Fragment of Destiny

Tess leveled a glare at Yami who stood eyes closed against a stack of crates as the cargo skimmer hit a patch of uneven terrain. They had been cooped up in the back of this dank trailer for hours, and in all the time the only thing he would tell her was that someone important wanted to see them. Each time she prodded him for additional information he just smiled that same mischievous smile and told her to wait. As the hours dragged on Tess couldn’t help a growing worry in the back of her mind. It was not the lack of information that concerned her. Yami was less than forthcoming at the best of times. It was his rigid stance, the way he kept shifting on his feet and the way he forced himself to act relaxed whenever he noticed her looking.

Tess felt her heart flutter as the skimmer deployed its landing struts and an awkward silence filled the trailer as the engines died. Yami seemed lost in thought as light from his heads-up display flickered under his eyes. Muffled voices came from outside, an argument of some kind, and at once Yami became fully present. Two swift strikes resonated from the rear hatch and Yami motioned for silence as they hunched low behind the shipping crates.

“You want to look, well, look. As you will see everything is in order just the same as last time and the time before that,” One of the voices bellowed as the rear door slid open.

“And what is that? It’s not on the manifest.”

“It is a gift for Marshal Atwater I trust you will deliver it to him safely. They are delicacies all the way from Shale.”

“The Marshal didn’t mention anything.”

“Of course, he wouldn’t have. I wanted it to be a surprise. I know Marshal Atwater is a diligent man. If it had been on my manifest he would have known of my gift ahead of time. Please take it, and give Atwater my regards.”

The sound of a crate sliding, latches being released, and the lit opened echoed through the hull. A moment later the latches shut and the inspection was over.

Yami smiled a crooked smile at her and his posture visibly relaxed. Where ever they were Tess could wager it was far from Shale or Central. Yet with an enforcer’s inspection… Crescent perhaps?

“You're clear,” The transporter said after climbing into the back of the skimmer.

“Thanks for getting rid of him so quick,” Yami said.

“It’s a trick your Uncle showed me. Keep a little something extra in the hold to grease the social wheels. It works every time. They get to confiscate something and I get to deliver all my goods un-pilfered. Now you two get off my hauler before that spudger or some other comes snooping around again.”

“This way,” Yami said stepping from the skimmer into a shimmering puddle of semi-frozen sludge. Tess grimaced as she followed over patches of slippery slush.

About them, scattered lights hung from the nearby buildings creating small pools of vision in the darkness. Yami clung to the shadows moving with practiced steps through the gloom. The seemingly random arrangement of buildings made Tess feel as if she had stepped into an alien realm. Worse still were the roads which ran in a random assortment of sizes and shapes each lacking the familiar curve that should have sloped up towards the edge of the city.

Ducking down a narrow alley the stench of refuse became pungent and Tess was almost glad she could not see her shoes. At the mouth of the alley, Yami waited. Ahead skimmer’s darted back and forth across a wide street. There were no signs or markers to direct traffic yet somehow everyone seemed to know what pattern to follow. Tess could hardly believe how many skimmers were out this time of night. It was well past curfew yet no one seemed to care.

“So now we need to cross,” Yami said grasping Tess’s hand in his.

“Wait, what?” Tess shrieked as she was dragged into the street. They made it to a center island before the oncoming skimmers reached them. A low concrete barrier and a lone metal rail was all that separated the two streams of skimmers. Yami vaulted the rail and eyed the passing skimmers waiting for another opening. There was no way she was letting Yami do that to her again. Seeing an opening she pushed off at a full sprint. She was clear to the other side before Yami even made it halfway across the second part of the road.

Yami smiled at her as he walked the last few steps. “That was good, you’re getting the hang of Crescent already.”

So, this was Crescent then... “Where are we going anyway?” Tess asked.

“To get ourselves a skimmer. I don’t want to walk the entire way,” Yami said pointing to an illuminated sign three buildings down that just read “Sam’s” in bold red letters.

Even in the dark Tess was beginning to get the feeling that, unlike Central, Crescent had been constructed with little to no thought to the overall city layout and upkeep. Sam’s looked like just another rundown building amongst a slew of contenders for the 'this place is a dump,' competition.

A sun stained glass door on wobbly hinges creaked as they entered a small office. A smooth-faced receptionist at a low desk with an equally low neckline to her red blouse winked at them as they entered. Behind them, a guttural growl came from a large rugged man who stood leaning against the wall by the door.

“How are you, Gladys?” Yami asked handing her a card which was quickly scanned before making its way back to Yami’s jacket pocket.

“Just fine and who’s your friend?”

“This is Tess. It’s her first time in Crescent, so I thought I would show her around.”

“That would explain why I haven’t seen her before. Such pretty green eyes,” She said looking Tess up and down with a stare that made Tess feel altogether uncomfortable.

“You two will have to come back and see me after, so I can get to know her better,” Gladys said handing Yami a pair of keys.

The clear implication in her tone made Tess blush, even while a shiver ran down her back. Eager to look anywhere but at the busty woman Tess caught a disapproving glare from the man in the corner. Tess smiled weakly and was grateful when Yami exited back to the street.

Soon the sputtering and humming of a troubled engine grew as they followed a narrow alley to the back of the building. The rear of Sam’s was a large multi-bay garage with three rows of personal skimmers.

A bent old man in greased overalls and a tinkerers belt worked on a half-assembled skimmer near the open doors. The tinkerer shouted something unintelligible at the skimmer and threw his hands up in exasperation as the engine sputtered out.

Yami dangled the keys in front of the man’s face, causing him to jump back in surprise. He eyed the keys for a moment before snatching them from Yami with surprising quickness.

“This way,” He said taking the keys to a large socket panel behind a teetering desk. The tinkerer inserted their key into one of the sockets and a nearby skimmer hummed quietly as it came to life.

“She’s not driving, is she?” The tinkerer asked looking Tess up and down with a skeptical air.

“No, I will be doing all the driving,” Yami said.

The man grunted and turned to a tall metal cabinet beside the socket panel. He retrieved two black helmets and handed one to each of them. They were standard helmets with no fancy tech or heads up display. Just enough to keep a person from dashing their brains out before they could be hit with damage recovery charges.

“How do I tighten this thing?” Tess asked as she was quickly becoming frustrated with the apparent lack of a chin strap.

In response Yami reached around and pulled a lever on the back of the helmet and pushed the visor closed, bringing the helmet snug.

“I could have done that myself. First time I’ve ever worn the damn thing,” Tess grumbled as she readjusted her helmet, so it was no longer strangling her. Yami only shrugged and started for their skimmer. Unlike a traditional skimmer, this was an open-air craft, essentially no more than a tube with two seats attached. Not something she was looking forward to riding. With only pegs for her feet and a small metal bar to grip for support there would be no safety beyond what the helmet provided should something happen.

“Hold on,” Yami said grasping the steering rod with both hands. Gently he lifted the skimmer from the ground and guided it into the narrow street. With white knuckles, Tess clutched the support bar as Yami powered the skimmer through Crescent’s narrow streets.

All at once the city gave way to open ground. Zipping over the rocks and frozen weeds Yami gunned the accelerator and the maze of lights quickly melted away behind them. Reaching into the stars behind the city a towering mountain blotted out everything in a wide arc, like the half of an enormous dome.

Easing off the accelerator Yami guided them back toward the city. It was only a brief ride in the open then they were once again plunged into the narrow streets. A few turns more and they shot up an old ramp into a large covered docking bay.

Unkempt concrete pillars ran in long rows up and down the space. Some successfully holding up the roof and others not so much. The only other vehicle in the bay was a hulking black skimmer akin to the kind used by enforcers, only larger. Gliding to a stop Yami set down in front of an old elevator.

“That was amazing,” Tess said stripping off her helmet and handing it to Yami.

“It gets old quick, but I guess riding on a personal skimmer would be a novel thing for you,” Yami said. Again, the small flicker of light shone under Yami’s eyes and the dormant elevator came to life.

“Controlling the power remotely?” Tess asked.

“He does not like to leave it open to the public.”

“Sounds like the two of you have a lot in common.”

To that Yami only smiled and ushered Tess inside. Despite the decaying exterior, the inside of the elevator was in pristine condition. Large red panels trimmed with polished gold covered every surface as if the owner wanted anyone who rode on it to know they were exceedingly wealthy. The door opened to an extravagant lounge that made the gaudy nature of the elevator pail in comparison. Red carpeting and amber lighting made the room feel like part of a sunset. A white tile floor snaked around a sea of crimson providing a stark contrast between a bar and lounge area. Throughout the room stood an elegant mix of furniture and art the likes of which she had never seen. Tess cringed inwardly at the overt hedonism. What a monumental waste of resources.

A few people sat in the lounge enjoying drinks and looking very self-important in their non-standard clothing. Tess was revolted by their gaudy attire even while feeling underdressed in her old student’s uniform.

The hedonists spared only the most cursory of glances for Tess and Yami before returning to their conversations and their drinks. As they exited the elevator they were immediately confronted by three men. Each wore the same smooth-skinned perfect face, with high cheekbones and dark almond hair worn down to their ears. The similarities were far too precise, definitely genetically engineered triplets.

“We have a meeting with Uncle Larry,” Yami said.

“Please, this way,” They replied in unison after a brief nodding of heads. From the far side of the lounge, they entered a long hallway adorned with sculptures, paintings, tapestries, and elegant mirrors. At the end of the hall, as if to add contrast, stood two large doors of pure black. The lead man of the three opened the door as his look-a-likes took up positions along either wall.

“Sir, your guests have arrived,” The man said giving a deep bow.

“Thank you, Oren, you may go,” Said a large man who sat hunched over a polished iron-wood desk of equal proportion. Like the lounge and hall, the room to had the same refined look and feel though it struck a more modest balance of the space to junk ratio. The door clicked shut behind them punctuating the silence. Feeling knots in her stomach Tess looked from the enormous man to Yami. Yami stood like stone, and even the hints of mischief were gone from his eyes, he was all business.

Slowly the large man sat up as he turned his attention to them. In the shadow of his hulking mass, Tess could see a triple layered seeing glass, resting beside three gemstones each the size of her thumb. For a long moment, the man gazed at Tess looking her up and down with a critical eye but spared only a momentary glance for Yami. Opening a sliding drawer in the desk he placed the seeing glass and gems inside before addressing them.

“You are early,” He said with a smile. It was a ghastly smile putting on full display a disfiguring injury, which left the majority of his lower left jaw exposed. When he spoke, his words came out slurred and thick. “I always liked that about you Yami. You don’t keep a busy man waiting.”

“Of course,” Yami said sounding more formal than Tess had imagined possible.

Larry rose to his full height and Tess pursed her lips as she felt her heart flutter. Damn, but he was huge, and she realized those doors behind her were not just cosmetic.

Despite the massive proportions, Tess would not have called him fat, only large. With each step, his movements betrayed a nimble dexterity that bordered on unnatural.

As he moved from behind his desk, Tess could see a row of hand tools resting on a carved wooden rack hanging on the wall. Files, chisels, slicers, hammers, each beautifully crafted with polished iron-wood and adorned with a lightning cobalt stone in the handle.

On his right hand, he wore a large golden ring that most would have called excessive. On it were beautifully cut yellow and orange tigress eye and topaz. He wore a pressed navy suit with golden buttons and a silver chain around his neck that held a coiled serpent with the head of a dragon. While the serpent was silver like the chain, the dragon head was a myriad of silver, gold, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds, each gleaming with eye-catching intensity. The man’s love of gems seemed to dwarf his other pursuits and for Tess, it was a tortured struggle not to reach out and touch that medallion. By sheer force of will, she kept her hands firmly clenched in fists at her sides. While she was able to control her hands, she could not do the same with her tongue.

“Beautiful...” Tess whispered without realizing the words had even left her mouth.

“You like my handy work?” Larry asked.

“You crafted those yourself?”

“Crafted no, but I did cut the gems for each.”

“Were you about to cut those three?”

“I was. Would you like to watch?”

“Yes!” Tess squealed without thinking.

“I mean, can we?” She asked with a pleading look at Yami.

“I insist,” Larry said before Yami could answer. Yami nodded grudgingly. Clearly, he had meant to make an excuse as to why they did not have time. Her fear of this monstrous man vanished the moment the gems hit the desk. Joining Larry, Tess stole a glance back at Yami, she could feel a stupid-happy smile on her face. Yami only glared at her as he took a seat on a decorative chair by the door. Turning her attention back to the gems Tess listened in rapture while Larry carefully explained the cutting process.

“…It is just as important as precision when cutting,” Larry Explained, “Finding each flaw or irregularity within the gem. It tells you how the cut will affect the overall outcome, and in turn what shape it is best suited for. One careless cut will ruin a good gem as quickly as an unsteady hand.”

“I am just amazed you do this yourself, instead of having a shaper do it,” Tess said.

“A peculiar hobby I know, but then again most of my hobbies are.”

“What other hobbies would those be?” Tess asked with maybe a hint too much familiarity in her voice.

“Well, I am glad you asked,” Larry said with a grotesque smile. “As I am sure you have seen by now, I collect things. However, the thing I like to collect the most is information. Yami told me about what you saw and frankly, I would like to make you an assignment offer.”

Immediately Tess felt herself go numb and her head swam.

“Your own personal living quarters here in Crescent, food, and utilities paid for, as they would be in the capital. A personal skimmer whenever you need it, access to any academic course you wish at Raiden’s Den, free crystal grafting and an eighty hollo a day allowance. In return, I get to monitor your brain and crystal interaction to discover the cause of these visions. In addition to accessing any memories, I deem pertinent to the investigation.”

Strong fingers caught her as the room began to list sideways. An assignment from a private individual instead of the Imperium, could such a thing even be possible? She would be getting paid more than her father, and have her own skimmer to boot. Had such an outrageous offer come from anyone else Tess would have laughed in their face. But here in this room surrounded by more vane wealth than she had ever seen in her life, she believed him.

Giving over her mind to this stranger though, it would be the equivalent of selling her soul. Tears wet her cheeks and she didn’t know if it was from the overwhelming offer or the loss of her freedom. No not her freedom. She would still be free, she would just have a passenger along for the ride and she could live with that.

“You got yourself a deal,” Tess said wiping her face.

“Excellent,” Larry said putting the cut gems back into his desk. “I don’t have the setting I want for these yet and even if I did; I think we have tested Yami’s patience enough for one day.”

Yami grinned and looked like he was about to be sick.

“Will you let me watch when you set them?” Tess asked.

“Perhaps. But for now, we have some work to do, and I believe you are the subject of interest.”

Tess wrinkled her brow, what was he talking about? “Your assignment. It begins now. This way,” Larry said ushering her to a wall decorated with exotic art. On a shelf stood a figure of a man holding a bronze spear tipped with a small ruby, Larry spun the spear and the other end tipped with a sapphire now pointed up. When he did a section of wall slid forward revealing a stairway behind. Throwing a switch on the backside of the wall illuminated their descent.

Two large chambers dominated the left wall of a lab. The first was filled with a teal liquid the color of hand soap. A slew of equipment filled the rest of the room, along with an examination bed and various storage cabinets. Unlike the rest of this place, Larry’s lab was clearly built for function, not formality.

“Have a seat,” Larry said indicating to the examination bed.

Taking a seat on the hard surface she watched as Larry dug through several cabinets before returning with phlebotomy equipment. Tess couldn’t help a surge of panic as she looked from the equipment to Larry. Shooting a glance at Yami, calmed her somewhat. Whatever was about to happen he didn’t seem worried, if anything he looked bored.

“You seem frightened. Don’t be. Today you will be receiving an implant that will allow you to communicate directly with the sensorium. You have already watched how I handled those gems with care, and I assure you, you are of much greater value. But first I must determine if you are compatible with the accelerating agent I have or if a modification is necessary. For that, I will need a little of your blood. Left arm out palm up if you would.”

Tess complied, and Larry lathered the inside of her elbow with a brush of cold liquid. She didn’t feel a thing when the needle punched through her skin and into her vein.

“Hold this,” Larry said handing her a wad of gauze and tape.

Giving the wad a good squeeze, Tess watched the tube of blood as it quickly filled a vial. Two vials later her head was spinning and the entire room seemed to list to the left. Larry snatched the gauze from her and taped it down before taking the samples to a large contraption at the end of the room. After a moment Larry clapped his oversized hands together as a disfigured smile exposed his lower jaw.

“Good news?” Tess asked.

“Indeed. There is no conflict with the accelerator.” Larry said before filling a syringe with a silvery-blue liquid the consistency of mercury.

“What is that stuff?” Tess asked, eyeing the needle warily.

“Millions of microscopic scanning devices,” Larry said snagging a black bottle from an upper shelf that would have been too high for Tess to reach had she jumped. Unstopping the bottle, the room was immediately filled with the rank smell of old piss. Tess held her nose as Larry poured a fingers worth into a small glass before returning.

“I don’t have to drink that do I?” Tess asked nearly gagging as he approached.

“Yes. It is an essential part of accelerating the scanners. Just make sure you down it in one gulp, it tastes worse than it smells. Now if you will, your arm.”

Tess sighed and held out her left arm for the injection. It was quick and painless, and she wished she could say the same about the drink. Larry had not exaggerated the taste was far worse than the smell, leaving her on the verge of retching. From the moment she downed the contents her entire mouth burned and soon she felt as if her throat was swelling shut. A moment more and she felt like she had been doused in liquid fire. Sweat leaped out across her entire body and her heart began to beat so fast she feared it would explode. She wanted to scream and writhe in pain but couldn’t move. Panting for air Tess fell slack against the bed paralyzed in a lake of fire. A moment later she felt another injection, and immediately an avalanche of ice spread across her body. The icy chill lingered several seconds before vanishing. Tess lurched upright as strong hands held her in place.

“Not so fast, you need to take it slow,” Larry said releasing her.

“Here drink this,” Yami said holding out a full-size glass filled with a clear liquid.

Tess shied away reflexively.

“It’s water I promise,” Yami said sounding genuinely concerned.

Tess took the cup tentatively, examining the contents before committing. At least it smelled like water.

“Drink it. After the accelerator, you need to hydrate yourself,” Larry said.

She took a cautious sip and then gulped down the rest of the glass once she was sure it was safe.

“What was that stuff?” Tess demanded, not caring one bit how much acid she put in her tone.

“Just an accelerating agent to circulate the scanners,” Yami said trying to keep his voice calm.

“Like hell he nearly killed me.”

“That was pie-pan venom,” Larry said without batting an eye.

“You poisoned me!”

“It is harmless in a small dose. A pie-pan lizard bite will burn like fire and cause temporary paralysis. The amount you just consumed is sufficient to cause a burning sensation, total paralysis, a greatly accelerated pulse, and respiratory functions, leading to death in a matter of minutes. It is also the quickest way to circulate the scanners throughout the entire body.

“You could have at least told me first!” Tess screamed. “And you!” She said turning her attention to Yami “You knew and didn’t even say anything!” Tess intended to throw the small head pillow from the examination bed at Yami. As it was the only thing within arm’s reach that wasn’t bolted to the floor, but it was, as she quickly noticed sewn in place. Instead, she settled for a glare, and if looks could kill he would have died on the spot.

“Calm down and have another drink of water,” Larry said resting a firm hand on her shoulder. “Those preliminary samples verified that both the venom and anti-venom would work as intended. You were never in any danger.”

Tess took the full cup from Larry and began to sip at it, all the while peering malevolently over the rim at Yami who leaned against the nearby wall. From the corner of her eye, she watched Larry make several trips back and forth across the lab room to retrieve medical slicers and an implant connector.

“Now Tess, here is what we are going to do,” Larry said as he proceeded to explain the implant procedure in its entirety. Despite her misgivings at having Larry cutting into her his fingers proved nimble enough and his hands steady. The procedure was over before she knew it leaving only a small incision just behind the fold of her left ear.

“The incision will heal in a few days. Just apply this to it each morning and night for the next week. Larry said handing her a jar of blue goop the size of her thumb.

“What is this?” Tess asked as she eyed the container suspiciously.

“Now that is a secret,” Larry said with a hideous smile. “It is my own creation, and it does exactly as I have said. It will feel slick and cool for about an hour after each application.”

Off in the corner, Yami was tapping his phone while eyeing Tess. Clearly, he wanted to be off as soon as possible. She still had more questions but they kept slipping away. As if her mind and mouth were operating on two different frequencies. Clutching Yami for support, she stood on unsteady legs. Each movement was a burden as Larry ushered them out to the lounge.

A lone woman in a low-cut dress, deep crimson like the floor, sat waiting. She gave them a disgruntled look that begged the question “What was so important about them that she had been forced to wait?” Tess couldn’t help but feel the weight of that question now. Before taking the trial, she would have had a witty answer to the unspoken question, but now the question ate at her. Who was she that this monster of a man would smuggle her through customs just to offer her twenty hollows a day more than any upper-caste assignment? And what kind of man could possibly afford such a thing? The kind that makes even Yami nervous, she reminded herself. She felt herself lurch forward. Below her, a skimmer was moving and she felt her grip on Yami tighten at the realization. She wanted to ask how they had gotten to a skimmer but didn’t. Instead, she bent all her remaining focus to the task of staying in her seat. Overhead the black shape of the massive half dome grew until it blotted out the sky.