Chapter 25
“Greetings Monsieur Speaker.” Jean Vierre said as Garret approached the Minority Leader. Garret shivered with the sudden gust of chilly wind, glad for the heavy coat that Davin had handed him as they got out of the vehicle. It was mid-afternoon and while the nights were almost always longer than the days, thanks to the tilt of Calos’s planetary axis, he was not use to the gloominess that filled what was called the ‘Twilight Sector’.
“Thank you for meeting me here and showing me around.” Garret said as they shook hands. He was becoming use to that quaint custom now. While the coat Garret was wearing was standard-issue military, without any rank insignia, Vierre was dressed in working pants common to regular workers and a light wind jacket.
“I’m glad to see you taking an interest in the problems posed by this area of our city.” Vierre said with a smile. “This area of New Edinburgh was the original downtown area. Most of the buildings actually pre-date the occupation by the Empire. I’m sure you’ve noticed most of them are five to fifteen stories high. When the occupation ended and the new skyscrapers were built to hold all the people fleeing the damaged Atlantia continent, the confluence of the mountain ranges behind us, and the new buildings going up resulted in this section of the city being in a perpetual gloomy state. Property values plummeted almost immediately and most of the section was deserted.”
“When the first recession hit Calos, after the completion of most of the building projects for the new skyscrapers, hundreds of thousands of workers found themselves without jobs and unable to afford homes in the new towers that they had built.” Garret continued the explanation as a polite way of telling Vierre that he had done some homework on this section. “They found the rent here extremely cheap as they looked for new jobs. As their savings and unemployment checks ran out, they became squatters, refusing to leave the buildings despite eviction orders. The owners pushed to force people out, but the government intervened, giving them tax breaks for their loss in rent revenue. Over the last few years as unemployment climbed, so did the population of this sector, who exist hand-to-mouth with most of their food being provided by various charities.”
“Yes, that’s correct.” Vierre said with a nod. “The various religious institutions of Calos are the primary providers of food banks and clothing banks. Each of the major branches has several different food banks and actual kitchens since a majority of the homes here do not have power. The residents are often either unable or unwilling to pay for electricity. Occasionally there’s civil unrest here, but it’s been quiet until yesterday.”
“I did not hear any reports of civil unrest.” Garret said with a frown.
“Nor are you likely to anytime soon.” Vierre answered the unspoken question. He began walking further down into the main street of the Sector, and Garret noticed how the two staff people he’d brought formed up with Garret’s in a half-circle behind them. He knew Davin had fifteen security personnel now filtering ahead of them, but they were so discreet he couldn’t even see them.
“What was the source of the unrest?” Garret asked as he noticed that the further into the Sector they moved, the more crowded it was becoming. Most of the people were dressed in several layers of clothing, all of which appeared worn. The people were watching the two of them, and those that followed them, as they moved up the middle of the street. It looked like an entertainment holo of old Earth, before the takeover by the Jordanites. There were old barrels being used as fireplaces, with groups of people huddled all around them. As Vierre opened and closed his mouth several times, as if struggling with how to explain, a teenager approached them.
“You lost?” The boy asked with what could only be described as a leer on his face. He was wearing pants that were about an inch too short, and a worn trench coat that trailed on the ground behind him. On his head he had a threadbare gray knit cap, low over his ears and forehead, but from which a few strands of jet-black hair escaped. His eyes were an icy blue that held a world of knowledge behind them that Garret could only guess at. “I can show ya where the shelters are if that’s what you be looking for, or where the registration center be, or you folks don’t look like you’re down on your luck so you be seeking entertainment? I can show you that too for just a few credits.”
“Move on, kid.” Vierre practically snarled but Garret put an arm out across the Minority Leader’s chest and smiled at the kid who made no move to leave.
“I want to tour this place.” Garret said, reaching into his coat pocket for the small wallet that was surely there. Sure enough, after he moved his hand around the small pocket blaster, he found the wallet and pulled out some cash.
“Jesus monsieur, don’t be showing a wad like that here!” The kid said with surprise as Garret pulled out a fifty-credit note.
“Here.” Garret said handing it to him. “You’re my tour guide for the day.”
“Fuck, I’ll take you to bed for a note like that.” The boy said as his hand flashed out, seizing the bill and causing it to disappear inside his clothing.
“You watch yourself Brian.” One of the older women shouted. She was in a cluster of older women around one of them fire barrels. “You know damn well who he is and I don’t want you ruining nothing by associating with him!”
“Don’t worry Nana!” Brian, the boy shouted back. “I’ll go to confession on Sunday and repent for my evil deeds just like every other Sunday!”
“You’re going to bite off too much one of these days and that priest is gonna stop taking your guff, boy!” The woman shouted back while the women around her either clucked their tongues, shook their heads, or chuckled. A few of them were doing all three at once.
“So, monsieur, what do you want to see first?” The boy asked with a cheerfulness that was almost too syrupy. “Hera’s got a fine House if you’re looking for a bed and someone to warm it with, or there’s Lijack with his club. It ain’t right crowded now, but as soon as the sun gets lower it’ll pick up what with those that got jobs coming back home…”
“Hold on a moment.” Garret said with an affable smile. He turned to look at Vierre who was scowling now. “Monsieur, why don’t you show my people a couple of the food and clothing banks?”
“What?” Vierre exclaimed with surprise before shaking his head. Davin had been edging closer since the boy approached him and voiced his own protest.
“You’re not going to…” Davin said with a hint of steel in his voice.
“I am going to go on a tour of this section of the city, and I think it’ll be better if I wasn’t dragging a coterie with me.” Garret said firmly, turning to look Davin directly in the eye. “You have Barret go with Monsieur Vierre and record the highlights of the different shelters. I’ll be back in two or three hours.”
“You can’t just walk off with some street kid.” Davin protested but Garret gave him a very direct look.
“Obey my orders.” Garret said firmly and Davin blinked before nodding his head. He was still frowning through. “I have my comm. link, and I’m not exactly defenseless, you know.”
“Yes Speaker.” Davin said.
“Monsieur, thank you for escorting my staff on a tour of the shelters.” Garret said to Vierre as he spun to face the boy. “You’re Brian, right?”
“That’s right, Brian McGraff, at your service, sir.” The boy said with a mock bow.
“My name’s Garret.” He responded.
“Hell, everyone knows that just by looking at you.” The boy snorted. “I figured you got some deep pockets so I thought I’d offer me services if you’re coming to tour the place. I can show you things you won’t see at no food shelter.”
“That’s what I’m interested in seeing.” Garret said with a nod of his head. “Lead on.”
“What you want to see first?” The boy asked as he started off down the street, heading deeper into the section.
“How about your home?” Garret asked and the boy laughed.
“Didn’t you hear the news about yesterday?” Brian asked with a shake of his head. “Me and Nana were living in the first building they raided. She was proud of living so close to the edge of the TZ since her pension actually gives us enough to pay rent instead of just squattin’ like the rest of these bums. Didn’t make no difference to the police though, they just rounded all us up and told us we had thirty minutes to grab everything we own before they kicked us out. Nana’s pissed because we had to stay with her friend Nellie whose been telling her she was wasting her money actually paying rent instead of squatting, but Nana, she’s proud like that. She ain’t ever forgotten her house on Atlantia. Of course, if she ever did go back there like she keeps saying she wants, she’d probably be glowing in the dark by now.”
“I haven’t watched the news much in the last few days.” Garret said with a shake of his head.
“Don’t you have people who watch it for you?” Brian asked and Garret answered quickly to stop him from going off on another tangent.
“Yes, but they don’t always report everything they see.” Garret answered.
“So you don’t know about the Fellowship buying up a bunch of the best mini-towers in the Zone?” Brian asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice.
“You mean the Jordanites?” Garret asked.
“They don’t like being called that.” There was a note of warning in the boy’s voice and Garret chuckled.
“They call me an abomination and I don’t like that either.” Garret responded the boy nodded his head for a moment.
“I can see that.” Brian said before launching off with a whole river full of words about what was happening. “The Bishop came down here a few days ago and shook his head at everything he saw. Then word came down that he was buying up a bunch of the best buildings the next day. Then yesterday the police came, telling us the bishop owns the building now and wanted us all out. He says he’s going to ‘refurbish’ them, make them look like new and he’s gonna only let the faithful in once that’s done. Nana’s been dragging me to their services every Sunday and we only go to the shelters that are run by the Fellowship so she figures we should be in good with them, and then I’ll tell the priest everything you said and did while you were here and I figure that’ll get extra points for that and push us up higher on the list.”
“You know, spies don’t usually tell the people they’re spying on that they are spies.” Garret said with a chuckle as the boy led the way around a corner.
“I’ve seen you on the broadcasts before.” Brian said, and he stopped walking for a moment to look up in Garret’s eyes. “I always thought you were a really nice guy and you probably mean to help people just to be helping, not like that Bishop who uses his help to buy people and whatnot. So yeah, I’ll be telling the Rabbi and the priest all about you, but at least I’ve warned ya so you won’t slip up on telling me anything you don’t mind them knowing.
“Here.” Garret said as he pulled out a hundred credit note. This note disappeared like the last, and the boy smiled.
“What was that for?” Brian asked.
“For telling me the truth.” Garret said with his winning smile. “Honesty is very important to me.”
“Oh.” The boy said with a frown and his eyebrows wrinkled together as he mulled that over. It seemed he was trying to reach a decision and it only took two minutes in the near-freezing street. Brian shook his head after a moment and began to lead Garret further and further into the depths of the darkness. Here, about half the streetlights were out leaving the section of the city in a much darker state. Whereas before the boy had been walking with an ambling gate, he now strode purposely at a very quick pace. They passed many buildings, some dark, others lit dimly with old signs declaring their former housing of shops. Many of them had broken windows on the lower levels, and here there were fewer fire barrels and even fewer people on the street. All of them stared at Garret and Brian as they walked quickly and purposely down the street, but all of them quickly turned away after a glance or two.
“We’re here.” The boy said as they stopped in front of a particularly decrepit looking five story building. Garret guessed they had walked across most of the sector in a nearly-straight line from where his vehicle had landed. It was even colder here, and Garret almost wished for a thicker coat as a particularly biting blast of wind rocked them.
“Where are we?” Garret asked calmly as he resisted the urge to finger the blaster in his pocket. The weapon was a small one, and held fifteen shots at regular power levels. There should be two charge loads in the pocket on the other side of his jacket, but he hadn’t checked.
“We’re where they told me to take you.” The boy said with a shrug, looking up at Garret with a hint of fear in his eyes.
“Who?” Garret asked, this time not resisting the urge to put his hand into his pocket.
“Me.” Another voice said from the entry way at the top of a short flight of steps. Garret didn’t waste a moment, and he had the blaster out of the pocket and pointed up in the direction of the steps as the sounds of dozens of feet filled the air and people spilled out of the building entrance, all surrounding a figure that Garret could barely make out.
“Identify yourself.” Garret ordered in a stone cold voice as Brian let out a whimper and moved to hide behind Garret. He didn’t make it there as Garret tripped him with a foot, not willing to trust having the boy behind him. Brian let out a cry of pain as he fell on the concrete, but he rolled over and stared up at Garret.
“Please, I was going to tell you!” Brian whined. “They asked me if I could get you away from the government guy and lead you here so they could see you for themselves!”
“Who are they?” Garret asked, scanning the mob in front of him. Most of them were boys and girls ranging from Brian’s age to Garret’s, but the man they were clustered around was older. In the dim light, Garret was guessing he was in his mid-thirties.
“They’re the Hands of the Zone.” Brian whispered. “The police call them a gang, but they help people. They’re the only ones who actually help people and don’t ask for anything in return. When Nana got sick last year, they got me the medicine for her even when the clinic turned her down.”
“Why would the clinic turn her down?” Garret asked. “Medical care is provided based on your ability to pay on this planet, just like any Republic planet. If you can afford to pay for everything, you pay for everything, if you can afford to pay nothing, you pay nothing.”
“As long as you have an address, that is the way it works, Speaker.” The older man in the cluster of children said with a voice filled by contempt. “Here on Calos, the government doesn’t recognize addresses of those living in the Zone. No medical care without full payment, no assistance from the government, no schools, and no voting rights are available to residents. The churches all run their own food and clothing banks here in the sector, but none of them just give stuff away. They all want something in return. The Rosiers pray over you and do their best to get you to join their faith as payment for a bite to eat or a warm coat. The Jordanites refuse entry to those that don’t profess their faith. The Colliers aren’t too bad, they just pray over you and preach at you while you eat, but in the end, they all want something. What is it that you want, Speaker?”
“The truth.” Garret said calmly, feeling the tension run out of him. This wasn’t an attack, and he slipped the safety back on before putting the blaster back in his pocket and bending over slightly to offer the boy a hand up. Brian took it with a frown and looked up at Garret with pleading eyes.
“Did I mess up with you?” He asked in a weak voice and Garret recognized the look of someone about to cry. His heart wrenched slightly and he shook his head while smiling gently before taking out another hundred credit note as well as a card.
“Go back to your grandmother.” Garret told him. “If she gets sick again, or you need something, you place a public call to that number. It’ll go through without a payment on your end, and you just tell whoever answers that you need my help.”
“Thanks.” The boy said as he handed back the hundred credit note while the card disappeared as the other money had. “No more money from you, ‘cause I wasn’t totally honest with you.”
“You’re a smart young man.” Garret said with a smile while there was the steady rustle of clothing as the younger kids surrounding their leader shifted where they stood. “Stay out of trouble, you here?”
“I will.” Brian said with a smile before turning to run back the way they had come. He stopped after twenty paces, and turned back. “They really are good people, the best in the Zone.”
“Go see your Nana!” Garret shouted back without turning around. He had a smile on his face, but it faded as he looked at the group before him.
“We don’t have much, but would you care to enjoy our hospitality?” The man said with a polite gesture towards the entrance. Garret nodded, giving a hand signal that he hoped would be seen by any of Davin’s people who had tailed him this far.
“I’d be honored.” Garret said aloud as he stepped forward. The children stepped aside as he put his foot on the first step, clearing a way to their leader. When Garret had climbed the last step and stood taller with the older man, he realized the man was older than he assumed. His face was craggy, and his hair nearly white as they studied each other, green eyes meeting frosty aquamarine eyes.
“You’re shorter than I expected.” The man said after the staring contest had lasted for just over two minutes. “Hans Blezner, at your service, Speaker.”
“Garret Atrix.” Garret answered, taking in the fact that the man just nodded his head and did not offer his hand to shake as most Calosians did. When the fingers in his left hand bent stiffly, but recognizably into a hand signal, Garret allowed his eyes to blink in surprise before his right hand moved in the countersign. His eyes shifted back to Blezner’s cold blue pools and he had to resist the urge to shiver at the look they gave him.
“Three months after I graduated, I was assigned as the squadron leader of planetary attack fighters based on the Roanoke.” Blezner said in a soft voice, one filled with old pain. He began to move into the building and Garret followed him, looking around as they strode though the atrium. It wasn’t garish like the rest of the planet’s buildings, and looked as though it was well-maintained, even if the exterior of the building was falling apart. Warm, well-polished wood paneling covered the bottom half of the walls, and the marble floors they walked on shone with a recent waxing. “I arrived barely two weeks before the second attempt to re-take Calos. The Roanoke and four other ships were able to break through the enemy lines and make orbit. All of the ships began dropping troops right away, and I led my squadron of attack fighters to start attacking their air defenses.
“Between the bombardment cannons on the Roanoke, the other ships, and my fighter squadron’s load of bombs, we were doing pretty good. Half the marines died before they even reached the planet, but those that did land made good progress in shutting down their planetary defense systems. I was making strafing runs on a pulse cannon embankment near the entrance of the bunker our troops were trying to take. The damn earthers had shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles though, and fired nearly twenty of the damn things at me. I evaded or fooled all but three of them. Those three were enough though, and I had to eject before my fighter blew up. Luckily I made it a hundred and fifty klicks out before ejecting.”
“What happened then?” Garret asked as he was led into what looked like a small sitting room with several couches, a fireplace, and a few tables. A young woman waited with a tea set and poured as Blezner pointed to one of the couches while sitting across from it. Garret took the offered seat and briefly murmured how he liked his tea to the young woman.
“This is my youngest child, Demelza.” Blezner said with a look of pride.
“It’s a pleasure, mademoiselle.” Garret said with a smile. She blushed but poured the tea silently before leaving the room.
“I landed in the middle of a rice field.” Blezner returned to the earlier topic. “Still, it was a rough one and some fragments had injured my leg so I wasn’t good for much. Luckily the farmers that pulled me out of their field weren’t real good Jordanites. Sure, everyone on Calos at the time went to services. It was the law, but not all really believed that way. These folks didn’t, and they nursed me back to health as well as they could.”
“I noticed your limp.” Garret admitted and he shrugged.
“Eventually they sent me to the coast via some relay network they knew about, and I traveled across the oceans on a surface ship.” Blezner continued. “Horrible experience that, traveling across this huge expanse of water on a ship that bobs up and down with the waves. I landed at Solix. Now it’s just the New Edinburgh docks, but back then it was its own town. From there I was hidden in the caves under New Edinburgh. The entrance to them isn’t more than five hundred meters from where we sit right now.”
“I didn’t know that.” Garret said with a slight widening of his eyes. The tea wasn’t the best he’d ever had, but it was far from being the worst.
“After the liberation of Calos, we fit nearly three million people in those caves while the towers were being built.” Blezner said with a heavy sigh. “By that time I’d met Demelza’s mother, we’d gotten married and had our first boy. He had to be born down in the caves, because I didn’t have papers and the fake papers wouldn’t’ stand up to the scrutiny new births are given by the earthers. They’re sticklers for knowing the genealogy of each and every child born in their precious fucking Empire. You might say me and mine were among the first real Zoners, but then there were a handful of other former Republic soldiers who’d survived down in the caverns with me.”
“Didn’t the Republic take you back when they liberated the planet?” Garret asked with some curiosity.
“Oh, they took care of me, but the injuries never healed right without proper medical care and I wasn’t fit for duty.” Blezner shrugged. “They did give me all my back pay, which was three year’s of pay, and they gave me bonuses for being a POW and as repayment for my injuries. I used that money to buy this building and legitimize my son as well as to start up a restaurant and bar downstairs. We did damn well until the new towers grew so tall they blocked out the sun.”
“Why didn’t you leave?” Garret asked.
“By the time I realized I should, property values had sunk so low that I couldn’t get enough from the sale to get a one-bedroom apartment in the new towers, and I had five children.” Blezner replied with a grimace. “Business had boomed during the building years, but once the towers near us were done, the sun was gone and so were the customers.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Garret said. “But how does an Academy graduate go from battle-surviving businessman to gang leader?”
“We’re not a gang in the traditional sense of the word.” Blezner said with a grim smile. “If you ask around, people will make us out to be like Robin Hood.”
“Robin Hood?” Garret asked with a frown.
“I know the Academy still teaches the Hero Complex course.” He frowned.
“Yes, I get the reference.” Garret stated. “I’m just not sure how it fits in this situation.”
“It fits because under my guidance the Hands have done a good job at keeping what order is possible in this place and helping people out.” Blezner responded with a dour grimace. “Would it surprise you that I know Montagne?”
“At this point, no.” Garret said with a sigh. “Let me guess, you had him urge me to come down here.”
“Yes, but only so I could get a chance to talk with you.” Blezner said with a nod of his head. “One of his uncles had moved here to take a job building the towers. Unfortunately for him, his company got bought out by a Jordanite, and he was fired when he refused to join that religion. He couldn’t find work and ended up being evicted from his home before his brother, Montagne’s father, could send him money to get his family back to their farm. The uncle ended up here, and we helped him get back home. The boy who brought you here, we helped his grandmother when she was sick. We have friends in many places and there’s one or two pharmacy technicians who leave the doors unlocked for us at times. We take what we need to help sick people who are turned away by the clinics. There’s a few medical students who we helped get out of here and into medical school that come and care for people.”
“So you’ve forgotten why they teach the course on Hero Complexes?” Garret asked with a lift of a single eyebrow.
“No, I haven’t forgotten.” Blezner snapped sourly. “I haven’t fallen into the personality cult trap. I also teach the kids how to fight with their hands and their feet. There are a few real gangs down here and every now and then they try to flex their muscles. So far, we’ve kept them in check, but the damn Jordanites are tipping their scales.”
“Why did you want this meeting with me?” Garret asked. “I’ve already stretched my House funds about as far as they’ll go. To come in here and fix things would take hundreds of millions of credits; more than I have available.”
“You’ll do what you can for the folks here now that you’ve seen how things are here.” Blezner dismissed that with a wave of his hand. “I wanted to meet you to make sure you are what they claim you are, and to reach a deal.”
“What kind of deal?” Garret asked softly.
“One beneficial for both of us.” Blezner answered. “You may not have the money to really help here, but you are able to influence others who do have the money. You’re right, it’ll take hundreds of millions to turn this sector around, but you can raise that money. In return for doing your best to help the people here out, I offer you the services of the Hand.”
“What kind of services are those beyond petty theft and intimidating local gangs?” Garret asked, purposely putting a hint of scorn into his voice. Blezner smiled at that as he saw right through the tactic.
“Information.” Blezner responded and Garret sat forward a bit.
“What kind of information?” Garret pushed.
“A free sample for you.” Blezner said as he leaned forward, produced a flash memory stick and put it on the short table between them. Garret picked it up, debated on whether to trust the man, and decided he would. He inserted it into his implant and was rewarded instantly with dozens of details that Devin and Davin had not been able to find out.
“You have a deal.” Garret said after a few minutes.
“Aren’t you going to verify it first?” Blezner asked and Garret snorted.
“You’re not that stupid.” Garret stated.
“No, I’m not.” Blezner agreed, standing with a little trouble. Garret stood as well and they looked at each other for several long moments.
“You chose to stay here because you knew what was going to happen to the people in this sector.” Garret stated his opinion.
“Yes.” Blezner responded with a shrug. “During the war, the people here could have lived like kings and queens off of the reward they would have received from turning me in to the earthers. None of them did. I owe them for that, as does the Republic.”
“The Republic will do its best for them.” Garret said and he took a deep breath before speaking again. “Keep the faith.”
“You as well, Commodore.” Blezner said with a nod. Garret returned the gesture and turned to leave. A young man, no more than eighteen at most, escorted him out of the building.
“You’re not going to send troops in here after him, are you?” The dark-haired youth asked as Garret stopped at the top of the stairs.
“No.” Garret said and turned to look at the young man. He held himself well, as would be expected of someone trained in unarmed combat by an Academy graduate. “How many of my marines do you see?”
“Three, all with scoped rifles pointing right at me.” The boy responded and Garret nodded, having another suspicion confirmed. Earlier he had just assumed they were ill-trained boys, or street toughs, but they weren’t, if this one was any example. Yes, Blezner’s deal would be kept, and it would probably be worth more than the data swimming through his head right now.
“Call this number if there’s ever trouble of a kind I can help with.” Garret said, holding out another card. The young man took it before disappearing back inside without another sound. Garret turned and walked down the stairs and back onto the streets. It was even colder now, and he wrapped the coat tighter around him before heading back down the street the way they had come.
“Am I in trouble with you?” Brian’s voice came just ahead of the small boy who darted out from an alley as Garret entered a teaming mass heading towards the shelters that lay closer to the city edge of the sector.
“Nope, you’re not in any trouble on my end.” Garret said with a smile. The boy stepped in close to Garret and actually hugged him without making Garret slow down. Garret returned the hug with one arm, surprised at the affection from the boy. Within moments the boy was prattling on about different things in the nearby buildings, and Garret let him chatter while he thought.
Blezner’s information made a few things a lot clearer, but it also raised another set of questions that would have to be answered. The presence of the earth bishop made him more worried than ever, and he considered pulling some strings with the Republic government to get them to kick him out, but that wouldn’t work any better than having him murdered.
No, he’d have to be subtler he decided as he reached the shelter currently being toured by his group. Brian disappeared back into the crowd while Garret greeted Jean Vierre again. It seemed like each day on this accursed planet only brought more work to be done, not less.
As with all my stories, E provides immeasurable input, grammar checking, and all those other lovely editing thingies that make the story so much better!
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