Different Paths (13 page)

“Actually, it’s a raven. There’s a difference.”

“Semantics.” The Marshal shifted his weight
slightly and lowered his right hand over the blaster in his holster in the
classic gunslinger pose. “Now, are you ready to die old timer?”

At that moment the disruptor energy cell
overloaded and exploded inside the skimmer; which in turn ruptured the fuel
cells causing them to explode. The flying wreckage knocked Cassius to the
ground. Brutus was further from the blast but still ducked to avoid some flying
debris which was all the distraction Iaido needed.

Launching the disruptor barrel sidearm, Iaido
watched as it spun end over end until it struck the larger marshal right in the
forehead and knocked him to the ground. Without hesitation, Iaido leapt off the
ledge.

The descent down the mountainside was somewhere
between a controlled run and long stumble. If it weren’t for the scrub bushes
and trees along the way, Iaido would’ve fallen an untold number of times but
Edgar’s cawing would lead him toward more passable area of the mountain. When
Iaido reached the bottom of the mountain, he wasn’t surprised to find Talia
sitting astride a black motorcycle with the raven perched on the handlebars.

However, the change in her appearance did surprise
him. Gone was the fancy, formal attire. In its place, she wore a tight fitting
black leather outfit with matching boots and jacket. Her waist long silver hair
was pulled back and braided.

“How did you know?”

“The cards never lie.” Talia said as she flashed
him a crooked grin. “Actually, it was Madam Aleksandra’s cards. She foretold
that you would need assistance at this spot and at this time. She is a very
gifted reader.” With a nod toward the mountain she asked, “Are they dead?”

Edgar launched himself as Iaido approached. “I
doubt it. They are merely stunned and without a vehicle for the moment.”

“Then we should be off.” Firing up the bike, the
engine’s deep throaty roar echoed off the rocks.

Iaido pulled off the bloody keikogi top and tossed
it aside as he climbed on behind her. He slipped on a set of tac-goggles which allowed
the rider to interface with the machine and the traffic control grid of New
Atlanta as Talia pulled onto the main road which lead out of the National Park.

Although a great majority of New Atlanta residents
used the mass transit system, nearly one fifth of its residents still used
their own private transportation. For those with the funds, this meant skimmers
or speeders; the major difference between the two was the height and range at
which they could travel. Speeders had to stay within twenty feet of the ground
which allowed them more flexibility than ground based vehicles but still less
than a skimmer which was only limited by the atmosphere. Of course, both
speeders and skimmers flight paths were strictly controlled and regulated by
the Central Traffic Control Grid more commonly known as Central.

Ground based vehicles were also monitored and
regulated to a degree. The main freeways were strictly controlled, once on the
freeway the driver only controlled which exit he or she wanted. The side
streets weren’t controlled but regulated, speed and traffic patterns mostly. If
letting your vehicle speed up spread out the traffic and cause less problems,
then that’s what Central would do, or vice versa. However, motorcycles were
completely different; Central Control didn’t like them since they were the only
vehicle which operated independent of the grid.

Tapping into the bike’s control panel, Iaido set
up a secure feed to Talia’s tac-net helmet and asked, “Not that I’m complaining
but where are we going?”

“Not sure, I’m just trying to put distance between
us and them.”

“Okay. Change of plans, take this exit.” Iaido
directed Talia down several side streets while using the comlink in the
tac-goggles to contact Diana. “Hey doll, I need your skills.”

“Jeez, Iaido! Are you okay? I heard about what
happened at the dojo. It’s all over the net.”

“I’m fine…for the moment, but I am sure I am being
tracked or at least hunted. I need a chameleon program for a motorcycle.” Iaido
waited as Diana worked her magic.

“Ok boss, I’m inside the Central Control Grid and
have your code fixed and locked. I need you to pull up next to a parked car,
shut down the bike and scan the car’s tag. Do it quickly, even I can’t stay in
here long without setting off some sort of alarm.”

Pulling up next to a red speeder, Iaido had Talia
shut down the bike while he used his tac-goggles to scan its tag, “Alright. It
should be coming through now.”

“Just a few more seconds…got it! Okay, according
to Central your bike is that speeder. If you drive accordingly, it will never
know the difference unless you hop onto the Freeway, of course.”

“Thanks doll, you’re a life saver.”

“No problem boss. See you at the Safehouse.”

Iaido turned back to Talia and said, “Okay we are
hidden from Central, for now but it would be easier if I drive.”

Without hesitation, Talia hopped off and slid on
behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist for support. “I have never
ridden on the back of one of these.”

“That’s okay, just hold on tight and let me lean
into the turns. Try to keep your weight centered. I’ll do all the work.”

“Sounds easy enough.”

“It does, now. But we have to travel the whole of
New Atlanta. Our destination is on the south-west side and we cannot use the
freeway or take a direct route that will take us through the heavily populated
zones. It will be a long day before we are done.”

Several hours later they pulled into a dilapidated
warehouse district not far from the spaceport. Local transports and
intergalactic shuttles could be heard at regular intervals. The parking lot
they pulled into was full of other ground transports and even a few speeders.
It sat across from a bar that took up one corner of a boarded up warehouse.
‘The Safehouse’ in blue neon glared brightly in the dark, while flashing red
neon proclaimed ‘Topless’ and ‘Coldest Beer in Town.’ Several drunks were
passed out on the corner in front of the bar while piles of trash and discarded
boxes lined the streets.

Talia looked at the place with revulsion. “We’re
going in there?”

Iaido nodded while scanning the area for possible
threats with an experienced eye.

“This isn’t your typical bar. Most of the cliental
are warehouse workers, sailors and pilots with the occasional executive
stopping by for a few brews. This should be the last place the Feds look for
us.”

“Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t be caught
dead in a place like that.”

“I don’t believe this falls under the category of
normal circumstances. Do you?” Iaido asked, “You don’t have bars like this on
Sylvanis?”

With a shrug of her shoulders, Talia studied the
bar. “I’m not sure. I have never seen one but then my homeworld is rather large
and my experience with bars very limited.”

Silently Iaido led the way across the street. As
they got closer to the gutters, the smell of feces and urine assaulted their
noses. The bounty hunter seemed unaffected while the odor caused Talia to cover
her nose in disgust.

A legless bum on a crude cart rolled out a
cardboard box next to them. He was covered in filth and wearing ragged clothing.
Cupping his hands out in front of him while looking up at the beautiful young
maiden he asked, “Credits? Credits for a crippled vet?”

Taking an involuntary step back, Talia glanced at
Iaido who had paused at the bar’s entrance to watch. Turning her attention back
to the bum, she absentmindedly chewed on her lip as she considered his request.
With a shrug, she reached into her pocket and drew forth a credit stix. 
Dropping it into his outstretched hands, she moved past the bum and joined
Iaido at the entrance.

“Thank you mistress elf, thank you!” the bum
called from his cardboard box as he rolled himself out of sight.

“That was very compassionate of you.”

Talia paused as she reached his side and glanced
back at the box. “He needed those credits more than I do. Besides the
Sisterhood teaches us that the Living Stars favor the empathetic.” Pausing for
a second, Talia cocked her head slightly to one side. “I’m curious. Why do you
Terrans insist on calling us elves? That wasn’t the first time I have heard
that term applied to my people.”

“I would guess your pointed ears, mystical nature
and planetary name conjure images from ancient literature of elves and magic. I
wouldn’t let it bother you. I have been called worse during my tenure in the
service.”

Before Talia could ask what he meant by that
remark, Iaido opened the door and disappeared inside. He moved to the bar
without a second glance at the occupants while Talia stood in the doorway and
took in the scene. It was controlled chaos. There were drunk workers all over
the place. Several tables had topless girls dancing to the music while servers
moved through the crowd carrying drinks to the already drunk workers. Realizing
she was standing at the doorway alone, Talia moved to the bar in time to watch
the huge bartender bring Iaido a beer.

Talia leaned in and had to yell to be heard over
the loud music, “Why are we here?”

“We needed someplace safe. What could be better
than the Safehouse?”

Looking around the place, Talia wrinkled her nose.
“Someplace cleaner and quieter.”

Draining his beer, Iaido set his mug down on the
bar and nodded his head towards the back of the bar. “You want quiet? Come with
me.”

Weaving his way through the crowd, Iaido led Talia
down a dark hallway until they reached a storage closet with ‘Staff Only’
printed on the door.

Opening the door, Talia saw that it was filled
with brooms, mops and buckets full of dirty water. Iaido gestured her inside,
yet she hesitated. With a grin, he stepped inside and moved right through the
image of the cleaning utensils. Once Talia realized that they were nothing more
than a hologram, she followed.

As soon as the door closed, the floor began to
drop slowly till it opened onto a polished hallway that lead off into the
darkness. Without waiting to see if she was following, Iaido stepped off the
elevator and proceeded down the passageway; lights came on at his approach.
Talia hurried after him and reached his side just as they stepped into a large
opening. Lights came on throughout the warehouse, revealing it to be a factory
of sorts. The low hum of machinery filled the air. While it wasn’t exactly
quiet, it was heaven compared to the ruckus up top.

Talia asked, “Where are we?”

“The true safe house. The bar is just a cover and
a great place to gather information.”

“Whose is this?”

“Mine,” came a voice from the far side of the
room.

Talia watched as a clean cut, young man with short
blonde hair and a winning smile came rolling up in a motorized wheel chair. He
was wearing a white lab coat but Talia was sure it was the same crippled bum
that had accosted her outside.

“Talia,” Iaido said, “let me introduce an old
friend of mine, Jason Xavier Kirk.”

“My friends call me Jay.” Holding out his hand,
Talia noted its cleanliness. “Forgive the deception out front but from all the
reports flying around the net, we had to be sure of your identity.” Turning
back to his friend Jay added, “I’m sorry Iaido, I heard about the Sensei. He
was a good man.”

Iaido nodded and wiped away a stray tear. “He was
a great man. I am just confused by his actions. It just doesn’t make sense. Why
would he challenge me? He, of all people, knows my skills.”

Not having an answer, Jay could only place a
reassuring hand on his friend’s back and faced back to the beautiful Sylvan.
“Once again, I must apologize for the ruse of the crippled bum but it allowed
me a chance to scan your identity and verify your visa.”

“I am at a loss. I really don’t understand any of
this.” Talia looked back at Iaido. “I just wanted to find my sister.”

“Come on. Explanations are way overdue.” Iaido
nodded his head toward the center of the warehouse. “Is everyone here?”

Jay nodded. “Yes, Diana and Eve arrived earlier
this afternoon and KC got here about fifteen minutes ago.”

The trio moved into what looked like a control
center for the factory; computer consoles and monitors lined the walls. Diana
was jacked into the net and barely nodded when Iaido introduced Talia.

Eve was curled up in a nearby chair reading when
they arrived. Seeing Iaido, she dropped her book and leapt into his arms.

“Achilles! I knew you would come back! My dad told
me that you always win, no matter what!”

Returning the hug, Iaido set the young girl down.
“Eve, I want you to meet a friend of mine. This is Talia. She’s a mystic from
Sylvanis.”

Eve placed her right hand over her heart while
holding her left hand palm out, then lowered her head several inches and said,
“The Living Stars have blessed us with this meeting. May it be beneficial to us
both.”

Talia raised an eyebrow at Eve’s manners but
returned the formal greeting. Copying the hand positions she said, “May the
Living Stars shine on all our endeavors.” After a moment she asked, “Where did
you learn the greeting of Sylvanis?”

“My dad taught me. He never could grasp your
language but knew how the phrase translated, so he taught me that.” Eve cocked her
head to one side. “Did I get it right?”

“Yes, you did fine.”

Eve beamed at the compliment. Talia felt herself
drawn into the emerald green orbs of this young lady. It was like looking in a mirror
that showed the past and she immediately knew that this young girl was her lost
sister’s daughter.

Talia turned toward Iaido. “Is she…?”

Iaido nodded. “Yes. I believe so.”

“But why would Medea hide her from me?”

Without an answer for her, Iaido just shrugged and
walked over to a metal cabinet at the far side of the control room. Stripping
off his bloody clothes without regard to who was around, he threw them in a
pile and quickly dressed out in some black BDUs (battle dress uniforms) and black
combat boots. Next, he slipped on a flak jacket and pulled on a black t-shirt
with a grinning white skull. He completed the outfit with a black synth-leather
jacket.