It's Just a Little Trip To the Other Side
Chapter 3, God Belonging
"Feeling better?" Reno asked Tommy as he pulled up a nearby chair, flipped it around, and sat down across from him. Reno was wandering the hallways and found his friend in the Institute's eastern study. Besides the obvious stacks of bookcases, it had been plainly furnished with just the basic necessities such as a few heavy oak desks complete with old-fashioned brass desk lamps and forest green shades, and heavy, but comfortable wooden chairs to match. While in marked contrast to the modern architecture of the building, it still felt cohesive. When the room was being renovated to include the modern conveniences of the wireless age, Buckaroo had allowed three luxury items to be incorporated. There was the ultra high efficiency fireplace personally designed by Pecos to be run using fuel derived from green algae (where the source is from the several large ponds conveniently located on the Institutes' grounds) and two old fashioned high-back, dark red, leather chairs. The chairs had been Rawhide's idea and it was a brilliant one at that. The chairs were nearly always occupied by either an intern and/or fellow Cavalier and it was there that some of the most amazing intellectual conversations would occur.
Tommy removed his glasses and looked up from his notebook and laptop. He was in the middle of analyzing the crime data that Billy had downloaded from Houston's police department and associated Texas state agencies. Billy Travers was their hacker extraordinaire and all-around computer technology and robotics genius. Facing trial for a number of hacking offenses into various New Jersey local and state agencies, it had been Buckaroo who intervened on his behalf and personally negotiated the plea-bargaining agreement with the attorney general. In return for probation, he was to use his talents for the Institute's residents and overall robotics advancement, paying particularly attention to the growing field of elder care. Granted, Buckaroo had a little help from the attorney general's constituents who had helped to fund his election campaign. They, who sat on the boards of various technology firms, had a stake in making sure that America kept ahead of that curve; especially after Honda unveiled the latest generation of their ASIMO robot. For the private industry, it was easy to keep out of trouble. For the Cavaliers, when they needed certain data, he walked a fine line, a very, very fine line.
Tommy shrugged his shoulders. "Still a bitch to move around," was his short answer. Reno actually didn't need a verbal authentication from him. He was clean shaven and dressed down, but fashionably dressed down, in one of the latest styles from New York. Wasn't he always? , thought Reno to himself. So that accounted for something.
Reno turned his attention to the sleek silver colored laptop trimmed in a brilliant metallic red and emblazed with a large copy of the Institute's logo in the same hue. It was hard not to notice it. He pointed and asked incredulously, "That's the new one that Billy built for you?"
Tommy grinned. "He said that it wouldn't be right unless I had something with a little flash."
"He hit the nail on the head there," Reno replied. "You coming up with anything?"
"Just started," he answered with a shrug.
Reno got up to leave and as he did so asked, "You're still going downtown with us tonight to see Pinky's band right?"
Tommy rolled his eyes. "Yeah… wouldn't want to miss his one-time only reunion extravaganza," he muttered. Then he stated louder, "The boss wants to see some results this afternoon but then I'll hook up with you guys."
Reno heard his off-hand remark. "Come on man, you know it's important to him." The chair squeaked loudly against the hardwood floor as he pushed it in. Then he gave his parting shot, "Such dedication on a Saturday… You sure you're feeling well?"
Consider it probation, thought Tommy.
"Greetings Hanoi-guay. Sain bainuu?" Lucretia asked in the traditional Mongolian tongue.
Hanoi Xan studied her for a moment. With her olive skin and straight black hair she looked like any of the other concubines he kept at his compound. But it was the eyes. Not only were they green, which was an unusual color for anyone, but there was something else that seemed to be emulating from her. A sneer formed on his lips as he realized what it was. The spirit of a serpent…how appropriate.
"Sain," he replied. Criminal or not, Mongolian etiquette required that he respond with the equivalent of "Fine."
Lucretia let her eyes wander around the monitor and took in the background scenery that was behind Xan. He had made no attempt to hide the fact that he was, quite literally, hiding in a cave. "Good. I trust that you find our satellite phone technology satisfactory?"
"Of course," was his guarded response. "It is an improvement over our existing system… As you can see from behind me, I am calling from deep inside my… office."
Lucretia smiled. She chose her words carefully. "Good. My Liege will be pleased to know that his gift to you has performed well."
Xan slowly rubbed together the long bony fingers of his right hand in contemplation. Lucretia, and her mysterious liege, were no simpletons. Not a day went buy when some foul creature would crawl out from the belly of the underworld seeking assistance from the mighty Xan. Most often, he was never bothered with such trivial matters. Wasn't that why he had underlings to take care of the rubbish that showed up on his doorstep? But Lucretia and her as-yet-unknown boss were different. They sent the frozen dead body of a Blue Blaze Irregular with a simple white card pinned to his lapel. Written on the card in embossed black ink were a one line message and a phone number.
It would appear that we have a mutual interest and as such seek to form a cooperative partnership.
At the time, he wondered what retribution it would bring from Buckaroo Banzai. Allegedly he knew all 6,000 plus Blue Blaze Irregulars by name. How long would it take him to miss just one? Would the entire Team Banzai show up on his doorstep seeking revenge?
That had been years ago and still no one came.
Was Lucretia able to cover the tracks well enough, or did the great and mighty Buckaroo Banzai overlook someone?
A cooperative partnership.
It was a fancy way of saying, "You scratch my back and I scratch yours."
You provide us funding and we provide you with technology, and eventually Team Banzai.
Receiving the occasional dead or alive Blue Blaze Irregular really meant nothing to him. He was growing increasingly uninterested of the gifts of advanced technology. The warrior within him stirred.
Lucretia shifted and sat up straighter in her chair. She raised her eyebrow and asked, "Something is still not satisfactory Hanoi-guay?"
Xan stopped rubbing his fingers together. "I am appreciative of the gifts that your benefactor continues to send me."
"But you grow weary of them," Lucretia responded in a low voice.
Her quick answer did not surprise him.
"You are a warrior. Warriors feed on blood, not trinkets."
Xan shifted in his chair slightly. "And what, of the warrior spirit, do you know about Lucretia?" he asked rather nonchalantly. Then he allowed his black eyes to stare in to hers, daring her to answer.
Casually he reached for the short bladed knife that was on his desk. It was, to him, nothing more than a … trinket from some fallen foe. He ran his thumb perpendicular to the blade, feeling for the characteristic sharpness. It had long disappeared.
"Do you know who the mungudai were?"
Lucretia's brow furled, partly out of anger at herself for not only potentially irritating her ally but also at not knowing where Xan was going. "It translates to 'God belonging'."
Xan simply nodded as he continued to idly play with the dull knife in his hands.
"The mungudai were the light infantry of my people's army. It was highly coveted even though a western would think of them as suicidal. Do you know why that would be Lucretia?"
She didn't respond.
Sensing Lucretia's uncomfortable air brought a slight sneer to his lips. "When an enemy was found, the lightly armed mungudai would recklessly attack the front line. Since they were few in number, the enemy would rise up in force and give chase. The mungudai would turn and then run just far enough ahead so that they couldn't be caught… until they reached their fellow Mongol warriors."
"So they were bait," Lucretia said matter of factly.
With a free hand, Xan shook his finger at her in disagreement. "Not to the Mongol. It was an opportunity to show your bravery. Prove that you were worthy as 'God belonging'." He looked at his reflection in the knife's blade. "It has been a long,… long, time since I fought someone with that spirit."
He put the short knife back down on his desk and leaned back in his chair. For a few minutes neither one spoke.
"You will have Buckaroo Banzai within the month," stated Lucretia. And with that, Xan's screen went black.