Personal Log 132: 29th August – 11th September, 3302
15 Nov 2016Jemine Caesar
29th August – 11th September, 3302The founding of Elite And Real in June 3302 had made a considerable impact on the political landscape of Bactrimpox. Darcy Thiessen had quickly proved to be a popular figure, presenting an attractive alternative to the tired and tiresome wrangling of the existing factions. With a system influence rating of almost 30%, Elite And Real was already shaping up to be a serious threat to the ruling Bactrimpox Industries.
One consequence of Elite And Real's success was the growing number of contracts appearing on the starport mission boards. The Thiessens had worked hard to establish trade links with neighbouring systems, which in turn meant plenty of work for traders like me. And plenty of work meant plenty of credits.
Traders gathered to celebrate their good fortune in the bars of Coney Enterprise .
"Yessiree!" said one. "Darcy Thiessen's sure gave this backwater a big break by settlin' here. I'm makin' money hand over fist, I tell ya!" He turned to me. "How 'bout you, kid? You a trader?"
"Yes," I replied. "Small scale."
"What ship ya got, kid?"
"A Viper IV."
"A Viper?" the trader exclaimed, a toothy grin splitting his haggard face. "Shit, kid, you ain't ever gonna get rich haulin' in a Viper!"
"I do all right," I countered.
"Maybe," said the trader. "Maybe. How much ya make on your last job?"
"Umm... thirty five thousand credits."
"Thirty five grand? Girlie, I wouldn't get outta bed for that! Listen, do yourself a favour, get yourself a decent size cargo ship soon as ya can. In this business it's all about credits per hour. Don't let anyone tell ya none different, y'hear?"
*****
Back in our room, Sam greeted my return with a cheerful "High Hoop" (or whatever it is he says).
"Admiral Remi's been in touch," he told me. "He's enlisted our help to investigate an alleged gun-running gang here in Bactrimpox."
"Gun-runners?" I said, puzzled. "Why would Federal Intelligence be concerned about a thing like that ? Surely that's a job for the system police."
"That's just it," replied Sam. "The gang is the system police. Or, at least, a handful of individuals within it."
"I see. What exactly are they dealing in? "
"Personal weapons, seized from smugglers and pirate hauls. Suffice to say that some of the weapons don't make it all the way to the evidence lockers."
"How long has this been going on?" I asked.
"Since early July."
"Shortly after Elite And Real appeared," I observed. "It looks like the local traders aren't the only ones to benefit from the arrival of Darcy Thiessen. So, how are we to go about this?"
"Our first step," replied Sam, "is to make contact with the officer who blew the whistle on the smugglers in the first place. Her name's Alice Treadway. She's keeping an eye on the culprits from within Coney Enterprise, waiting for them to make their next move. When they do, she'll let us know."
"And then?"
"Then we catch the bad guys!" Sam grinned. "Don't worry, Jem, we're not doing this on our own. Admiral Remi has positioned a small task force here. As soon as the gang makes its move, all we have to do is call them in. We just have to wait until the right moment."
*****
Our first meeting with Officer Treadway took place at the Coney Island Leisure Centre, a recreational facility named after an old Earth tourist spot.
Alice Treadway appeared to be a conscientious and dedicated law enforcement officer, with high ambitions and morals to match. Recently graduated as a model student from police academy, Officer Treadway evidently considered herself unlucky to have been assigned to an out of the way system like Bactrimpox.
She was tall and lissome, with lustrous blonde hair, smouldering blue eyes, and slender legs that went on for ever. She had the kind of beauty that was rarely lost on men.
That obviously included Sam.
"Look," began Officer Treadway in a hushed, no-nonsense tone. "I'm taking a hell of a risk meeting you two like this." She looked at me appraisingly. "You don't look much like a Federal Agent, Miss Caesar."
"And what does a Federal Agent look like, Miss Treadway?" I shot back.
"Rest assured," Sam cut in. "Jem and I have experience in this sort of thing. Now, what have you got for us?"
Officer Treadway sighed, and then shrugged. "OK. There are three guys in the gang, all serving policemen here in B-pox. Their names are Baker, Chubb and Forrest. I'll give you a datachip with full details before we part company. Now, care to let me in on your plan?"
"It's a watching brief," Sam explained. "Jem will be based at Coney Enterprise police HQ, where she'll be able to monitor the comings and goings of the gang's ships. I'll be on your 6 when you're out on patrol, just in case."
"You'll be watching me?" The police woman smiled. "That part of the plan is one I can live with."
*****
Sam and I spent most of the following two weeks apart. To be more precise, Sam spent most of the following two weeks with Alice Treadway. He took his duties as her bodyguard very seriously and, in his daily k-casts to me, spoke of her in glowing terms. He was plainly relishing the excitement of being her unofficial wingman.
My own role in the affair was as mundane as Sam's was exciting. Poring over traffic reports was not my idea of fun, and it soon became apparent that it was a waste of time anyway. The gang's routine patrols were exactly that; routine.
The sheer monotony of the task soon had me yearning for some excitement of my own. Elite And Real was still riding the crest of a boom state, so cargo delivery missions were plentiful and lucrative. Perhaps not as exciting as bounty hunting, but good enough for me.
There were, of course, interdictions to be dealt with. For the most part I managed to defeat these attacks, but almost came to grief at the hands of an Expert-rated pilot in a Python. I escaped, but only just.
The close call prompted me to have a pair of rail guns fitted to The Last Thing's underside hard points. However, like the fixed beam lasers I'd had previously, the rail guns proved ineffective with my limited flying abilities. I swapped them back again the very next day.
On September 11th I received a call from Sam. "We've finally got a break, Jem," he told me. "Alice has learned that Baker and his men are set to do an arms exchange deal tomorrow. Alice and I will be at Coney Enterprise to meet them."
"I see," I said, slightly nonplussed. "Shall I come too?"
"Yes," Sam replied. "Of course. Landing Pad 12, at 19:30 GST. We need to be ready to raise the alarm for Admiral Remi's team to pounce on them. Alice is determined to make the actual arrests herself."
"Right," I said. "You seem to be getting along well with Officer Treadway, Sam."
There was a moment's pause before Sam spoke. "I won't lie to you, Jem. Alice and I have been working together very closely over the past couple of weeks. And I must admit that a certain amount of affection has grown between us. There's been a bit of kissing... and so on."
A brief uneasy silence followed. "It's all right, Sam," I said. "You once told me that you don't own me, remember? Well, now it's my turn to say that I don't own you. If you want to have sex with someone else, then that is your right. This is the 34th century, after all."
"Jem, I-- "
"I'll see you tomorrow," I said, and broke the link.