SWNOVELS Chapter Daily duty
Brawls, training, attacks. Kysaek had to put all this out of her mind on the job, or at least wait until she could talk about it with Jim in the quiet of the night. Yes, it would be a shift with many topics today.
Before starting work, however, it was time to change, and while Kysaek stood half-naked at her locker, there was Mac again. He had the air of a stalker, who had only been waiting and was unabashedly watching her from the entrance again. Kysaek rolled her eyes. “Never heard of hookers? They’ll do anyone for money, and you seem to be in dire need of it.”
“Well what’s the tone today?” said Mac, clearly alluding to the lingering bruises. “Don’t take it out on me when someone’s done you in.”
“It’s not normally mine, but maybe your gawking behaviour is a case for Human Ressources Department?”
“Please, you’re in the wrong century. I’m just waiting here for a colleague who is about to come on duty and happens to be wearing very little at the moment, in a mixed dressing room. If that makes you uncomfortable, you should have read your employment contract better.”
More annoyed than pissed, Kysaek clenched her fist. “Get the fuck out of here!” she said, thundering her fist against the locker.
Mac didn’t respond to this in any way. “You know, I know a good remedy for stress, which you clearly have, and we still have twenty minutes before the shift starts.”
The man was clearly a self-absorbed asshole wallowing in his vanity, and that’s when an idea struck Kysaek. She quietened down and revealed her half-naked front. She wanted to give him what he needed. “You know what? You’re right! Let’s take care of this!”
Mac’s grin couldn’t have been wider. “Finally, you’re loosening up!” he commented, coming inside.
Kysaek, however, raised his index finger and wagged it slowly in denial. “Not here ... Ever thought about the showers?”
“Honestly, no. Must be hot.”
“And how,” Kysaek winked mischievously. “We’re running out of time, though. Go ahead quickly and I’ll join you in five minutes, then we’ll have a little foreplay.” She watched Mac walk hurriedly towards the showers. He seemed to have a firm belief in his success. Never in a million years, not even for all the foreign currencies in the galaxy, would Kysaek really have done that. Instead, she got ready for the shift and sidled up to the showers where the water was already rushing.
Under the flowing rain of the showerhead, Mac stood by, bare-bottomed. He was oblivious to Kysaek’s presence, though, and how she was readying her vortex cuff. Not that she was a technical genius, but the electric lock on the door to the showers was simple and a weak shock produced with the cuff was enough to disable the controls. Covered by the pattering of the water and without Mac taking any notice, the passageway closed and would take about fifteen minutes before it could be opened again via the controls. That was more than enough time for Mac to be late for his shift and for Kysaek to get a modicum of revenge, for SC1 was a fanatic about discipline, punctuality being one of the top priorities.
Even Kysaek only arrived at the last minute in her guard area, where the normal, almost deathly boring and dark silence prevailed. Once again, she encountered no one in the corridors, apart from the patrolling guard bots, and they had never been the talkative sort or designed for such.
In the camera room, Jim, already seated, greeted her. “That was close! Two more minutes and you’d be late!”
Sensing the mood, Kysaek relayed it to Jim. “I had some business to attend to,” she mentioned as she stowed her assault rifle.
Jim took it calmly. “I’m not going to rat you out,” he said, pointing to his face. “Are you trying out a new fashion trend or what is it?”
“More like an old trend: meddling in other people’s business and getting the receipt for it,” Kysaek countered, placing herself on the vacant chair. There was nothing left of their fun before, as if the dull workplace had swallowed it up immediately.
“Sounds like a story worth telling,” Jim replied, but he uttered a warning in the same breath. “You should be careful who you meet like this today though.SC1 is pretty pissed off because some have called in sick. Even his appendage Ten’Dis.”
Kysaek completed the list, with a new hint of mirth. “Then he’ll be in an even worse mood if Mac is late.”
“I sense tonight’s shift will be full of good stories,” Jim foresaw, taking a sip of brewing coffee.
Looking at the drink, Kysaek made herself a cupful as well. “Do you think this would be a better job for me?”
“Which one?”
“Storyteller,” Kysaek replied. She had heard so many stories and talk, yes, she could certainly talk like a waterfall. However, she was honest enough to know the truth: That didn’t make her a good storyteller.
“Not a bad idea,” Jim encouraged his partner. “Best to start with your military service first ...”
Yes, it was said by Kysaek yesterday and she was going to keep her word. “Just don’t be disappointed at the end. It’s not that exciting.”
“Leave the judgement to me.”
“All right ...” began Kysaek, taking a deep breath. She just wasn’t proud of her short time in the military and she was embarrassed, but she hid it well behind her words. “It was around five years ago now when I was a recruit in the Luna Alliance military. I was totally fascinated, especially by all the publicity. Sort of like the Rangers’.”
“You’re not alone there,” Jim agreed. He had a few more years under his belt and shared his experience with Kysaek. “They all suffered heavy losses in the Solaris War and only now are they slowly getting their act together. More than ever, the military is luring young people with promises, the Luna Alliance especially, and with the stories of Magna. To be a hero, someone of high value. The exception to the rule, the saviour and protector,” Jim cynically enumerated. “The reality is quite different and young people usually simply lack the experience to know better, but I guess mistakes like that have to be made. It’s the only way to get smart enough in the first place.”
“You don’t have to say that to me anymore,” Kysaek clarified matter-of-factly. Her time with the Luna Alliance - or Alliance for short, as many more succinctly referred to it - had been a waste, in her opinion. “In the military I was so ...”
Suddenly it went pitch black. Lights and the monitors failed to work. “What the⁈,” escaped Kysaek and Jim, startled.
The internal communications of Kysaek and Jim’s guard equipment activated with the voice of Douglas. “Everyone report! What’s going on⁈”
From the second guard station came the first recall. “All lights and security systems are down, sir!”
Sho’Algh mingled in next. “Good question, SC1. I’m in the north corridor and everything is suddenly dark here.”
“I don’t know, sir!” replied Kysaek, before a thought occurred to her. “But for whatever reason the power path is - shouldn’t the emergency system be launching instead?”
“Yes, it should!” said Phonor grimly. “A minute’s up and everything’s still dark. It shouldn’t be like this!”
As if on cue, the emergency lights around Kysaek did then glow, a bright, dim green, and few camera monitors regained their function. This was followed by a notice through an automated announcement. “Emergency lights on. Emergency primary systems reactor started.”
Jim reported. “Sir - we have some pictures back, but only of the main areas! Everything is fine there, but otherwise we are blind!”
“The technicians can’t explain it!” informed Phonor. He was not happy about it, but he made a decision anyway. “Whether it’s a power failure or sabotage, we’ll run standard protocol, and since we’re so understaffed today, one guard will be pulled from each monitoring station and they’ll run a special patrol!”
“And who is to pull out, sir?” asked Kysaek. She didn’t care whether she or Jim was to go.
Inquiring about it Phonor felt unnecessary. “You’ll go on patrol for such a stupid question, Kysaek! Hopefully the rest, like adults, can figure it out quickly for themselves!”
The order didn’t bother Kysaek one bit, on the contrary. “Getting ready sir!” she said, pulling on her helmet and helping herself to the weapons cabinet. Two more magazines and shock grenades than usual she took. “And you keep an eye on everything here, Jim ... Even if nothing’s going to happen.”
“Sure. The great blackout of 2317, the most terrifying event since PGI memory,” Jim joked, nodding. “Until the electricians get the fuse back in.”
Then it was out for Kysaek, and had she thought the corridors were dark before, the emergency light hardly helped her see. That was why she resorted to her shoulder lamp and at least broke through the shadows in front of her, but the silence still weighed on Kysaek’s senses and exacerbated her tension. She still did not believe for a second that this was more than a technical defect. However, it didn’t help against the burgeoning uneasy feeling in her stomach. “Reaching the secondary checkpoint of my area now. No incidents,” she reported obediently.”
Understood,” Phonor replied, prompting the remaining guards. “I want readiness reports from the rest!” Those came through one by one.
“Baker in station one ready.”
“Station two ready.”
“Sho’Algh ready.”
“Station three ready.”
“Tolward ready.”
“Enulis ready.”
“Today we have a shortage of personnel,” Phonor repeated, expressing his annoyance at this gently. “We’re splitting up. The bots are already monitoring the corridors anyway. Half the team stays upstairs, the other goes into the shafts. Kysaek, you take over entry in your area.”
Kysaek was far from thrilled by the thought. The shafts, the maintenance areas under the building, were a tangled web of tunnels. Energy, water, chemicals - everything went in and out of there, and among Kysaek’s colleagues, shaft-duty was seen as punishment, although the situation was not comparable to normal everyday life now. The locked hatch into the abyss was in a side alcove where at least a bright enough light shone. “I’m going down.”
“Sho’Algh and Tolward get in through the other hatches,” Phonor ordered, dealing another side blow. “And don’t you all die on me down there! I’m not in the mood for paperwork!”
“Die, sir?” pretended Kysaek dryly. “Die of what? Yawning emptiness and boredom?”
“Shut up and get down!” instructed Phonor sternly. “From now on, everyone reports only when they detect something unusual, and secondary communications run between the guard stations!”
That was music to Kysaek’s ears - she didn’t need to talk to Phonor. So the strong and blowing wind didn’t bother her either, the rise as she unlocked and lifted the hatch to the shafts. Especially as her helmet interface told her that unpleasant smells were in the air, but the stench was filtered out by the helmet.
The rungs of the entrance led down some 30 metres and the shaft was cursedly narrow, even for the wiry Kysaek. Every movement downwards also changed the pitch, as silence became a recurring grumble and fluids and gases constantly flowed through the pipes. Once at the bottom, Kysaek contacted Jim on a third, private frequency. “Actually, it’s not so bad here.”
“Why?”
“Quite invigorating atmosphere, so different from the usual. If only it wasn’t so dark and spooky,” Kysaek admitted. It was her third time in the maintenance tunnels and this time she was alone. Normally at least three guards went down together.
Jim found words of encouragement. “Don’t worry, Kysaek. I’m tracking you via the 3D model. Besides, level five has given me clearance and I can lock down all the side passages in the tunnels. So contrary to expectations, if there’s anyone down there, you’ll find them on your main route or I’ll lock them up.”
“I like that plan,” Kysaek replied quietly, careful not to give herself away by speaking loudly. Her gun at the ready, she moved off. There was one thing she was glad of and that was sharing it with Jim. “Fortunately, I don’t have to go through the sewage area. Sho’Algh can scrape the dirt off his boots and legs later.”
“He can,” Jim agreed knowingly, “But he won’t get the smell off even if he washes it ten times.”
Beside Kysaek there were turnings at certain intervals, but they closed steadily before they reached her. So her gaze became quite fixed, focused only on what was in front of her and aware of the visible cone of light. “Personal experience, Jim?”
Phonor interrupted this conversation. “What about Tolward? Is anyone in contact with him?”
“Not me, sir,” Kysaek returned, as did her colleagues. ”
“He should check the central outflow,” Phonor informed them. “Kysaek, you’re closest there. Go see what’s going on!”
Kysaek followed the order. “Will do sir!” Except for the increasing increase in her speed, however, she kept the same procedure for the time being. Surely it was only Tolward’s radio that was down. Kysaek made friends with these thoughts because she already had the problem herself.
The normal PGI guards got rather discarded equipment from time to time, that was well known among the lower guards. Everyone knew that the really good stuff went mostly to the elite force - or as the company so creatively called them, the PGIE.
Kysaek didn’t have time to deepen her thoughts, however, because on the dirty floor she found an abandoned weapon, which she approached cautiously, its ID51 matching Tolward’s. “Phonor, sir. I found Tolward’s assault rifle, but without him.”
“Any sign of him?” inquired SC1 calmly.
“No, sir.”
“Okay - as of now, we’re assuming a threat!” said Phonor, changing the plan. “I’ll contact the PGIE, and until they get there, everyone except the guard stations will go into the tunnels.”
Kysaek gave her approach. “I’ll keep looking for Tolward.” At least she found no blood or other evidence of violence on the weapon. Another explanation of hers was that Tolward had been startled and dropped the weapon in the process. Or he had been caught from behind, strangled and taken away surreptitiously. Too many explanations floating around in Kysaek’s head, The right answer, however, turned out differently, at least in part.
Kysaek found Tolward just outside the central spout, on the ground, and ran towards him. His helmet was elsewhere and she saw the man’s bloodshot eyes, wide open and devoid of life. Immediately Kysaek wanted to report, but suddenly the tunnel walls gave the unlocking click of weapons and she immediately jerked her body back. Bullets struck at her feet and into Tolward’s armoured body and Kysaek took cover at the corner from where she quickly spotted the danger.
Three security bots bearing the PGI logo marched through the tunnels in warning. “No entry permit! Your life functions will be terminated!” the machines threatened. The black areas on their faces were covered by a rushing image, familiar from jammed screens.
Jim enquired about the situation. “What’s going on there, Kysaek?”
“Bots! Our bots are attacking me!”
“Where are they coming from? The system didn’t show them to me before and I can’t get access to them.”
“Keep calm!” intervened Phonor. He didn’t see a problem. “Kysaek, destroy the tin buckets! The company will get new ones.”
“Aye, sir! I just can’t get a shot,” Kysaek said.
The bots fired at intervals, giving their target no chance to counterattack. By their action, however, the machines damaged some power lines and pipes, from which sparks and thin clouds of steam poured, warm and fortunately non-flammable in nature.
Those clouds gave Kysaek the saving idea. The angle of her position was enough and she damaged more tubes. The escaping gases created a thick, white and opaque wall of mist.
It put an end to the attacks of the confused bots. “Target out of sight. Thermal image disrupted.”
Kysaek knew roughly where the bots were, however, and threw one of the shock grenades before making use of her plasma assault rifle herself. Not only did the clang of hit hulls tell her where her targets actually were now. The twitching flashes of the grenade clearly marked the bots and took them out. Kysaek was able to advance further. “Done.”
“Not quite,” Jim denied uneasily. “I’ve located unknown bio-signs here on the map, not far from you, and they’re moving pretty fast now.”
“To my Position?”
“No - they’re heading down the central outfall. The signals will be leaving the PGI compound soon.”
“Can I intercept them?”
“Yes. I’ll pilot you through the secondary tunnels, then you can cut them off at the lock.”
“Then guide me,” Kysaek agreed and put herself in Jim’s hands, who transmitted the predetermined route to her interface. She also knew where the unknowns were at all times. Judging by the signals, it was a group of four individuals.
Kysaek arrived at the lock before the strangers. There, the water flowed almost deafeningly loud and the massive bulwark of Eldar steel stood wide open. She wondered how that didn’t set off any alarms. She saw no traces of forced opening or traps, so she switched off her light and positioned herself well hidden. Her rifle pressed close to her body, the barrel next to her face, and she breathed quietly. Between the loud gurgling of the water, Kysaek gradually heard footsteps pushing through the knee-high water and excited voices speaking indistinctly.
Jim, meanwhile, relayed new information. “Kysaek, there are only two targets left. The others have stopped halfway. They’re probably covering the retreat.”
“I saw it, but thanks,” Kysaek murmured.
Lights from the strangers broke the darkness of the tunnel and one of the alien voices was unmistakably female, with the certain muffle of a Galig mask. “We’re almost there.”
“Yes, and then everyone will know!” retorted a sterner male voice that matched a Davoc.
“I’m so angry ...” the Galig cursed. “To see my own people like this, it’s...”
Quick as a flash, Kysaek came out of her hiding place and pointed her gun at the strangers. “Hands up!”
Shock went into the Galig, but the Davoc drew a pistol, which was shot out of his hand by the guard.
“I said hands up!” repeated Kysaek urgently.
Slowly the intruders raised their arms in the air. “Now what? Shoot us to cover up their crimes?” the Davoc asked defiantly.
To Kysaek, this was just a diversionary attempt. “No, but you are under arrest! For trespassing and I’m sure a lot of other things. But the police will take care of that.”
“Murderer! Criminal!” wailed the Galig, stepping into the water. “You can’t hide forever!”
“Don’t think I’m distracted by confused statements!” clarified Kysaek. While she didn’t know what exactly was going on here, she now noticed a floating stretcher in the stranger’s back. It was covered by a cloth and to Kysaek it looked like someone was lying underneath. “What’s that?”
“Our proof!” the Davoc replied, taking a few steps forward. “This will be PGI’s end and you will all get your just punishment!”
“What proof?” asked Kysaek cluelessly. She was not clear what this was about and whether it was really a distraction, but she ventured another glance at the gurney.
The Davoc took advantage of this moment and rushed forward. “Do you even know what is going on here?” he growled, grabbing the barrel of Kysaek’s gun. “Or are you just a little wheel in the machine, obediently and stupidly following his orders?”
A scuffle ensued in which Kysaek did not get the muzzle on her attacker. He was stronger and she fired a few shots at the ceiling. “Let go!” she demanded vehemently, kicking the monkey between the legs.
The opponent, however, refused to let go of the barrel, even though he went down on his knees because of the painful kick. His weight jerked the barrel to the side in such a way that an unfortunate and fatal volley hit the Galig, who had been about to draw her weapon.
Now it was just Kysaek and the man who managed to snatch the weapon from her hands and throw it into the water.
A fistfight began, in which the Davoc relied on pure strength. Kysaek, on the other hand, was nimble and countered with her knowledge, and if he ever hit her, she hardly felt it because of the armour. For this, the Davoc grabbed Kysaek once and threw her to the ground, where she caught herself with her hands. Now she had enough and her rage became a massive, prismatic wave of energy. It was a whole wall that Kysaek sent ahead, throwing not only the man but also the stretcher cross over the water, across to the other side.
Hastily, Kysaek rushed off and, as she ran, drew her pistol, which she pointed at the prone man. “Enough!” she warned, taking no more chances. With the Davoc still woozy from the attack, she threw him on his back and fitted him with a pair of magnetic handcuffs. “That’s it for you!”
The pain still sat in the ape’s bones and yet he possessed the ability to reply. “I knew it! An ignorant woman making herself the lackey of the wicked! Were it not for that, I would be dead long ago.”
Kysaek could not deny that she found it strange that the man stuck to his story. She wanted to know what the attacker was talking about. Her curiosity was piqued. She reasoned that maybe it had to do with the higher levels. “I get paid for security. Everyone has their jobs like that.”
Undeterred, the Davoc fuelled the guard’s curiosity. “Look under the cloth! Let’s see if you’re still doing your job properly afterwards!”
What could a look mean? This question flashed through Kysaek’s mind. Probably the shrouded object was far less exciting or bad than it was made out to be, and even if it wasn’t - Kysaek worked for PGI and felt she was entitled to a bit more insight already. It all stayed within the company, after all. That’s why she did it and carefully walked moreover cloth without disregarding the man.
The fall of the stretcher had thrown the hidden body on its side, but the cloth was still wrapped around it. The right hand, however, was no longer affected and it looked strange
.A grey skin, as if it were scaly or at least very dry, adorned the limb, along with strange, metallic surfaces.
Kysaek had never seen anything like it before, at least she couldn’t remember at the moment, so her mind was made up - she had to see more. She reached for the cloth where the open hand lay.
Suddenly Kysaek was surrounded by blinding cones of light, which put an end to her plan, and half a dozen voices shouted in confusion: “Hands up! Don’t move! Gun down!”
More out of shock than because of the demand, Kysaek dropped the pistol and jerked her arms up. Because of all the lights shaking wildly, she could just barely make anything out and could only assume that they were her colleagues. “Don’t shoot! I’m with you!”
Slowly the cloaking helmets were more visible, clearly PGIE-soldiers. “Name!”
“Elaine Kysaek!” the guard replied. She didn’t understand how they could ignore her PGI armour and the ID on it. “I’m on level one security and I stopped two suspects when they tried to steal something from the compound!”
It took longer than it should have, but the PGIE’s weapons were lowered. “Confirm - Elaine Kysaek identified. Secure the area,” said a soldier and everyone swarmed out, attending to the stretcher, the live suspect or the dead Galig.
From one moment to the next, Kysaek felt completely superfluous. But the interest in the hidden figure was still there.
A soldier took note. “Did you see the object under the cloth?”
“No, I haven’t,” Kysaek swore, knowing she had nothing to hide.
“Better for you,” the soldier said harshly, issuing a subtle threat. “This is way beyond your security level, so you shouldn’t talk about what happened here either.”
This offended Kysaek in a way. Just a moment ago she had prevented a robbery and confronted the attackers, and the PGIE didn’t honour that for a second, but acted out and threatened. They could just screw her!