Blowback (28 page)

“Possibilities,” Hou said as he headed back to his desk,
giving Tom a real good shot at the back of his head, but he didn’t seem too
worried about that. “One: Command wished to kill Captain Ramsay and the crew.”

“Counterevidence—Smyth attempted to send Ramsay away without
the merchandise,” Da’shay argued, but she didn’t open her eyes. Her head was
lying back onto Tom and she seemed to be on the verge of going to sleep. Tom
kept his attention right on Hou since he wasn’t sure Da’shay would react fast
enough if he turned on them.

“Two—Command wished to target smugglers.”

“Counterevidence—Ramsay is Command officer.” Da’shay
violated the last bit of security by outing the captain and the crew of
Kratos
and Tom cringed. Ramsay never would have let either of them off the ship if
he’d had any idea Da’shay was going to turn traitor. He’d just thought the
woman was crazy, but then Ramsay did tend to underestimate women.

Hou didn’t answer right away. He sat and leaned back away
from the controls set into the top of his desk. Behind him, the city towers
looked distorted by the long shadows created by the morning light.

“Three—Command wished to escalate violence.”

Da’shay didn’t say anything. She kept her eyes closed and
leaned into him. Tom wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be saying anything or
not, but Hou’s expression got more and more confused as Da’shay stood silent.

“A jigsaw puzzle with pieces missing on the edge… I can’t
see the size and shape.”

“That makes two of us,” Tom agreed. “If Command wanted to
escalate violence, though, they’re going to get it with Tarby’s death. He’s a
fucking hero. If the first bomb had done its job and killed all of us, I’m not
sure you could have found a dozen people to really care.” Tom thought about
that. Ramsay didn’t have much family, a grown daughter he’d had with some doxy.
Ramsay’s two brothers had died in the war. Becca had a big family, colonists
mostly, and Eli…actually, Tom didn’t know much about Eli.

“Smyth didn’t want us to have the crate,” Da’shay whispered.
“Vivid purple streaked with red. Frustrated. Frustrated. Can’t, can’t, can’t.”
She gave a low moaning and hummed in distress while Tom rubbed her arm.

“Don’t matter now. He’s dead, so I figure he’s not any color
at all right now. Just a body in the ground.”

Hou leaned forward and Tom dropped his hand back onto the
butt of his gun. Instead of pushing an alarm, Hou studied Da’shay, his
oversized eyes visibly dilating. Tom could feel a cold shiver go over his back
and he tried to shift Da’shay so she was behind him—hidden, but she wouldn’t
move. She wouldn’t move and she wouldn’t open her eyes to defend herself. Eyes
closed, she hummed and leaned into Tom.

“I ain’t liking the way you’re looking at her,” Tom warned
Hou.

Hou’s gaze flickered up toward Tom, the pupil constricted to
a more normal size before he went back to watching Da’shay. “Genetic disparity
with human or
genta
breeding stock.”

Da’shay’s eyes finally came open, the pupils dilated so that
the eyes looked completely black. A human would have been flinching away from
any source of light with eyes like that, but Da’shay stared at Hou.

“Entwining multiple species’ genetic code demonstrates
superior control. Simple hybrids of human and
genta
are well established
and demonstrate no particular skill.”

Hou blew out a huge breath and seemed to draw his whole bulk
upright. Tom’s fingers tightened around the butt of his gun as the mood turned
dark. “Blending species of separate planetary evolution requires great skill
and leads to offspring which are superior in control.”

Da’shay shook her head. “Well established parameters for
genetic compatibility. Low failure rates of embryos. Inferior makers replicate
the hybrid process perfected by previous generations without expanding the
genetic control.” She looked at him and suddenly her expression turned
friendly. She smiled. “However, excessive control is required to overcome an
inferior maker to establish a significant coterie.”

Instead of being complimented, Hou seemed to puff up more.
“Uncontrolled breeding of multiple species has led to an offspring with limited
control.” Hou looked at Da’shay with something that might be contempt.

Da’shay moved away from Tom as she seemed to lose track of
the conversation. Wandering over to the side of the room, she ran her fingers
over a metal sculpture. Hou made a little puffing noise and Tom drew his gun
and targeted the
genta
’s brain.

“Four—Command wished to eliminate Da’shay,” Hou said slowly.
That sounded possible. Tom knew Command had pushed her off on Ramsay and he
wasn’t the most popular captain in the fleet. Tom figured Command would be
happy enough if the
Kratos
accidentally flew into a black hole, and
putting Da’shay on board might have been their way of putting a lot of trouble
onto one ship. Da’shay didn’t argue the point and Tom figured that gave them
two solid possibilities: Command wanted a war and Command wanted Da’shay dead.

“Pieces missing. Pieces missing.” Da’shay picked up the
sculpture. A series of circles all balanced on one center rod so they twirled
around each other, small circles darting between and through larger ones
without ever touching. For a second, Tom thought Da’shay was going to throw the
thing. “Incomplete information leads to faulty conclusions. Must have access to
full information.”

“Sharing of information without compensation is poor
negotiation. Shows lack of control.” Hou’s voice got kind of scratchy.

Da’shay carefully placed the sculpture back on its shelf.
“Full access in return for sample of highly controlled genetic material from
hybrid.” Da’shay held out her arm. Tom held his breath. The thought of a
genta
having her DNA horrified him about as much as if Hou had asked for Tom’s own.
Genta
,
even half-
genta
like Hou, could do some mighty dangerous things with
DNA. Clones, offspring, hybrids—you never knew where your DNA was going to end
up. Hou’s pupils turned into tiny pinpoints of black inside a brown iris.

Hou turned to consider Tom and Tom kept his weapon trained
on the kill spot. “Adequate payment.”

Tom gritted his teeth to keep himself from saying that it
was too fucking much. Hou didn’t know that much more than they did. He’d shown
his cards when he’d given them access to the arrest report and Tom figured he
didn’t have much else. If he did, he would have figured out what the hell was
going on without turning to them.

Da’shay, however, nodded and smiled happily. “I will provide
DNA after you provide information.”

“And if you are exiled or incinerated?” Hou demanded.

Her smile grew. “Then you will not need DNA. You will need
to run before Tom kills you.” With that, she turned and headed for the door.
Tom was so surprised that, for a second, he was left alone in the room with
Hou. They stared at each other and Tom could feel cold sweat against his spine,
but he kept his weapon firm as he sidled out of the room. If he thought
following Ramsay was hard on the nerves, he’d been naïve. Ramsay wasn’t nothing
compared to the ulcers Da’shay was giving him.

Tom walked out of Hou’s office and Da’shay had the secretary
by his arm and was heading toward the door with him in tow. Tom didn’t bother
holstering his gun; he grabbed the carryall’s handle and started after them.
“Da’shay? He doesn’t look like he’s too interested in coming along,” Tom
pointed out. True, Tom had bullied the man last time, but the look of absolute
panic on his face was inspiring a little pity.

“He will find information.”

“Information?” the man squeaked. “If there’s something you
need, I’m sure Master Hou can have me use my station.”

Da’shay stopped with the door open and looked over her
shoulder. Tom moved out of her line of fire and watched Hou come to his office
door. If someone had come into the
Kratos
and started hauling out crew,
Ramsay would have been fighting mad. Hou…actually, Tom wasn’t sure what Hou was
feeling, but he didn’t look particularly upset.

“Master Hou?” the secretary asked softly. Hou kept his gaze
on Da’shay.

“Information,” Da’shay said, lifting her chin.

He looked at Da’shay for a long time and Tom wondered how
Hou saw her. More than likely he’d go out of his way to get her genetic code,
and if it looked as if she wasn’t going to survive, he’d blow her up himself
just to scratch the post-mortem DNA off the ground. Then again, maybe Tom was
being overly suspicious. Da’shay was the only alien he’d spent any time with
and clearly she was not the average
genta
.

“Use my apartment in Hunter Tower, provided you share all
information at least once in every twenty seven hour cycle,” Hou said.

“Agreed,” Da’shay said. She turned and headed out the door,
still dragging the secretary, who had lost all the color out of his face.

Tom holstered his gun and followed. Outside Hou’s glass
walled offices, people in expensive clothing rushed past them and Da’shay
stopped. She stared at a long streak of light that was coming in through one of
the arched windows that dominated the public space.

“Bruise colors staining the world,” she whispered. Tom
walked to her side even as he eyed their newest tag-along.

“Why bring him?”

Da’shay looked over and after several seconds she brought
her hand up to stroke Tom’s cheek. Tom moved closer and rested his hand on her
hip. He wasn’t sure he knew how to help her out of whatever confusion was
tugging at her, but he’d do his best. “
Genta
-girl too easily distracted
by a world colored like stain glass. Tom-boy not as good with finding patterns
like mice running through the computer. Need a mind full of green and neither
of us are green. All the other colors, but not green.” She sounded sad about
that and Tom felt a twinge of unhappiness that he couldn’t be whatever she
needed. He looked over and the secretary did look like someone who could find
patterns in a computer though, at least as long as he didn’t pass out from fear
first.

“I’m Tom,” he offered as he held his hand out.

The secretary flinched back, his pale eyes wide with fear.
However, Tom gave him credit for having some balls because even though he was
about ready to piss his pants, he focused his eyes on Da’shay and slowly held
his hand out for Tom. “I’m Kada. I’m skilled at computers, Master Da’shay. I
keep records and research markets for Master Hou.” He’d started to smile, but
the expression vanished from his face in an instant and he looked down at the
ground.

Tom shook Kada’s hand and then stood there not knowing what
to do. Da’shay had started staring off into space again and Tom wondered what
she could feel or taste or see in that brain of hers. Did she know she was
scaring the piss out of Kada? Tom scratched his slave mark. It seemed a mighty
unfriendly thing to do to someone you didn’t really know, but then Da’shay
didn’t always connect well with reality, so he had no idea if she was even
aware. Well, if she wasn’t gripping with reality, he was going to have to.

“We should get to the apartment in Hunter Tower,” Tom told
Da’shay, “unless you’re thinking we should go some other place.”

Da’shay continued to stare off into the crowd, her head
slowly tilting first one way and then the other. Something was throwing her
off. Tom moved so he was right in front of her and he brought his hand up and
curled his fingers around the back of her neck, pulling her close. At first she
was stiff as stone and Tom couldn’t budge her a bit, but then she slowly
wilted, her body swaying toward him.

“Do we go to Hunter Tower?” Tom asked. She nodded at him,
her eyes still dilated black. Tom turned to Kada. “Do you know where that is?”
Tom was assuming that Hou was going to order the door to unlock for Da’shay,
either that or he was going to have a unit of planetary police waiting there,
one or the other. Since Tom couldn’t figure which was more likely, he’d keep
following Da’shay’s lead. Kada was looking over his shoulder toward the glass
wall where Hou’s offices were getting back to work. Tom looked over and an
older man with white streaking his red hair had taken Kada’s place behind the
desk.

“Hey,” Tom reached over to tap Kada and the man shied away,
his eyes coming first to Tom and then to Da’shay. “I asked if you know where
Hou’s place is in Hunter Tower?”

“Yes,” Kada said. He swallowed.

“So let’s go,” Tom gestured toward the crowd. Da’shay was
standing with her hands hanging at her sides and Tom caught one of them and
pressed his leash into it. Da’shay seemed to come up out of whatever trance had
her attention. Smiling at him, she closed her hand around his. “Miss the green
sometimes when all the green is gone.”

“Right,” Tom agreed without understand a word of it. He
turned to Kada. “Look, are you going to start showing us where to go or just
stand there looking like a rabbit on a coyote farm?”

Kada looked at Da’shay. “Do you want the address, Master
Da’shay?” he asked. Tom sighed. This guy was getting on his nerves. He was a
small man, not even up to Tom’s shoulder, and he was scrawny enough to fit in
an air tube, so Tom figured hitting him was out of the question, but he was
feeling the temptation.

Da’shay brought her other arm up so that she had Tom’s leash
in both hands. “Lead us,” she said firmly.

“Yes, Master Da’shay,” Kada agreed. He started heading into
the crowd, looking back every couple of feet. Tom followed him, carryall in one
hand with his other hand resting on his gun. The soft pull on his neck
suggested that Da’shay was mentally wandering a bit, but as long as he could
feel her dragging behind, that didn’t worry Tom much. If he had to listen to
entire crowds of people, he’d go a little bug-crazy too.

Kada led them down one tower, through crowds and on
escalators. As he led them up into another tower, the halls became narrower and
less crowded until an escalator finally led them into a corridor carved into
the center of the rock so that no natural light reached the escalators that carried
them up higher. Da’shay moved closer to his back until she was eventually
leaning into him, her arm going around Tom’s waist and holding on with that
alien strength of hers.

They went up about six escalators, each ending in a small
landing with several doors before Kada went to one of the doors. “This is
Master Hou’s residence.” Tom had to struggle against Da’shay’s embrace to step
off the escalators, but at the last second, she loosened up just enough to let
him slip off. Looking down at her, he noticed her impish smile. She’d been
playing devil with him, and Tom might have said something only Da’shay moved to
his side and pressed her hand against the sensor. She’d never struck him as the
teasing kind, but maybe Tom was learning all sorts of new things about Da’shay.
The door clicked open and Da’shay strode into the room without even checking
for ambush.

Tom whistled. “This place must be God-almighty expensive,”
he commented. The room was bigger than all of the
Kratos
’ living
quarters and half the engine compartment added on. Oversized couches were laid
out in a perfect square and five huge arched windows with pink-tinted glass
made the sky look like sunset even though it was only coming up on noon. Tom
headed toward the windows where he could see the edge of the city and then the
wide desert with broken lines of natural stone interrupting the sand dunes.

“What’s the use of having so much wasted space?” Tom asked.
The four gray couches took up less than a quarter of the space, but there
wasn’t anything between the couches and artwork lined up along the walls.

The leash went tight. Tom looked over to see if Da’shay was
trying to get him to come to her, but she was moving toward him, walking her
hands up his leash as she pulled herself along. “Every mind a different color,
but
genta
are green. So green.” They looked more blue to Tom, but then
Da’shay didn’t see the world the same way.

“And humans ain’t?” he asked.

Da’shay tilted her head. “Eli is green and Becca is some
green. I like to reflect green like a watery mirror of a prism. Green is
easier.” She looked at him and her frustration turned to a lazy smile. “But not
as soft.” When she reached him, she laid her head down on his shoulder, leaning
into him. Tom brought his arms up around her and held her. There were times Tom
didn’t rightly know how to help her, but he could wrap his arms around her and
offer whatever softness he had to offer. She reminded him of a high carbon
steel engine rod. That rod could handle thousands of pounds of pressure and all
the heat of a quantum engine, but spill liquid oxygen on it and it would snap
like a tree branch.

She stood in his arms for a second before pushing him away
and Tom yielded. Turning toward Kada, she said firmly, “Find data.”

Kada’s shoulders hunched up and he ducked his head. “Yes,
Master Da’shay. What information should I correlate?”

Da’shay turned toward the windows and stared out. “Whispers.
Little trails left by mice feet darting through the leaves.”

Tom had used animal trails like that as a boy to hunt small
animals. “She wants the slightest sign of something out of place,” Tom
translated. “Rumors about—” Tom stopped and looked at Da’shay. Which theory was
she trying to investigate?

“Rumors of war, machines hidden in corners, new technologies
and amazing wonders slipping out of the shadows or vanishing back into them,”
she finished for him. “In Corps space and slaver.”

“Yes, Master Da’shay.” Kada went and knelt on the floor and
pressed his thumb against it. With a whirr, a desk rose out of the floor, a desk
flat display built into the top. Another whirr and a chair appeared. With only
a quick glance over at Da’shay, Kada started typing commands into his computer.

“Little breath of wind moving the sand.” Da’shay pressed her
hand against the glass. The whole pane shimmered and turned a pale blue. Tom
moved to her side. He wished there was something he could do, but there wasn’t
anyone around to shoot or intimidate and those were his strengths. She turned
to him and smiled, her hand going to his cheek and then trailing down over his
shoulder until she pressed her palm against the slave mark. “Must slip through
shadows where Tom will not fit. Wait here.”

Ice wrapped around Tom’s guts. “It’s not safe for you to be
out there alone,” he said with as much calm as he could manage.

“Alone so long.” Her gaze wandered from the slave mark up to
Tom’s face. “Not alone now. Just a kite flying high where hawks can see the
world. Not cutting the string.” She tilted her head. “Don’t want to fly alone
anymore.”

“You don’t have to. Let me go with you,” Tom asked. He
didn’t like the idea of her out there alone, not when all her strength was
feeling so brittle.

She gave him a smile. “I like that Tom worries about me,”
she said in a confessional tone. Tom opened his mouth, but she turned and
headed for the door. “But Tom has to stay and watch the world turn colors,” she
said firmly.

She stopped at the door and turned back to look at them.
Kada continued typing without pause, but Tom crossed his arms and glared at
her. “You should have someone to watch your back.”

“My back can vanish into smoke. Watch Kada’s back,” she
said. Tom would have kept arguing, but she headed out the door and closed it
behind her. Damn, that woman really could frustrate the hell out of him, more
than Ramsay even.

“The first time you came to see Hou, you weren’t marked,
were you?” Kada asked in a complete change of topic. Tom really only cared
about food, but being around Da’shay was giving him patience with people who
could not get to the point.

“Nope.” He shrugged. “And I still don’t know where the food
is.”

“Go to the painting of the gas world and look for the floor
access,” Kada said. Tom nodded and headed for the painting Kada mentioned. In
the floor in front of it was a thumb-sized access point. Tom pressed his thumb
to it and a blast of cold air swirled around his feet as a refrigerated shelf
rose from the floor.

“They’ll know you accessed it.” Kada sounded wary, but Tom
pulled off several pieces of fruit, some strips that might be either chicken or
tofu and a large loaf of bread. He touched the front of the unit to make the
rest sink back into the floor.

“I figure they know I need to eat. You want some?” Tom
watched Kada. As wary as the man was acting, Tom wasn’t eating anything until
he’d seen the other man try some.

After a second of staring, Kada nodded. “Yes.” He finally
stood up from his computer display, but he waited for Tom to move without
taking his eyes off the food. Weird. Tom tore off half the bread and handed it
over with some of the strips and a piece of fruit. Kada took it and then sat
down again, carefully arranging the food in his lap so he could type again. Tom
walked over to see what he was looking into, putting his share down on the
desk. When Kada started by eating the strips, Tom did too. They were bland, too
bland to hide any of the really interesting poisons.