Downfall - Prologue
15 Aug 2018LordPsymon
OOC: Caius Bisley appeared in Settling a Grievance. Downfall is about the rise and fall of his criminal enterprise.Downfall - Prologue
Hidden within dense forest on Cubeo 3, a modest outpost lay hundreds of kilometers from the nearest city. A Python class multi-purpose ship was docked within a small opening in the high canopy. It was high noon and a gentle breeze caused the vegetation to sway.
“That’ll be the last of them,” Admiral Caius Bisley said as the dock crew finished loading up the ship.
Standing before him, a staunch man donning a scratched black Remlok suit nodded. “Quite the load of cattle this time.”
Caius grinned. “I am an influential man. I have managed to secure a few extra supply lines for labour. Rest assured, shipments will be steady.” He handed the pilot a small bag of credit chips. “As agreed, 25 percent up front. You will meet with Ronium Sutherland in Panoi who will relieve you of the cargo and secure the rest of your payment.”
The pilot shook around the bag, smirking at the rattling noise of the chips. “I’ll get it done. Tell me, don’t you think it’d be easier to move your operation to a nearby indie system?”
Caius shook his head. “I don’t doubt that, my friend.” A dark grin took over his face. “However, I take delight in running this slave trade under the nose of those incompetent Smurfs. Plus, I have my methods of maintaining silence, should the need arise.”
Caius’ luxury accommodation resided near the outer hull of the Coriolis station orbiting Cubeo 3, where gravity is comparable to Earth. Caius sat in a small office. The room was mostly empty, aside from his desk facing the door to the room and a chair in front of it for when he had visitors. He was studying his dataslate, scrolling through various feeds when the slate beeped. The face of a young man appeared on the screen.
“This had better be important,” Caius said, making no effort to mask his irritation.
“Sir,” the man said. “We caught a man stowing away on one of our vessels.” He presented a badge, displaying the identity of their new captive. “Law enforcement. Not sure how he found out about us but I do not believe information has been leaked beyond him. No outbound transmissions had been made.”
Caius studied the image. “Very well. Have him brought onto my ship. I want a copy of his personnel file when I get there.”
His ship, an Imperial Cutter designated Thebes sat quietly in a hangar while its crew and guards stood around chatting. Caius strode up the entry ramp to the giant vessel with his hands behind his back, nodding at crew members who saluted him as he passed.
A door hissed open to a small room on the lower deck. Tied to a chair in the middle, the young man in the standard blue law enforcement uniform sat quietly, gazing at the floor in front of him. To his left was the crew member who reported his capture. He saluted as Caius entered.
“At ease,” Caius said. “Close the door on your way out.”
The man remained still.
“That means leave.”
“Of course, sir. Apologies.” The door hissed again as it shut behind him, leaving Caius and his captive alone.
Caius shot a venomous glare at the tied up officer. “Nice of you to join us,” he said. “I believe we need to have a little chat.”
The officer looked up toward Caius and grunted. “I have nothing to say to you.”
“Ah,” Caius said, pulling his dataslate from his blazer’s pocket. “But I have much to say to you.” He tapped on the screen and smiled. “Detective Matias Remus is it? Distinguished cross for quelling a human trafficking ring in the Chuuku system. I am impressed.”
The tied up officer returned his gaze to the floor. Caius stood behind him, still holding his dataslate.
“Not to sound cliche, my friend, but I will make you cooperate, one way or another.”
Remus flinched and started breathing heavily, while sweat beads started to drip from his forehead. Caius laughed.
“Not like that, Mr. Remus. I have no intention of harming you… At least, not in the traditional sense. Unless of course you choose to cooperate.” He paced around the captive, keeping a piercing look on him. “The fact that you were found stowing aboard one of our ships leaves me concerned, you see. I cannot have law enforcement snooping on my operations. It’s bad for business.”
Matius scoffed. “That’s all this is to you? Business? Ruining the lives of many just so you can sleep in expensive penthouses?”
Caius stopped pacing. “People make poor decisions all the time. That’s what got them into their situations in the first place. Of course I wouldn’t expect a Smurf like you to understand. I am, however, willing to make you an offer.”
Caius reached into the inside of his blazer, pulling out a credit chip. He presented it to the captive, five figures lighting up the small display. “This is yours, if you cease your investigation.”
Matius spat toward Caius' boot. “You can’t buy me. Slavery is vile. People like you deserve to rot in a prison colony far away from inhabited space.”
Caius lowered his arms behind his back, standing staunchly in front of the captive. “I could spend all day arguing about semantics, but I am a busy man. If you won’t accept my offer, then perhaps you can be included in the next shipment of cattle.”
Matius shook his head. “That’s a sacrifice I am willing to make, if it’ll help put you and others like you down.”
Caius raised his dataslate and tapped the screen again. “I see.” He turned the slate toward the officer. On the screen, the face of a blonde woman appeared. Her name and residence appeared next to her face. “She’s rather pretty, isn’t she?”
The officer’s eyes widened, and his hands clenched into tight fists. “What the- how did you-”
“Samantha Remus, it has a rather nice ring to it. I imagine you and her are quite the couple. A little one due in four months too? I must sincerely offer my congratulations.”
Matius struggled against his restraints. “Fuck you! If you touch her, I swear to all the gods-”
Caius retracted his dataslate back into his blazer pocket. “I seem to have struck the right nerve. She would make a lot of desperate men in Pegasi quite happy though. It is noble that you are willing to sacrifice yourself, but would you be willing to sacrifice her?”
“You wouldn’t,” the officer said, more sweat dripping from his head.
“I could have a team sent to your residence within the hour. All I have to do is say the word.”
The man resigned on his chair, letting all the air out of his lungs in a long, outward breath. “Fine. Fine. I’ll cave.”
Caius knocked on the door to the room. It hissed open and the man from before entered, presenting Bisley with a small folder.
“From this moment forward, your investigation is called off. This folder is your new evidence, or lack thereof.” He untied Matius from the chair and handed him the folder. “Do we have a deal?”
The officer frowned and nodded reluctantly. “As long as you swear Samantha is safe.”
Caius returned a smile. “I am a man of my word. You will report to me again in a week to confirm the investigation has been called off, and my men will not lay a finger on you or your wife. You are free to go. Oh, but one more thing.”
“What is it?” The panicked officer said.
“You breathe a word of this to anyone, you and your wife will be destined for Pegasi, and I cannot promise that you’ll be shipped there together.”
The officer scurried out of the room, clutching the folder in his arms and banging his shoulder on the door frame before he disappeared toward the exit ramp on the Thebes.
Viceroy Albert Fink stood tall, gazing out the window of his private luxury quarters overlooking Durius City below. A man of pride and arrogance, his dark violet formal robe brought to him an air of importance as he observed the life below him.
Behind him, a holo-projection of Caius Bisley stood atop the table. His tinny voice reverberated through the room. Fink turned toward the table, pacing slowly toward it.
“Indeed Mr Bisley,” he said. “Patreus’ forces are due to arrive any day now to offer servitude for the citizens of this planet to pay off the public debt. We should be able to reroute a transport vessel to Cubeo for you to process without anyone being the wiser.” His expression turns to a smug grin.
Caius returned a satisfied smile. “You shall receive a handsome payment when the goods arrive. I would take perhaps a bit more care with your spending however.”
Fink’s smug expression faded. “What are you saying?”
“A man of your position living such a lavish lifestyle is bound to turn some heads eventually,” Caius continued. “Just a forewarning, that is all. I have no complaints about our dealings otherwise. I must return to business however. Contact me when the transport is on its way.”
The projection fizzled and disappeared. Fink strolled back to the balcony. What does he know? Can a man not enjoy the fruits of his labour?
The holo projector fizzled once again. A well dressed figure appeared on the table. His head was slightly hunched and his hands remained firmly by his sides.
“My lord,” he said.
“What is it Montaigne?” Fink replied. He did not move from his gaze.
“Your servant has arrived, a young woman.”
Fink’s eyebrow raised and his head shifted, glancing back toward the holographic figure.
“About time. Send her up. Make her feel welcome.”
“Yes, my lord. At once!
“The man’s an idiot, Mr. Sutherland, but he is reliable nonetheless.”
Caius Bisley sat behind his desk, a glass of top-shelf Scotch occupied his right hand. A tall, tanned figure stood before him, with dark shoulder-length hair.
The man raised his hand to his chin. “There better be some good ones in there. Reck has been rather slack with his supply.”
Caius took a short sip of his whisky. “As long as your supply of product is steady and of quality, then our supply of cattle will be of equal value to you. Those from Durius are known to be hard workers, so they will not disappoint your clients I’m sure.”
“I know what kind of a shit hole Durius is. If I have wasted my time coming all the way here, I will...”
Caius stood up, his brows frowned and he looked down at the man before him. “You will do what, exactly?”
The man remained silent as he backed away.
“Yes, that’s what I thought,” Caius said, walking toward the tanned man. “If you wish to make this deal, I will be happy to show you some samples from the shipment.”
Sutherland nodded. “Y-yeah, show me the goods.”
Caius gestured toward the door. “Shall we?”
The pair made their way to a large landing pad. The sky was pitch black, and the sound of chatter and dock work reverberated through the surrounding trees. In the middle of the pad, a Lakon Type-7 class transport was being unloaded and refuelled, illuminated by the towering lamps on the corners of the pad.
Beside the front landing gear, a group of four, two men and two women were handcuffed, standing in a line and looking down at the ground and accompanied by armed guards.
“Take a look and tell me what you think,” Caius said as they approached the restrained slaves.
Sutherland approached one of the women, grabbing her by the jaw and forcing her to look up at him. The woman spat at his face, causing him to flinch and wipe his cheek.
“The feisty ones are always the best,” he said, smiling. “Full of energy and promise.” He proceeded to eye up a man next to the woman. He stood in silence with his muscular arms tied behind his back. Sutherland smiled. “This one’s well-built. He’ll fetch a good price. I guess I underestimated the people from that shithole.”
“Durius may be an undesirable place,” Caius responded, “but there is no denying the value of its inhabitants.”
“You don’t say,” Sutherland said. “If you can get me a full shipment of these, I’ll have some product delivered to you immediately.”
Caius offered his hand. “Then we have a deal?”
Sutherland shook Caius’ hand and nodded.
“The first shipment will arrive in a few days Mr. Sutherland. Be sure to have someone here to make the pickup. Someone discreet,” Caius said.
Ronium shrugged. “I wouldn’t be in business if I didn’t know the right people to get the job done, right?”
“And this will be your home for the next two years,” Albert said, gesturing toward an open door. Accompanying him was a young woman with long, orange hair. She entered the room slowly. It was a modest size room with a small bed against the wall and a simple desk in the opposite corner. Between them was a double door wardrobe.
“Remind me, what did you say your name was?” Fink asked the woman, eying up and down her body.
“Fiona,” she replied, looking toward the ground. “Fiona Giornata.”
“I’m told you studied Imperial law. Impressive.”
Fiona sighed. “Well, I didn’t quite finish. I still had a few months left.”
Fink grinned. “I’m sure what you have learned thus far will come in handy. Very handy in fact. You'll make a good fit here, I am sure.”
A beep sounded inside the Viceroy’s pocket. He frowned in irritation. “I must answer this. Get yourself settled in. Work will begin tomorrow.”
The Viceroy disappeared down the hall and Fiona entered her new room, sitting herself at the desk. She stared blankly at the wall in front of her, sighing.
This guy seems slimy, she thought. Though two years working for a slimy politician beats twenty years of debt I guess. How bad could it be?