Near the middle of the asteroid belt, I directed Shara to approach a large hunk of rock. I broadcast a code to it, and a section slid sideways, revealing a docking bay. Shara was clearly impressed, and I was gratified by this.
[more...]
“How much is the reward?”
“One hundred million.”
“So little?”
[more...]
Death seems closer in the quiet places.
[more...]
Looks Good on Paper was outbound from the Rithvi system when Shara heard about the reward. One hundred million for finding Truder Redmane.
[more...]
“What if that’s all a cover?”
“How?”
“What if the whole point of the archive planet role is to make us assume that’s where he got the information?”
“Where else could it come from?”
There was a pause as the Board Members considered this.
[more...]
Lee drew her gun as she slammed Korza against the bulkhead, jamming her forearm against his throat. “Look, Korza, if I say you get checked for explosives, it happens. No more shit. You helped me get Stephanos, but now do what I tell you or I’ll throw you off this ship. And I might wait until warp.”
[more...]
As the large man walked into the room, Lee let go of Korza’s balls and moved around behind him, putting Korza between her and the stranger, and keeping her gun ready for either of them.
[more...]
Looks Good on Paper was still Shara Clavell’s ship.
[more...]
Thirty years before, the Rethril system had been one of the most prosperous in the Empire. A teeming cityworld, it was a jewel in Redmane’s crown. Then came the plagues.
[more...]
The Board Member involved with Rittensoor was Franco Lubomirski, now deceased. Lawrenceson discovered that the archive had just received his records.
[more...]
Bruce Lawrenceson, indentured on an archive world, had long since given up hope of catching a Board Member’s eye. At first he was determined to do so, determined to become a Board Member himself. This thought still obsessed him—what would it be like? To control a planet, to have limitless wealth, to have absolute dominion over vast numbers of people? He thought he knew, and he craved it so badly, enough that it woke constantly him at night. Even though he knew it was hopeless.
[more...]
Like most of the modern corporations, Redmane Minerals was ruled absolutely by its Board. The Board had thirteen members, and made decisions by majority vote. They could vote to do anything they pleased. There was theoretical shareholder oversight, but this had waned over the centuries and was meaningless.
[more...]
She had her gun close to her chest as she wheeled and kicked the door, which shattered into plastic fragments.
[more...]
Was I alive? Or was this some postmortal dream, the last firings of my neurons?
[more...]
I didn’t know it was an ouster at first. Guns and non-Security uniforms were enough to convince me to run.
[more...]
The chandelier was a colossus, nearly thirty meters across, fusing glass, silver wrapped around steel, and diamond. The light sources inside it pulsed gently, timed to create a subtle rippling effect that was mostly lost on the revelers beneath it.
[more...]
Ah, the ship, so brilliant and yet incapable of distinguishing the determined orders of a steely-eyed resolute captain from the demented wailings of an undignified wretch who was scared out of his mind and unable to deal with the experience.
“… so anyway, eventually I got it off the fucker. Some fuckin’ nerve, though, enh? Uh-huh. Three fuckin’ weeks! Ahhhh. Whac’n ya do?”
[more...]
The sound of the subway was loud. The rhythm of the wheels passing over breaks in the track was uneven, jarring. I hated going into the South Bronx. Especially on the subway. Especially at night. There were a lot of weirdoes around. They made me jumpy. My gun was kinda showing under my leather, though, and it should stop any trouble. The party had better be a good one. Find some girl with some talents, yeah, some skill and enthusiasm, yeah.
[more...]
The bus pulled into the terminus. I took my bag from the overhead rack and walked off the bus out into the city. My watch read 22:24. Light from glaring neon signs bathed my face as I walked to my hotel. The city was dying, but in this part of it I could feel its life. I was glad to be back, and happy that the city and I had both survived our time apart.
[more...]
Muriel Weatherspoon: “…The teenage cultural scene, ladies and gentlemen, is dominated by illegal drug use, underage drinking and illicit sex. Teenagers seem drawn to these like a fish to water, and the immorality of today’s ‘hip’ (to use a currently ‘in’ word) lifestyle is a terrible influence. We, those who care, must…”
The fish tank wasn’t a real fish tank. It seemed like one, but if you looked closely you see it was a screen displaying computer generated fish in computer generated water swimming around computer generated rocks and plants. Someone called my name, so I looked away to reply.
[more...]