Chapter 2 | Markas
Chapter 2
Markas
I’m being followed. And not just by anyone. I’m being followed by someone who wants to fuck me and kill me in equal measure. I quicken my pace, weaving through the run-down warehouses of Lemargo. Everything feels like it’s about to crumble into the gray dirt that dominates this planet’s landscape. I don’t intend to be here long enough to see that happen.
I need to lose this psycho ASAP. Then I can finish my business here and get out. After my last visit, I swore I’d never return, but life has a way of turning us into liars, doesn’t it?
The angry scent is getting stronger. I don’t want to attract extra attention by running, since I’m not exactly doing legal stuff while I’m here. But being stalked is too much, even for me. I accelerate into a light jog.
There aren’t too many shipping trucks on the road right now because it’s mid-day, which allows me more room to maneuver around tight corners and hidden alleys of the industrial center of town. My hearts are beating faster now, and I’ve broken out in a light sweat. I shouldn’t have worn my nice suit today, but how was I to know I’d be pursued down the streets of this dusty old planet?
I try to focus on the scent cues I’m receiving from my pursuer. It smells like a human. I relax a fraction, knowing I could outrun or overpower the great majority of earthlings. I still need to be careful. After all, a human with a weapon can still do me damage. But it’s definitely not the same as having another Xanxian after me.
I slow down until I’m just walking and smell the signals again. I don’t think this person is a killer. They’re just really angry and find me sexy. It says something about my life that this doesn’t narrow the field very much.
I’ve seduced and scammed dozens of people and it could be any of them. There were quite a few I scammed right here in downtown Lemargo. And one in particular that made me swear to change my ways.
My mind flashes to Justine. I remember her beautiful tear-stained face when she arrived on Lemargo. She wasn’t just any old emergency victim. Justine was a survivor of The Adventure , the reality show spaceship that got destroyed. After that, her escape pod got hijacked by pirates. Justine’s one tough cookie, but it was a lot even for her.
I know what you’re thinking. What kind of monster targets a vulnerable human like that? Unfortunately, it was me. But somehow, stealing from her hurt both of us. In a short time, I developed real feelings for her. And when I left with her credit chip, it felt like a double betrayal.
What would I say if I could see her again? There’s no way to know. I’m sure she contacted her friends and caught the next ship back to Xanx. But I still wonder. What if I had met her under normal circumstances? What if, what if?
I have only a split second to realize that I’ve let my mind wander, and I’ve walked into a dead end. Did my pursuer drive me here on purpose or was it karma biting me on the ass? The last thing I hear before everything turns black is a high-pitched scream. Or maybe a battle cry?
***
I think someone must have hit me on the head, because it’s killing me and I’m still dreaming about Justine. I could swear it was her on top of me, holding a knife to my neck. No, not a knife, it’s not sharp enough. Something pointy, like a pen? None of this makes sense. How hard was my brain jostled? I move to pinch myself, but the Justine-like apparition straddling my chest has my arms pinned down with her ankles.
It occurs to me that a human the size of Justine, whose only weapon is a pen, is no match for me. I could easily throw her off and run away. But now I’m curious. Who is this person and what do they want with me? I’ve got some time before my appointment and my suit’s already a wreck. Why not indulge my curiosity?
I can almost hear my mother’s voice in my head saying, It’s a bad idea, you dumbass. That’s why you shouldn’t do it. Of course, she’d be right. She always was. But where’s the fun in doing the right thing? I want to see what happens next.
“What’s happening?” I croak. After all, my lungs are being crushed by a petite human.
“What’s happening? I’ll tell you what’s happening. You’re going to give me back what you stole from me.”
Stars! It really is Justine. In my wildest dreams, I didn’t imagine she'd still be here. She looks different now. Her dark hair is cut into short, jagged layers and a new tattoo slithers down the side of her neck. And she’s wearing a cute server uniform that shows off her smooth shoulders. It’s totally not her style, but she looks sinfully good in it. Justine is actually here, beautiful, enraged, and on top of me. What in the galaxy is going on?
I take a breath before continuing. Justine isn’t some everyday stalker. She’s my former mark, someone I hurt. Someone I never planned to see again. Someone who hates me, but still finds me attractive enough to bed. That one sliver of hope boosts my mood a little. Still, I want to be careful how I navigate this conversation. Maybe I can fix things, or at least make her hate me a little less. It’s unlikely to happen when she hears what I say next.
“What if I don’t have it anymore? Your money, that is.”
“You’re going to have to find a way to get it back. All of it.”
I sigh inwardly. It’s not that I have no money, but Justine had lots of credits on her chip. How can I pay her back? And more importantly, why is this even an issue? Why didn’t her bosses or friends just wire her the money she lost? Why would she stay here? Was finding me and getting revenge that important to her?
“Why aren’t you back in Xanx?” I manage to say.
Justine looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“How was I supposed to get back to Xanx without my identity? Or did you forget you stole that, too?”
“I didn’t do that. I’ve never stolen someone’s identity.”
For once, I’m not lying, but Justine just shakes her head. How weird. Why would she think that?
“When I woke up after you’d gone, my credit chip and my identity graft were gone.”
“I only took your money.”
I try to remember that morning I left. It was early, and she was still asleep. Could anyone else have found her there? Justine’s angry voice breaks through my thoughts.
“Why should I believe anything you say?”
“I guess there’s no reason, but it’s the truth.”
I can feel Justine sagging under the weight of my words. It’s obvious she doesn’t have a well thought out plan, and I’ve just made things even more confusing.
“You need to help me get it back,” she says, anger still coloring her voice.
It would be easy to push her off and walk away. It would be even easier to agree and then leave her in the dust.
“Now, I don’t want you to overreact, but why should I? You have to know I could easily escape,” I say.
“Because I have your credit chip and identity graft now.”
A cold wave of alarm rushes through me. I want to check the skin behind my ear to check if the graft’s really gone. I could toss her off and do it now, but maybe I shouldn't. I notice a slight stinging behind my ear. Stars, did she really remove it when I was unconscious?
I look her over. How does she have the tools to extract an identity graft, and where the heavens could she have stored it once it was out?
“I think you’re bluffing,” I say, hoping I’m correct.
“I don’t bluff. Go try to buy a transport ticket if you don’t believe me.”
I’m going to do exactly that as soon as she gets off me. How in the hell did she do this? Adding or removing the tiny, delicate identity grafts take skill and a special tool. Neither is easy to obtain. I could search her clothing, search her, and maybe find the graft. Or maybe I’d damage it, or it would get lost in the scuffle. Plus, the idea of laying hands on Justine against her will revolts me.
It’s prohibitively expensive to get a new identity graft legally, and getting one illegally isn’t much better. I need my chip back and she knows it.
“Meet me at The End of the Line Cafe at 1100 hours tomorrow. I expect you to have a plan to get me home to Xanx. Then we can see about getting your graft back, unless you’d rather join me at the cafe. They’re always looking for dishwashers and aren’t picky about proper identification.”