|18|
Gavtega Station…It was not as close as he wanted to be to Grim, but there was a point of data he needed there before he could move on. Twice he slapped the varren on its haunch between the spines and went down the docks, leaving the Nebulant behind and sending Garm's beast back. Gavtega had a sterile feeling to it, sterile of happiness, missing energy, mostly a rancor in the atmosphere provided by the station's inhabitants—eyes that did follow him across the docks were mostly hidden, humbled, and wary of the foreigners come for data archives. There was a data office at the next turn of two walls leading from the docks, and Casnar went inside…He was confronted by something short and squat, its eyes peering up at him. "Docket 680," Casnar withdrew a small chit card from his waist, "…Should be waiting here for me."
"'Fraid….That…Docket…Was…Broken…Into—"
"When," Casnar snapped, "….How long passed?"
"There…Is…A…Message….Do…You…Want—"
"Yes, I want it," Casnar cut the volus off, "…Hurry, I don't have all cycle….I've already been detained far longer than I needed aboard the last barge."
Closing the door of the office, the volus hobbled to a kiosk and inserted Casnar's chit card into the receptacle, he turned to the back office and went inside, closing that door while Casnar waited for the kiosk to present whatever message had been left for him….He glared at the door where the volus had gone, then looked to the screen as something issued—a voice, "….You're a little late for your pickup, but don't worry—it's in good hands." The voice was definitively female….Casnar listened as it went on, telling him where to go if he wanted to make an exchange for his data….and hers. As the message ended and the screen flickered off, Casnar turned and tried the door out….Locked….What the… He went to the door of the back office and knocked, trying to obtain the volus's attention.
"Open the front door, I'm done," he stepped back as the back office door opened—out first came the tip of the gun point and then came the hand, gloved up to the arm as it lengthened to a shoulder, face, and a generous bust zipped tight in a catsuit.
She pointed to his chit card, "….Give it over," and Casnar relented, passing the chip into her other hand….She deposited it into her waistpack, which had several utility pockets holding more than a few small knives and vials. "Well, well, well…..Look what I found," she walked around him, gun aimed, arm bending to pass between him and the counter and kiosk, "…Casnar Soterios….What brings you to Gavtega Station?"
"I don't know you….And you are wasting my time like every other imbecile I've encountered….Wouldn't the Reapers have collected the worst of the species' fools….Who are you and what do you want?"
"My feelings are churning with pain….How awful you are—a drell not remembering me?"
"I don't have time for—" She pressed the nozzle to his upper lip, letting him smell the ozo inside the barrel….
"You don't have time?"
He had no choice but to let her trace his mouth with the barrel as she walked around him again, holding the metal to his skin….Taking her time….Take his time.
"Think, Casnar, remember me."
"Did I fuck you by accident during my years working with the hanar undercover or something?"
She tossed her brown hair and batted a pair of doll-like blue eyes, "…We didn't get that close, Soterios…But it would have been fun. Here's a hint," she licked her lips and leaned forward to smile at him, then slapped his face with the palm of her glove.
"Beca."
"Damn, Casnar…You get the drell Alzheimers or something?"
Twitching his lips to ease off the sting, he said through forced politeness, "…I recall you hit me with an amnesia pill the last time I saw you…Might explain why I don't like to remember you, Beca…" He tilted his face away as she drove the nozzle into his patak, the side she'd slapped—she had a hand like a board, "…What, fucking me over wasn't good enough then, you came back for more—" She kicked his knee and followed him down with the gun in his face.
"Fucked you over, you fucked me bad, Casnar—those files were duds! You knew they were fake and you tricked me—I had to run from my data dealer for years before he forgave me—and then that was only because I could hide him from the war tribunal after '87!"
"What do you want from me, Beca—you were going to use them against my family, you were trying to get in good and I caught you before you could figure it out I had your card….Look," she pulled the trigger back enough to warn him, "…I'll make it up to you….I'm here to pick up a docket containing information about the Grim Reaper….I need to rendezvous with the thief who stole it from my case here and once I've traded for it, I'll let you see the data with me….Deal?"
"Fuck you," she checked his eyes, "…Are you telling the truth?"
"Are you….Miranda."
Removing the gun from his face, she threateningly set her heel over his crotch, "…Even if you were the last prick in the galaxy, I wouldn't touch this thing."
"You want the data or are you playing hard to get, Lawson."
"I want the data…I've been trying to get into Grim—Don't fucking ask, you little golden bitch," she stepped back and let him stand, "…And if you fuck me again like you did last time, I'll go sleep with your father—"
"Shut that mouth before you say something you'll regret," he had his gun out, pointed at her chest, "…Drell's weak—we both know what he's done and I don't need you to rub salt in her wounds. I need to find someone….Now it would behoove both of us to end this bickering and go meet with the one who broke into this office….You put your gun away, I'll put back mine, and we play pretend…..Just like we used to, Lawson….Now what do you say."
The seconds passed as they stood nearly eye to eye, guns out, tall frames measuring evenly shoulder to shoulder, and Casnar nor Miranda blinked at the other's vibrant eyes….
"Three seconds…On one, put the gun down—and don't kick me in the jaulses, I won't slap you, three, two, one…" They lowered their arms, nozzles towards the floor, and the volus in the doorway fainted. Miranda and Casnar both glanced at the rolling body in its overinsulated pressure suit of liquid, "…Is he with you?"
"Not really," she stepped over the volus and rolled him back into the rear office, "…But he's a decent distributor for information…Where's this rendezvous point?"
"It's over by the center of the station…Come, catch up with me, I need to get this and leave." He opened the door which Miranda had unlocked and they went out after hedging over who should go first, and they eventually chose to walk shoulder to shoulder since neither trusted the other.
"You've been working out….I recall the last time you slapped me being somewhat weaker."
"Having to fend for yourself makes the muscles a little faster, harder, and quick to inflict pain when it's prudent…"
"Like reminding me you ragged my memory of you?"
The station's barrier-protected view gave them a solid look into the rest of the station circling around its central axis above two nebulae of green gases…Casnar was looking ahead, searching for signs leading them to that very axis between the ring with bridges connecting to its hub.
"You said you were looking for someone," she said, ignoring him blatantly, "…Who is it…Family?"
"It's not your concern…I'll worry about my obligation, just help me make my rendezvous and keep out of sight when I tell you….No need to scare the little shit off….Gavtega's too unsecure…Why can't a galaxy full of advanced civilizations put together a decent archive drop with secure firewalls against theft yet?"
"The work's always got backdoors, Casnar…You don't build a bank without a front door and a fire escape….It's coded into the basic thinking of every salarian, asari, human, drell, volus, turian—"
"I get it," he shot her a smug look and faced forward again…
"You seem tenser than I remember…Not getting laid…"
"I claimed…So no, I don't fuck round as much anymore, Lawson…What about you…Running on your own probably doesn't even give you enough time to—"
"Casnar, if you make a comment about vaginal recreation, I'll shoot you in the ear."
He kept his thought to himself…The corridor turned into a few bends passed more data shops before the main drag towards the bridge…Together still and abreast they walked, crossing to the center of the station.
"Do you know who you're supposed to expect?"
"Voice in the message was female, tonal quality was human but asari could pass for it…I don't know, weren't you spying from the back office?"
"I was busy with my own hack…Then I saw your pretty face scowling through the window."
The center of the station was quicker by shuttlerail, and Casnar saw one passing—just as it was about to reach them, he ran to the console to hail the unit to stop and pick them up, "…Like I said, I'm behind and I desperately need to catch up." Both went in and sat opposite each other as the doors closed and the shuttle accelerated, "…Would you really sleep with my father?"
"Maybe…Tetonbaum would be more fun."
"You just like to say things that piss me off. What about your sister."
"I lost her. She was on the Citadel when the Reapers took control."
"That's too bad."
"How'd you know about her?"
"I was good at my job with IPK…But I was even better on my own."
She stared at him across the walkway before turning her eyes from his, "….Aren't we all."
Casnar saw the figure materialize a few steps away and come forward, walking with the easy measure of a cat…She was definitely all curves and waifish thin, a cowl over her eyes and a sheet behind her shoulders, "…Don't you think capes are unwise?"
Her voice was silky and flat, "…I like them…Dramatic flair and all….You the one who's missing a file or two about some little place called Lothiraxl?"
"I need those files," he stayed where he could see three hundred sixty degrees around him, in an arc of glass walls that refracted the lighting indoors from the open air of the central hub level they were meeting on.
"You brought a friend with you…Maybe I should destroy this docket for playing against my better courtesies," she held back what was in her hand, and Casnar could only assume it was what he needed…He held out his hands pleadingly.
"Don't, she's no concern for you….I promised to share the data with her…I need what's on those files to find someone….Someone I don't deserve and was taken from me before I realized my mistake….Please…I have money…I have weapons…I have information—what do you need?"
Miranda was wearing a helmet fitted closely to her skull, and at hearing the woman's voice, removed her gear, "…Bloody hell….Kasumi, I know that's you…Give him the damn docket."
"Oh my," the caped woman stepped backwards, "….That does sound like someone who's supposed to be dead."
Her cape floated around her and she vanished, "…Damn it, Lawson," Casnar growled as he turned to her entering the glass house, the smell of hybridized gardens pungent with fertilizer and sweet petals, "…I told you to stay away!"
"Relax, Casnar," she nodded to the cape and woman materializing next to her, a gloved hand holding a docket key between its fingers as the elbow alighted on her shoulder, "…Kasumi's an old crewmate of mine…She's not going to give me a hard time." Kasumi's fingers passed the key into Miranda's hand as Casnar stared at the line of lipstick marking the other woman's lower lip.
