Casimir's Effect
Chapter 7 - A Chance to Breathe
Artume's eyes fluttered open, their usual brightness fogged by the aftereffects of sedatives. "What happened? I remember … I remember a biotic wave … pulse fire ..."
Dia's hand settled on Artume's shoulder. The wounded Asari twitched as if to stand and Dia gently held her down. "You were hurt. Another day and you'll be fine." Artume nodded and settled back onto the bed, eyes squeezed shut.
"So what happened? I can listen, even if I can't stand."
Casimir glanced at Dia, who nodded for him to speak. "Niama and three geth attacked first. They also had something she called a Juggernaut, a giant geth. Dia and I managed to defeat them. There was one more geth on their ship, which we killed before we rigged charges in it. I downloaded everything I could from their ship's logs and ransacked their stores before we blew it and left."
Artume nodded, a slight shifting on her pillow. "Good work. Now,"
"We captured Niama. She's sedated in a sleeper pod."
Artume's eyes shot open. "You captured her? We have to question her immediately!" The Asari again tried to rise and was stopped by Dia.
"Dia assured me that Niama won't wake unless we want her to. I jumped us to the Utopia system and we're drifting well away from any planets or stations. All systems but sensors and life-support are off-line and my omni-tool will update me if anything notices us. I'm working on decrypting the data we retrieved and it will take some time. So for now, rest. We all need a chance to breathe."
Artume managed another nod. "Good enough. Now go away so I can rest."
Casimir nodded and left Dia to tend to her patient.
Casimir stifled a yawn as he inputted another sequence into his omni-tool. The pilot's chair had proven to be the most comfortable place to work on the ship and he was running concurrent programs on the bright displays in front him and to his left. He frowned and tapped a new command into the tool as he continued his attempt to unlock the ship's systems on the main console. While he had control of all the flight systems, he still couldn't activate weapons, defenses, or figure out how to adjust the ship's ID signature. He glanced at the console to his left, where he had dumped all the data from his omni-tool's memory. Decrypting the data was taking longer than expected, but it wasn't Niama's logs that had the most difficult security. The original owner of the tool, someone on Eden Prime, had created personal encryption codes more complex than anything Casimir had ever seen. It irritated him that he couldn't crack it, but in a short while enough of Niama's data would be available to make sense of her orders and mission. Casimir dimmed the main console and loaded the accessed info into his tool before stretching to his feet. His back popped in protest at the movement. "I need a nap," he muttered as he headed to the med-bay.
Artume pressed a finger to her lips as Casimir stepped into the small room. She pointed to the corner where Dia had curled onto a chair. He nodded and stepped close to the side of the bed. The Asari spoke in hushed tones, pained but eager to plan their next moves. "What have you found?"
Casimir leaned against the side of the mattress and activated his omni-tool. He muted the usual beeping as he accessed Niama's logs and transferred them to Artume's device.
"Information on Niama's mission and her most recent personal logs. She was working for a Turian, someone with a lot of clout. She doesn't use his name, but,"
"It's Saren."
Casimir's eyebrows shot up. "You know him?"
Artume grimaced against painful memories. "He is the one Beneziah was working for. He's the reason she's dead and I no longer have a job."
"What's so special about him?"
"He's a Council Spectre. He can go anywhere, do anything, and no one can question him."
"I've heard of the Spectres. They're elite commandos, right? Extremely dangerous."
"And Saren is the worst, or best, depending on who you ask. I objected to Beneziah's joining him from the start, which is why I ended up running odd jobs like babysitting you rather than serving as one of her personal bodyguard." Lines deepened around her nose and mouth as anger fought to the surface. "I shouldn't have let her send me away." Casimir waited in silence as she took a deep breath. "I may have been able to save her, protect her."
"You can't blame yourself."
"Yes, I can. I shouldn't have protested so much against joining with Saren; or maybe I didn't protest enough, I don't know." She gritted her teeth and raised a shaking hand to activate her omni-tool. "Is there data on Beneziah's death? I want to know who killed her."
"Revenge is a bad idea. We already have enough trouble."
"Enough trouble? Casimir, we're already dead. We delayed that death by defeating Niama, but Saren will send more people after us, more commandos, more geth. I'm going to use this time to track down Beneziah's killer."
"If Saren is the one who wants us dead, we should go after him."
"No!" Artume struggled upright, face blanched to a light blue. Dia stirred on her chair, legs shifting against her stomach. "We'll review the data, then go after Beneziah's murderer. Understood?"
"You're not in command of anything anymore, Artume."
Her hands balled to fists but the act of sitting up had drained her. She collapsed back onto her pillow and exhaled, venting enough frustration to calm her voice. "I won't let the killer go unpunished."
"A compromise, then. There's still encrypted data to work through in addition to the locked systems on the ship. We'll hold position here while I work through it, then determine our next step."
"You need help. You said yourself that you're no engineer."
"There is that Quarian, if I can find him."
"I know someone. Someone we can trust, so long as we can pay him."
"We don't have any money."
"We're on an advanced ship full of sophisticated weapons and armor. I think we can part with some of it."
Casimir nodded despite the anxiety he felt at adding another person to their crew. While he didn't trust Artume's motives, he did trust that she wouldn't stab him in the back. If she turned on him, she would have the decency to attack him head on. "Where's this friend of yours?"
She tapped a few keys into her omni-tool and his tool acknowledged receipt of a data packet. "He's a Salarian named Silinar and he moves around a lot. Leave a message at this address to schedule a pick-up of varren meat."
"Varren meat?"
"A stupid code that he insists on. He's paranoid, but also brilliant with all kinds of tech. He'll respond with a place and time."
"I'll let you know once we're en-route."
"Good. Get to work, I need some sleep."
Casimir sighed and walked to the door. It would be a while before he got his nap.
An insistent beeping intruded on Casimir's dreams of open fields and warm sunlight. Like a mosquito hovering by your ear in the dead of night it would not stop, and the human jolted upright in his chair to gaze through bleary eyes at the console's notification of a new message. He glanced at the chronometer on his omni-tool and wasn't sure whether to be grateful or annoyed that he had slept for three hours. "Enough to know how much more I want," he muttered. He tapped a control and a single line message appeared on the main screen. It displayed a time and a set of coordinates. He ran the location in the ship's computer and frowned at the result. "Attican Beta Cluster, Theseus Star … way-station in orbit around the planet Quana." He accessed information on the planet, a world covered by the ruins of ancient mining facilities as well as associated cities and support structures. "Prothean ruins, like on Eden Prime." He shivered as he recalled the attack on his former home, then activated the internal comm system.
"Artume, are you awake? Your friend sent us a message." There was a minute's delay before the unit crackled back to life.
"This is Dia. We're awake. Where is the meet?"
"An outpost in the Attican Beta Cluster, orbiting a planet called Quana."
"Set a course. Artume needs to keep sleeping, let us know when we arrive."
"What about Niama? Is Artume strong enough to help interrogate her?"
Another long pause. "After we find Silinar, then we'll question the bitch."
Casimir switched off his intercom and activated the ship's navigation systems. "Hope this guy is what Artume says," he muttered, "I'd like to meet someone new who isn't interested in killing me."
Casimir reviewed all the data he could find on the Theseus Star System during the trip. The primary point of interest was a planet named Feros, which held a young human colony built atop Prothean ruins. The news feeds from the planet were sparse but he made a mental note that the colony could be a good place to resupply.
He flicked on the intercom. "We're approaching Quana, will dock with the station in twenty. We're a little early. Artume, are you recovered enough to leave the ship?"
"I can walk steadily enough. I'll meet you at the hatch in twenty minutes."
Casimir jumped from his chair to grab the pack he had stashed behind the seat. He had found a black-plated suit of armor to replace his previous suit. He strapped into the heavier suit, a medium-weight armor that restricted movement more than his previous armor but provided a significant boost to protection. The armory also contained mods that installed into and upgraded the armor's capabilities: Casimir had installed a shield modulator, which boosted the armor's shield capacity. Once satisfied with the fit, he slapped pistol, shotgun, and sniper rifle to mag-plates at hip and back before moving to stand in front of the piloting console; the bulk of the armor and weapons made sitting in his chair uncomfortable at best. The amber display beeped as the local authorities took notice of the scout ship.
"Unidentified shuttle approaching Quana Station I, identify yourself."
"This is Captain Casimir of the shuttle Krakow, my ident systems are damaged and we need a place to dock and resupply while performing repairs." He hoped that the damage he had done to the identification system was sufficient to disable it.
"We're reading no damage on your ship, captain, although your ID signal is scrambled. If you need repairs you're in the wrong place. The colony on Feros has more advanced services."
"The damage is electrical, not mechanical, and we're picking up our mechanic on this station. We'll dock, meet our man, and leave."
"Alright, captain. You're cleared for docking slip two for twenty hours only."
"Thanks."
He inputted the docking coordinates, activated automated docking procedures, and headed for the hatch.
Artume stood beside the hatch door, outfitted with form-fitting armor and an assault rifle.
"You sure you're ready for this?"
She glanced at Casimir, strain evident around her eyes and mouth. "I'm sure. Silinar won't talk to you alone."
"What about Dia?"
"She'll remain here to guard the ship and the prisoner."
"How is she handling the stress?"
"Not well." Artume shook her head and braced herself with a hand against the wall. "The more we can keep her from interacting with strangers, the better. You're lucky. I don't know why, but she likes you."
"Must be my natural charm. I just can't figure out why it doesn't work on you."
The Asari managed a weak smile. "I suppose you are charming, in a pathetic sort of way."
His omni-tool chimed and he pointed at the docking light, which switched from red to green. "Time to go."
The hatch slid open at the press of a button and they stepped onto a long, narrow, empty gangway leading to another hatch into the dark station. "No guards?"
Artume walked slowly but steadily towards the entrance. "This place is too small. Probably just a central processing area for multiple docking slips."
Casimir nodded and followed, neck craned to examine the metal and glass structure that spread in every direction. The windows were black and the metal featureless, as if it had been built and abandoned. Stars were visible through the energy shield behind them that enclosed the bay. They reached the entrance and double doors slid open onto a hall that extended to a docking slip on either side, all three leading to this center-point. A single blue-armored Turian holding an assault rifle stood at the post ahead of them, unconcerned with the number of weapons carried by the visitors. He had vivid white tattoos slashing across the cheek and forehead plates of his helmet.
"Welcome to the Quana Station I. Don't start any trouble and we won't have to talk again. What few services we have are through there," he waved at the door behind him. "You're cleared for twenty hours, that's all. Don't forget."
Casimir nodded as he passed, curious what the Turian would do if they stayed past their allotted time.
The door slid open and they entered a wide, poorly-lit promenade that extended to a blank wall fifty feet ahead. A handful of aliens glanced at the newcomers from tables at a restaurant on their left. Casimir recognized Salarians, Turians, and one squat-bodied Volus.
"No humans so far. That's strange."
Artume marched by the restaurant and pointed at the next store-front. "The Quick Buzz. That's the place."
They found a small table against a wall and ordered drinks from a silent Turian server. The dim lighting made it impossible to identify the stains on the floor. Spilled drinks, or blood?
"Anything else I should know about this guy?"
"Let me do the talking. His paranoia finds danger in the smallest slip of the tongue."
"Great."
They waited in silence, Casimir sipping the fiery green liquid in his slender glass. After only three sips he felt as if a warm mist were enveloping him and he pushed it away. Artume's mouth quirked in a smile, only to vanish as a Salarian in a pristine white suit entered the bar and moved towards them.
"Silinar."
"Artume. Who is this? A bodyguard?"
"Casimir, an associate. Please sit."
The Salarian had his race's large, ovoid eyes, thin mouth, nose slits, and pair of horn-like protrusions from the top of his head. His skin was a burnished dark brown and he spoke quickly, as if trying to overtake one word with the next. He slipped his slender frame into a chair and glared at Artume. "What do you want? You are being hunted by powerful enemies. Speaking with you isn't safe."
"I need your help."
"I don't help. I perform services for payment."
"We have plenty of tech to trade,"
"Trade? No currency? Unless it is very good,"
Artume pulled the rifle from her back and slid it across the table. Silinar lifted it with both three fingered hands and examined it closely. "Hmm. Good quality, expensive. You have more?"
"Much more."
"And what do you need me to do?"
"We have data that needs decrypting and our ship has some lingering electronic issues."
Silinar nodded, as if he expected the problems. "I can handle those, but not cheaply."
"How much?"
"A full set of this gear; guns and armor. And a copy of the data I decrypt."
Casimir frowned but bit back a comment. Artume appeared equally surprised, her voice rising in pitch. "A copy of the data? That's never been a condition before."
"You've never been freelance before. You have powerful enemies, very dangerous. I won't do the work unless I take away the same information you do, to protect myself." He slid the rifle back across the table.
"Fine. But I decide what, if anything, is done with the data. You can take a copy only after I've reviewed it with my associate."
"That is acceptable. I assume we will travel together until I am done. You are at docking slip two?"
"Yes."
The Salarian rose and walked towards the door. "I will see you there shortly."
Casimir waited until he was gone before asking, "is it safe to give him Niama's information?"
"He'll want to sell it. But it worries me that he made it a condition from the start. It means there's a big bounty on my head. Bigger than I expected."
"Can we find out the amount? There may be bounties on Dia and me."
"It doesn't matter, it's not the regular bounty hunter scum that we need to worry about. Saren will employ someone specific for the job."
"Then let's not wait for them to show up."
The ship waited quietly in its docking slip. Artume stumbled through the hatch to rest while Casimir stood outside. He tapped a booted foot against the metal floor, ticking away mental seconds, when suddenly station alarms burst through his reverie.
"Artume! Dia, what's going on?"
Static crackled through his omni-tool's comm unit as he fumbled to lock his helmet into place.
"Hold on, Dia's headed to the cockpit."
"I'm here!" Her voice was higher than usual, edged with fear. "A geth ship just latched onto the station, docking slip one!"
"Can we run?" Casimir spoke through gritted teeth.
"There's weapons-fire inside the station!"
"Casimir, we need Silinar on this ship! Find him, get him back here, and then we'll make a break for it!"
"Forget about him!"
"Dia's pulling up his signal. Head into the promenade and up two floors. He has a small room, number 26. Uploading schematics to you now."
"You're kidding. I need to fight through waves of geth troops on my own to save this guy?"
"Station security is holding them at their docking slip outside the processing station, but if we leave now they could just chase us down. We need Silinar to unlock the ship's defenses!"
"Damn it!" Casimir punched the ship's hull, gloved fist ringing against the metal. "Fine. I'll be back with that damn Salarian, then we're leaving."
"Don't worry Casimir, we won't go without you."
"No," Dia added, her voice cutting through the sirens, "we won't."
Casimir finished securing his helmet, readied his shotgun, and set off at a run for the processing station.
