Asylum, page 8
Mari stopped her air bike on the sidewalk several houses away.
Since she’d read Sato’s novel, she knew that a crusher was a constant companion for Minister Dabrowski, but Sato hadn’t mentioned having one of her own in their adventures. She’d given the vibe, through the text, that she wasn’t enamored with the killing machines, even though Dabrowski’s apparently had personality and had been programmed to be a bodyguard rather than an aggressive killer. That didn’t mean the one at the door was his. In the months since the book had been published, Sato might have gotten one of her own. An aggressive one.
Mari rubbed her face, wondering if this was worth it. Maybe there was someone else connected to the queen who would be easier to visit. Such as the knights that had also been a part of the events depicted in the book. Or even the genetically engineered cat woman or bounty-hunting pilot. But she had no idea if any of those people were on the planet right now. Besides, Sato was a scientist, like her, and Mari thought they would be more likely to form a kinship. Or at least an understanding. And a scientist should be rational and not as prone to jump to conclusions about astroshamans.
But this scientist was under the protection of a crusher. Mari stared glumly at the black robot, its face indistinct, only vague orifices where a human’s eyes, nose, and mouth would be. She didn’t know how to proceed.
The shuttle was smoking again by the time Kenji flew over the rental shop toward the landing and parking area behind the building. A crater—damage from the attacks on the capital that hadn’t yet been repaired—ensured nobody parked out front. The bomb that had left it had also taken out what had once been a house-cleaning service on the same property. The sign out front had survived, but the building was missing. Meanwhile, a vehicle maintenance facility at the far end of the property had been left unscathed. The vicissitudes of the universe.
With the front parking area out of commission, the rear lot was packed. Kenji landed gingerly, setting the shuttle down among other aircraft, ground vehicles, racks of air bikes, and a random bratwurst vending cart. He eschewed the auto-park and guided them into a narrow slot, glad for his piloting skills even if he resented the man who’d instructed him. He’d only been nine or ten when he’d learned to fly, but he well remembered his father watching from the copilot’s seat with his disapproving nothing-is-ever-good-enough glower firmly affixed.
“It is fortunate the shuttle is handling better,” Kay said.
“If you don’t mind the smoke billowing out of the back.”
“Robots are indifferent to airborne particulates and gases.”
“Unless they signal a swift and rapid hurtling to the ground from great heights?”
“They are concerning when they lead to that, yes,” Kay said, “but our flight back to the city was without difficulty. I was able to run further diagnostics and download software updates over the network.”
“It’s good to be updated.”
“It is. I trust you’ll need my assistance to locate the astroshaman woman.”
“I will.” Kenji turned off the shuttle, looked for belongings to unload, and remembered that he had none. At least the wad of bills in his pocket ensured that he could buy the gear he needed to finish his task. “I’m prepared to bribe the clerk, if necessary, but the advance the astroshamans gave me won’t last forever. The less I spend on bribes, the better. Let’s plan for me to distract the clerk while you sidle around the counter, plug into his computer, and find out if Mari’s air bike has been returned. If it hasn’t, get the ident for its locator chip.”
“Do you not think we could simply ask the clerk for that information?”
“The guy didn’t even let me use the lavatory the last time we were here.”
Kay looked over at him. “This indicates an unwillingness to share data?”
“If you’re not willing to share your toilet, you’re definitely not going to share data. Come on.”
Kenji led Kay to the cracked and pitted walkway that took them past the crater and to the front entrance of the rental shop. One would have thought the owner would have put some caution tape around the great hole to keep customers from falling in, but other than an amusing orange cone ten feet down in the center, there were no warnings.
The buzzes and whirs of drills and other shop equipment came from the repair shop on the other side of the crater, and a surly-looking man in coveralls stood in an open side door, glaring at Kenji and Kay.
Kenji faltered, wondering if the man somehow recognized him—he lived in fear that he would come across some of the people his father had tormented in the past—but the glare seemed to be for the building behind them. Maybe the clerk had also rented him a faulty shuttle.
When Kenji stepped inside, two other people were waiting in front of the chipped counter, their shiny black combat boots contrasting with the stained and cracked floor tiles. Their backs were to him, leaving him a view of utility belts bristling with weapons that ranged from DEW-Tek pistols to stunners to knives, and each had flex-cuffs dangling in between the armament. Despite the combat boots, they didn’t look like soldiers or police officers, not with their distinctly civilian attire, the oddest combination of camouflage and… was that purple fur trim? And were those… sequins?
Even though they had long black hair, one with it in a ponytail and one in a braid, it took him a moment to realize they were women. Maybe because they were significantly taller than he—at least six-feet-two—and had the powerful builds and broad shoulders of bears.
The clerk wasn’t behind the counter. Maybe they’d scared him off.
One of the women glanced back at him, and Kenji nearly fell over. They had pointed ears and… was that fur? Not on the trim for their clothing but on them.
He gripped the doorjamb for support, inadvertently blocking Kay, who bumped into his back. The woman smiled at him, which was almost as alarming as the fur—she had fangs—and turned back to the counter. That was good, because he realized he was gawking. Rudely.
Kenji closed his dangling jaw and swallowed. She wasn’t entirely furry. Her face was mostly normal, aside from the fangs, and feminine despite the large muscular frame. And her hands only had a light dusting of fur on the backs. The rest appeared almost normal except for…
He swallowed again. They had claws. The other one was tapping a rhythm on the counter with a claw painted purple to match the fur trim on her jacket. Kenji caught his jaw dropping again.
Maybe they’d eaten the clerk.
No, they wouldn’t be standing there impatiently if they had recently been sated by a tasty meal. Kenji resisted the urge to flee and stepped into the lobby. They were obviously genetically engineered women from another system. He’d read all about such creations after he’d learned that his genes had been altered before his birth. Maybe he should be relieved that his father hadn’t made him fanged and furry.
He reminded himself that the Kingdom was turning more progressive and allowing foreigners of all types to visit, so he should expect to see more beings—people—like this. The queen had even put out some incentives, giving bonuses to tourist businesses that brought in foreign crowns and Union dollars. Since Zamek City was the capital, and the closest major city to the launch loop, it made sense that these foreigners would be popping up here.
Kenji glanced at Kay as he clanked in behind him, wondering if this might be their opportunity to snoop in the computer system. Would the large women object if they ambled behind the counter and helped themselves to some data?
But he must have stepped inside far enough to trigger the door chime, for a soft bing echoed through the building. The same clerk Kenji had dealt with before—wearing the same grease-stained shirt with a hole under the armpit—walked out of an office. He jerked in surprise when he saw the women.
“You’re still here,” he blurted, stepping back, his shoulder clunking against the doorjamb.
Kenji imagined a lot of people ran into doors when they saw these women.
“Yes,” the one who’d smiled at Kenji said. “You said you would let us know what you found.”
“I meant in general. At some future date. Actually, that was a brush off. I thought you would take the hint and leave.”
“At least he’s honest,” the other one said. They had pleasant voices, though they would definitely be singing alto in the cat-woman choir, should such a thing exist.
“I’d be happy to help you if you want to rent something,” the clerk said. “We’ll rent to anyone. No questions asked. As long as you’ve got money.”
“As we said, we’re interested in buying the lot next door, not renting a shuttle. Our real-estate developer friend did some research and learned that you own this building, the now-empty lot, and the repair shop on the other side of it. All the taxes have been paid, and you seem to be doing well despite the disrepair here.”
She eyed the floor tiles and then the armpit hole in his shirt. His hand was up to scratch his head, so it was easy to see.
“I don’t waste needless money on frivolous things. Look, I don’t know if you noticed, but the lot next door is now a crater. I’m still waiting for the insurance money. There have been a lot of claims, and they’re backed up. Do you… women need air bikes? A way to get around town? Like I said, I don’t discriminate.” He eyed their pointed ears with the same dubiousness that they were eyeing his armpit.
“We know that it’s a crater. That’s why we’re interested. Our friend said we could get a good deal, fill it in, and build on it.”
“What do you want to build? A cat cafe?” He snickered at his wit.
The women did not.
Kenji groped for a way to butt in to the conversation. For his distraction, he planned to ask the clerk to come outside to see the repairs needed on the shuttle. Before Kenji got a word out, the rumble of a hover van came from out front. Instead of parking in the back, it floated a couple of feet over the crater, not far from the front door.
“This isn’t a very good part of town,” one of the women said. “We understand there’s a lot of crime. We plan to open up an office so people can visit us and inquire about our services. We’re bounty hunters, and we’re going to branch out into private investigations and possibly hiring ourselves out as bouncers. There are quite a few of us, and my captain doesn’t need all of us all the time when she flies.”
“Bounty hunters?” Kenji asked, considering their weapons again. Maybe they knew where to get good deals on the right kind of gear.
Both women turned to face him and smiled, one hiding her fangs with her lips, the other revealing them and the rest of her teeth. Hers was a brazen smile, and she looked him up and down with a speculative gaze. It took him a long moment to realize she was checking him out.
“Yes,” she said.
“Are you in need of our services?” the more subtle one asked. “I’m Liangyu Qin Three. You can call me Qin.”
“Or you can call her Squirt.” The flirty one winked.
“That doesn’t seem like a bounty-hunter name,” Kenji said.
“We gave it to her when she was six. She was a runt.”
Kenji eyed Qin’s substantial height and muscles and found that hard to believe.
“I’m Tigress. I was never a runt.”
“This is true,” Qin said. “She was always a big brute.”
“A big sexy brute.” Tigress looked Kenji up and down again. “What’s your name, Cutie? For select customers, I might be willing to throw in certain bonus services alongside the bounty hunting.”
“Uh, I was actually going to ask where you got your weapons or if you have any used gear for sale. I’m getting into the business myself, but I don’t have a lot of start-up funds yet.”
“That female is looking at you with the alarming mien of a predator,” Kay whispered. “Perhaps you shouldn’t engage them in conversation.”
“It’s all right.” Kenji hoped.
“You’re going to be a bounty hunter?” Tigress raised her eyebrows. “You look like a Squirt yourself.”
Qin elbowed her. “Don’t assume that. Kim isn’t very big, and she kicked Rache’s mercenaries across a submarine.”
“Rache?” Kenji mouthed as the clerk did the same thing.
“The lot isn’t for sale,” the clerk said firmly.
A clank came from out front—the sliding door on the hover van being thrown open. Six men in camouflage uniforms with masks covering their faces sprang out, landing at the edge of the crater. They carried DEW-Tek rifles and charged straight for the front door of the rental shop.
“Move, Kay.” Kenji grabbed the robot and tugged him over to a corner as the men charged inside.
“No freaks!” They yelled and opened fire at the counter—no, at the women.
But Qin and Tigress had leaped into action before the men made it through the door. Instead of running away, like the clerk did, they charged their assailants, knocking aside rifles and bowling them over.
Energy bolts hit the ceiling and the walls as the women put themselves back to back, kicking and punching rather than drawing their weapons. That didn’t keep the attackers from using their weapons, but the women were close enough—and fast enough—to knock aside the men’s arms and the barrels of the rifles, sending the shots flying.
Kenji, afraid random fire would take him down, looked for something to hide behind. The only thing in the lobby was a fake rubber-tree plant in a cracked plastic pot. He ducked behind it, intending to drag Kay with him, but Kay headed for the counter. A stray bolt clipped his metal shoulder, burning a hole in his housing and almost knocking him over.
“Get down, Kay! Or run into the back with the clerk.” Kenji wished he’d done that.
But Kay went behind the counter as the fight escalated, more energy bolts slamming into walls—and people. Yelps of pain sounded amid the thuds of fists hitting flesh. Kay disappeared with a clank, and Kenji worried he’d been struck with a more damaging attack.
Something slammed into the base of the potted tree. A rifle that had been ripped from someone’s hands. One of the men followed, flying through the air and slamming into the wall a few feet from Kenji. He thudded down with a groan.
One of the women grunted in pain. Kenji wondered if he should help them, but he had no idea what this was about. If he got involved, it would only be in the hope of stopping the fight so innocent bystanders wouldn’t be killed.
An energy bolt blasted through the trunk of the faux tree, dropping plastic leaves on his head. He also wanted to stop the fight so innocent lobby decorations wouldn’t be killed.
The man crumpled next to him grabbed his rifle, rose to his knees, and aimed at one of the women. They were busy dealing with the other attackers and didn’t seem to see him.
“Look out!” Kenji barked and lunged over to kick the man’s rifle aside.
He was in the nick of time, and the man’s shot went wide. The women glanced over. Unfortunately, the attacker growled and swung the rifle toward Kenji.
Kenji jumped up, fear making his second kick lightning fast. His toe connected with the barrel an instant before the man fired. The rifle flew out of his hands and struck the ceiling.
Before Kenji had to defend himself further, one of the women sprang over, landing beside the man. She hefted him from his feet as if he weighed twenty pounds instead of two hundred, lifted him over her head, and threw him across the lobby.
Kenji glanced around, afraid someone else might be targeting him now that he’d picked a side, but the battle was winding down. Four men lay groaning or unconscious—hopefully not dead—on the floor. The other two, realizing the odds had rapidly gone out of their favor, glanced at each other and sprinted out the door. They leaped into the van, and it took off, not waiting for the other four.
The women dropped their fists to their hips.
“As we said,” Tigress said, “this isn’t the best of neighborhoods.”
“But that makes it the perfect place to start a business for hunting criminals,” Qin said. “We’ll have to set up a network site, so people who are afraid to visit the area can reserve our services online.”
“Good idea. Maybe Casmir would help.”
If the clerk was listening from the back, he didn’t reply. Kenji eased along the wall, stepping over one of the crumpled men, to check on Kay.
Other than the melted blast hole in his shoulder, Kay didn’t appear damaged from the battle. He had tilted over at his trunk crease and was accessing the shop’s computer, which was tucked into a nook below the counter.
“Are you almost done?” Kenji whispered.
“There was a passcode to bypass that delayed me, as well as weapons fire squealing over my head, but I have almost achieved the objective.”
“Good work.” Kenji turned and leaned an elbow casually on the counter to hide Kay from view if the clerk walked in.
One of the downed men tried to belly-crawl toward the door. Tigress plucked him up and shoved him against the wall, his boots dangling six inches above the floor.
“Why did you attack us?” She pinned him in place with one hand against his chest while she searched him with the other.
“Because you’re freaks.” He tried to kick her, but she lifted a knee and blocked the attack while removing laser cutters, pistols, and even a grenade from his pockets. “Nobody wants you here.”
“That’s not true.” Qin picked up one of the rifles and held it on the other three men. “No fewer than seven people are quite tickled to have us on this planet. Did someone pay you to attack us? How’d you know we would be here?”
The clerk stepped into the doorway and peered warily around. Kenji put a hand on his hip to take up more room and block his view of Kay. The clerk looked at the women and the men on the floor and barely noticed Kenji. He didn’t seem to see Kay at all. Good.
