long knife. "I am your... what is the word Broad Spectrum prefers to use? Asset? Is that it? Yes. I am your asset, so you may all relax now. I am not going to shoot you, as it is not included in my mission parameters."

Okoda did not relax, nor did the rest of the squad. There was nothing about Zadru that was remotely relaxing. "You were supposed to wait. Wasn't that a part of your mission parameters?"

Zadru imitated a shrug. "I became bored. Besides, the five of us... no, correction, the six of us would not have made an effective infiltration team." Zadru's head shook from side to side. "No. Better this way. More enjoyment for me, less work for you. Mission still a success." Zadru chuckled a dark and mirthless grating sound. "Tell you what, I will give you sixty percent for your little... package there, when I sell her to the hith? Get her... off your back?"

Okoda felt Nono tense, her little hands bunching around the edge of his back plate, knuckles pressing into his shoulders. He just barely heard a whimper as it died in her worry-strangled throat.

"She's a refugee and under the protection of the Gardai. She's not for sale, especially not to the hith."

Irsa had said exactly what Okoda had been thinking.

"Oh. That is nice for her, lucky for her. Listen. Mission parameters have... no wait... stop... stop pointing your weapons at me. I am no threat to you. Or the little girl." The hand on the belt buckle moved to grip the knife's handle. "If you do not stop pointing those weapons at me, I will do something... rather rash, something rather violent." Zadru's tone modulated from conversationally monotone to dangerously mundane, as if hoping the squad would acquiesce to the challenge.

"Bisect 1138, Prospect 1313," snapped Okoda.

"Intersect 1341, Convex 1701."

Okoda lowered the barrel of his assault rifle so that it was aimed at the ground in front of Zadru's feet. The rest of squad followed suit. Miraj melted away from the squad, taking up a defensive position, and maintaining an omnidirectional view. Irsa was quick to separate herself from Zadru and moved to take up a position near Miraj.