Partners - Book 1 Read online

  “You understand that at a gut level.” Bain smiled faintly at him.

  “Yes.” He smiled just as faintly back. “I’ll miss Dev. I really enjoyed watching her progress.”

  “I’m sure she’ll be fine with Drake.” Bain stood up. “She’s already taken up a protective stance over your protégé as well as having been sufficiently distracted to allow her to get past that recent disaster.”

  “She’s good people,” Kurok said, as he joined Bain and they both disappeared behind the console, through a hidden door and into a quiet hallway. “I think Dev will do very well with her.”

  “Hm.” Bain eyed him. “Sure you don’t want a job?”

  Kurok smiled a little. “I have a job.”

  Bain snorted.

  “SO I SUPPOSE I really am staying,” Dev said, as they walked along the corridor. “That was a very interesting meeting.”

  “I told you that you were staying.” Jess chuckled. “Yeah, it was. We’ll have to go back and see what kind of swag we got. I’m glad he put you in for something.” She stepped into the lift, and waited for Dev to join her. “Let’s start at the top and work our way down.”

  “I’m not sure what that means,” Dev said. “But it sounds nice.”

  “Here’s the roof.” Jess led the way out of the lift to a huge open space, with solid glass covering all of it. Overhead the thick, dark clouds were drifting, and once they’d cleared the lift encasement they could see all around them out to the horizon.

  Dev turned around in a circle, looking at the vast, open barrenness on one side, and then out across what was now becoming a familiar venue of open ocean.

  “When the new class comes in, we’ll all gather here for the induction ceremony,” Jess said. “With any luck I’ll get you started on the right foot with them and we can work from there.”

  “It’s difficult isn’t it?” Dev said.

  Jess looked at her. “Would it be easier for you if you stayed down with the rest of the bios?”

  Dev put her hands behind her back. “Of course it would.”

  “Do you want to do that?”

  “No,” Dev replied without hesitation.

  Jess smiled. “Good.” She waved her hand. “Let’s go. I’ll show you the gym and the rad facility, that’s on the next floor. Then we can go past the reference center and stop in at the exchange.”

  “For the stuff?”

  “Yeah, we’ll get some stuff.”

  THEY HAD, IN fact, gotten stuff. Dev sat cross legged on her bed, surveying the items around her with a sense of bemusement. She had learned a lot of new concepts including what rad was and why it was important to her, what the concept of luxury was, and the answer to the mystery of what to sleep in.

  It was a little overwhelming. Dev looked around her living space. Now not only did she have this place but she had another place, sort of like the little cubicle in the crèche, where she could study and do research while she was getting her required dose of sun replacement.

  She had more space to herself here than anyone topside, even the most important people. It was amazing and a little strange, and it felt a little uncomfortable to think about having all this when the rest of her kind didn’t.

  But she had no intention of trading them for it.

  Now, this stuff. Dev sorted among the items. The exchange was full of stuff that Jess had called luxuries. Items that were not given to them, but must be earned. This included stuff from topside, she was surprised to see and she’d gotten a package of the little sweet puffs they’d eaten on rare occasions in the crèche.

  You could also get things to wear. Jess told her it was easy to see the most successful agents and techs because they didn’t wear jumpsuits in off-time. They wore some of the things you could get in the exchange or— this was very interesting—things they bartered for in the living spaces outside.

  For now, Dev had gotten a few pairs of soft short leggings and sleeveless shirts to sleep in, as that’s what Jess told her she used. She set those aside and the puffs, and pulled over the box she’d found when she’d gotten back.

  Jess had told her it was from Bain. The box was full of things like insulated drink containers and a pack, with compartments, she could take on the carrier with her to carry things in. It had straps and hooks that would fasten to the console near her seat.

  It was nice. She liked it. There was also a folding tool she could use to get into hatches, that also had a knife in it—she’d seen Jess carry one— and a thing to wear that was thick and heavy and had a hood that was very warm.

  A jacket, Jess called it, for when they were outside and had to leave the carrier.

  Very interesting.

  Next, she removed a sanitary kit she could take in the carrier also. It had wipes and little bottles of something you could put on your skin, and mouth rinse. Jess told her she could order more when she’d used it all.

  Also very interesting.

  Dev got up and found places for all her new stuff. Once that was done, she picked up her book from her workspace and climbed up into the relaxing area and sat down on the couch.

  She had some time before Jess came back and she settled back in the couch, opening the book and reading from where she’d left off.

  JESS FINISHED REQUESTING data, then logged off the intel system and sat down at the small desk, using a stylus to make a few notes on the folder she was carrying. She wrote in silence for a few minutes, then glanced up as the door behind her opened.

  Shit. She cursed silently. “Hello, Jared.”

  The tall, spare medical director came over and sat in the seat next to her. “How long did you figure on ignoring the request to med?”

  “I’ve been busy,” Jess said, continuing to scribble. “Besides, what would be the point? Bain put me back into service. He ranks you.”

  “Yeah, and I heard what he does to people who disagree with him.” Jared spared a brief smile. “I wouldn’t have said no to him either, but you still have a hold on your chart. Want to spend ten minutes with me and get it cleared legit?”

  Jess checked the time on the console. “If it’s only ten minutes, sure.” She finished writing and stood up. “I’ve got an appointment to get to.”

  She followed Jared down the hall, out of the gray section into the white, passing suite after suite of examination and operation rooms. Most fortunately now not in use. She’d spent her time in those rooms, and like any other agent hated the place.

  Jared led her into a small exam room, the one she knew was right next to his office. She sealed and put the folder down on the desk and lay down on the exam table, feeling the warmth and tickle of the diagnostic systems.

  “You look like you’re feeling better,” Jared commented, from behind the console. “Your back still giving you problems?”

  Jess shook her head. “A little tender, that’s all. Still a little heat sensitive.”

  Jared nodded. “Hold still.”

  Jess felt the scan focus on her head and she closed her eyes.

  “How’s your sleeping?”

  “Okay the last few days.” Jess opened her eyes as the scan faded. “Been too busy to think about it.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Jared came from around the console and appeared next to her. “I can still see adherence in there. You could have gotten into trouble going out.”

  Jess lifted a hand and wiggled its fingers. “The only thing I exercised yesterday were these,” She said. “I shot the hell out of everything while sitting on my ass.”

  Jared snorted, then chuckled a little. “I heard. About that, and about your new pilot.” He studied Jess’s face. “How’s that going?”

  “She’s fine,” Jess said. “Pretty good pilot. Not a bad personality.”

  “For a bio alt, you mean.”

  “For anyone. She’s a nice kid. We’re getting along pretty well. Bain’s sending orders down to make her permanent.”

  “I saw. I got them,” Jared said. “I want to see her too
, to get a baseline. You think that’s going to work? Most people I talked to didn’t.”

  Jess half shrugged. “Most people you’ve talked to haven’t worked with her. They think bios are walking jelly bag brains. Dev isn’t. She’s not one of us, but she’s not one of them either.”

  “Huh. You sure that’s not just wishful thinking?”

  “Talk to her and form your own opinion,” Jess said. “Done now? I’ve got places to go and people to see.”

  Jared leaned against the table. “I’m done. You look like you’re finally on the right track again, Jess. You had me worried there for a few weeks. Maybe everything going to shit was good for you.”

  Jess smiled wryly. “Kicked my head out of my ass, you mean. Yeah, maybe. At least I’m not upchucking all night from nightmares.”

  “No, you aren’t.” He turned off the scanner. “Your body weight’s stopped dropping. I’m going to release you officially so they don’t have to keep overriding me from ops,” he said, in a droll tone. “Nice to know just exactly how much authority I really have.”

  Jess sat up and swung her long legs off the table. “Don’t feel bad, Jared. Bain steamrolled over pretty much everything, but then—he’s the Old Man.”

  “Yes, he is,” Jared said. “A lot of people got the shit scared out of them by him. No one expected—I mean, you hear the stories and all that, but no one thought he’d just come in here and start shooting.”

  “No.” Jess retrieved her folder. “But he did.”

  “What I’m wondering now is, will he stay here, or is he going to pick someone to replace Bricker?” Jared watched her face closely. “What do you think?”

  Jess shrugged. “I’m just an agent. I try to think as little as possible.” She turned and headed for the door.

  “Senior agent, now.”

  Jess looked back over her shoulder and grinned, then she went through the door and was gone.

  THE DINING HALL was almost empty when Jess and Dev entered it. None of the other agents or techs were there, just a few console operators from the ops center nearby, and alone in the corner, Stephan Bock.

  Jess gave him a casual wave as she took a seat at a small table and motioned Dev to do the same. “So here’s how this works,” she said. “That screen shows you what’s available tonight. You tap on what you want, and they deliver it.”

  “I see.” Dev regarded the screen. “Why do they do that, if they make you go pick it up the rest of the time?”

  “Tradition,” Jess said. “There are some things we do just because that’s the way we’ve always done them. No one wants to change it because it meant something way back when.” She keyed something into the pad. “I’ll throw a few credits at this.”

  Dev studied her choices and made her selection, picking things at random from each section because she still had little knowledge of what the items were. Then she folded her hands on the table and regarded her table mate. “Is it something like these?” She touched the insignia at her neck.

  “Something like that,” Jess said. “You’ll see more of the traditional stuff when we attend the incoming ceremony for the new class.” She smiled. “I remember when it was me up there. I’d never seen any place like this before.”

  Dev pondered that. “I guess it’s sort of like that when we graduate from basic learning,” she said. “We all come into a big room, and they take record of all our designations and where we would be going for advanced classes.”

  Jess nodded. “Yeah. I had that in school.”

  “Then they took us all to medical and had our collars installed.” Dev touched her throat. “They said we were all grown up then.”

  Jess leaned her chin on her fist. “They don’t do that special programming with you until you’re older?” She looked up as a bio alt wait servant approached with a tray. “Thanks.”

  The man placed the drink she’d ordered on the table, and then, with the barest hesitation, put a second one in front of Dev.

  Dev looked up at him. “Thank you.”

  The man nodded, then he straightened and went back into the preparation area.

  Jess snorted and shook her head. “If he does that again, I’m going to rank him,” she muttered.

  “That’s a Ceebee 245,” Dev said. “They do that—the serving thing, up in the crèche too, for the natural borns in the fancy places.”

  “They do?”

  “Yes,” Dev said. “They don’t give us any programming until we graduate basic. They teach us the regular way before that. Reading and writing, and basic skills.”

  Jess sipped her drink. “I guess that’s not too different from how I grew up. I was in pre school until I was five, and they gave us the aptitude battery. Then they sent me to the academy on my sixth birthday.”

  Dev took a sip from the glass she’d been given, finding a medium fizzy beverage with a taste that reminded her of the soy nuts that had sometimes been served in the crèche. “What is this?”

  “Beer,” Jess said. “Like it?”

  Dev tasted it again. “I think so,” she said, after a pause. “So what did they teach you at the academy? Is that where all of the people here went?”

  “What did they teach me.” Jess mused. “I hardly remember. Like you said, reading and writing I suppose. Some math, geography. History. How we got to be in the situation we’re in, that sort of thing.” She paused, as the server came back and put down their plates. “Then at...I guess around age ten they start teaching us the business.” She lifted her hand and made a circle over her head, encompassing the structure around them.

  “So, you knew you wanted to do this?” Dev cut a bit of the fish on her plate and put it in her mouth.

  “Wasn’t given a choice.”

  Dev stopped chewing. “Really?”

  Jess looked up at her. “Really. Didn’t want a choice, that’s what the battery is for. My family’s been doing this forever, so when I tested high it was a foregone conclusion that I’d go, and I’d graduate, and I’d come to a place like this and do what we do.”

  “Wow.” Dev took another sip of the fizzy beverage. “So all the other people we work with, the ones we went on the mission with, they all did that too?”

  “Not exactly. The agents, me, Elaine, Jason, Sandy...we all did. So did Stephan over there, and the guy who got his head taken off. Anyone who wears the black bars like I do. They do the whole course, from childhood. The techs, like Brent, come in around your age. They get schooled on the outside, and if they pass the tests and the background checks and the psych, they get admitted.” She forked up some of the fish and ate it. “Damn, that’s good.”

  Dev was also enjoying the taste. “So that’s why I heard someone call them outsiders?”

  Jess nodded. “They come to what we call field school. During that, they get matched to an agent, and then sent out as a team, usually with a couple others to someplace like this.”

  None of this was in the programming, Dev realized. Only the rules and regulations of Interforce, and the technical knowledge she’d need to do the job.

  “There are always more techs than agents,” Jess said, after a short silence. “We get in the way of blasters more often.” She gave Dev a wry wink. “But we can choose to leave. I almost did the other day.”

  “Yes,” Dev murmured. “I’m really glad you didn’t.”

  Jess paused in mid chew, as she met the serious, earnest eyes gazing at her. After a moment she hastily swallowed. “Yeah, I’m kinda glad too. It’s gotten a lot more interesting here lately.”

  Her table mate looked a touch puzzled, but then smiled.

  They both looked up, a little startled, as they heard a throat being cleared nearby. Stephan Bock was standing by their table, his hands in the pockets of his jumpsuit.

  “Stephan.” Jess motioned to a seat. “Join us.”

  “No, just stopping to offer my congratulations,” he said. “I saw your ranking change. Well deserved, Jess.”

  “Thanks.” Jess accepted the
words with a brief nod.

  Stephan turned to Dev. “And congratulations to you too. The system recorded your permanent assignment here. So welcome.”

  “Thank you,” Dev said, politely. “I’m glad I was able to contribute to good results.”

  “Well, you did a good job, and I hope we can trust you to keep Jess’s ass out of the fire again in the future,” Stephan said.

  Dev looked at him, then glanced at Jess, as one eyebrow hiked up. “They didn’t cover that in the programming either,” she said. “I’m not really sure what to do with your ass.”

  Jess hastily swallowed what was in her mouth and clapped her hand over it, snorting and then dissolving into laughter.

  Stephan covered his eyes and abruptly sat down.

  Dev regarded them with mild amusement until they recovered their composure. “Sorry about that,” she said. “I don’t really understand some of the things you say sometimes. I have a few I need to look up in the reference library later on.”

  Jess cleared her throat and wiped a tear from her eye. “What he meant was he expects you to keep me out of trouble.”

  Dev pondered that, taking a sip of her beer. “Isn’t our job to get into trouble?”

  Stephan started chuckling again. “You really do have a sense of humor. But I think Jess would have said, your job is to cause trouble.” He rubbed his eyes. “Ah well, it’s been a day.” He let his hands rest on his knees. “Recap tomorrow, Jess?”

  “See you in ops,” Jess said, giving him a nod as he got up and headed for the door. After the door closed behind him, she looked back at Dev. “You can just ask if you don’t understand what the hell I’m saying, y’know.”

  Dev smiled as she finished up her meal. “I will next time. Sometimes I can guess what it is by the conversation around it, but all the stuff about horses and asses and things confuses me.”

  Jess chuckled again. “You’re so damn funny.”

  “Is it? I mean, am I?” Dev put her utensils down. “I wasn’t trying to be that time.” She paused and looked up as the server came back again, putting down a final set of plates. They contained a square of dark brown substance, which she studied as the man removed the other plates. “Thank you.”