About The Laws of Space

Post 218:

The Laws of Space

Episode 31:

Chapter 16 Continued

            Mr. Stepp watched her scurry out and pulled out a portable wrist Worldview from his pocket. It was much like Susa Burke’s, given to him by the Administrator with an explicit order not to use it for anything but communiqués between the two parties. To ensure it was not abused, Pope had rigged the device with only one button. Turning it on sent an automatic signal to the Administrator. As he pressed the button Stepp made a silent plea to the heavens, hoping to find the leader in good spirits.

            It was not to be.

            Pope’s face appeared on the screen within seconds, answering with a cantankerous “What?”

            “Hello. Um, hope all is w—”

            “What?” Pope repeated. Things were not looking up. The man in charge of the Five Cities appeared askew; his bulging eyes were particularly bulgy. His thin lips seemed to poke through the screen.

            “I’ll get right to it then, sir.” The peddler’s voice trembled, though he tried to fight it. “My people seem to have lost Tate.”

            The Administrator ran sanitized hands through greasy hair. “You had one job. I expect you to be incompetent, but you’re supposed to be the most able incompetent in the underworld… that’s what you told me.”

            “And that’s what you were told, if I may, sir. I know you asked around, checked me out.” The old codger could not believe his own brass, but he was not accustomed to being a subordinate.

            “Shut your disgusting mouth, you Regular scum. Another outburst like that and I’ll have some Mechs come around and end your pathetic existence right now.”

            “Yes sir.” In an instant Stepp reassumed his place. His high had completely worn off.

            “Do you know where he is now?”

            “No. One of my people was following him last night, but…”

            “What?”

            “It doesn’t make sense. She was attacked from behind, made unconscious. I saw the marks, but, I don’t understand.”

            “Of course you don’t, you ignorant louse. They took him.”

            Stepp was still confused. “Who are they?

            The Administrator had almost forgotten—Regulars had no knowledge of the Ones Between. They were not allowed access to personal Worldviews and thus had nothing but System sanctioned news. “No matter. I’m assuming he’ll turn up soon. I want to know when he does. Hire more people. Get every low level, every piece of Breather filth you have on it. Don’t lose him again. If you do, I think you can guess after the consequences.”

            “How do you know he’ll be around? I mean, if he was taken?” Stepp was doing his best, but ignorance precluded him. “And can’t you just track his chip?”

            “No I can’t. And anything you can think I’ve already thought of—I checked the System the minute you called. He’s somewhere outside of it.”

            Outside of it. Something else for Stepp to wonder about. “Okay sir, I will do exactly as you say. But I need to understand something.”

            “And what is that?”

            “You’re saying that Tate is outside the System, but you’re also saying that soon he’ll be back. At that point won’t you be able to track him yourself? What do you need me for?”

            Pope weighed the wisdom of disclosure. Stepp was starting to think—that could be dangerous. “You never asked that before, did you?”

            “No. I guess I was just following orders.”

            “You were following the credits I paid you. Of course I can track him once he’s here; your entire purpose was to prevent what happened from happening. Don’t let it happen again.”

            “So that’s it. Follow him, don’t let him get outside the System, whatever that means…”

            “Precisely.”

            “Then what, Administrator—I mean, where does this go?”

            Pope showed his teeth, literally and figuratively. “I’m going to find out what he’s been up to and what he knows. Then I’m going to kill him.”