Cyborg Claude
Episode 11
In the previous episode, Salindra doesn’t learn anything about Claude, but gains insight into who Stefen is beyond the doctor of the agency. She challenges him to help her learn how to operate in normal society, which leads them to heading onto the station for their furlough time. Meanwhile, Conrad and Angela figure out where they went and take a fast, but high costing, trip on an Anglodian spaceliner to Deserka Prime.
This episode will bring us back to Salindra and Stefen, as well as, our Goeken spies.
Cyborg Claude Main Page and Table of Contents
Salindra relaxed at a table set in a simulated outdoor environment, sipping a tea with a light, fruity flavor to it. Stefen sat next to her, pointing out the various plants around them, proving his botanical knowledge. She took it all in while watching everyone around her. Many people milled around the concourse. The riot of color and diversity of clothing styles made her head swim.
Her eyes narrowed as she spotted a blonde man noting how rare that hair color was in this myriad of people. She coughed on her tea as he looked her way and quickly grabbed a napkin to cover part of her face as she did a second cough. Stefen slapped her on the back once and asked something about her being all right. She glanced up to see only the man’s back, but he stood with a woman that fit Angela’s profile to a tee.
“Stefen, we have a big problem.” She spoke just loud enough for him to hear. “The goeks that took a space liner jaunt with us got here.”
“That’s all right, dear. Maybe you should go freshen up in the washroom. I’ll keep your seat warm.”
She nodded and rose from her seat, coughing again as she turned her back toward the pair. The hallway leading to the restrooms ended with an open door to a broad corridor used for deliveries and employee access. She glanced over her shoulder into the dining area, glad she could see their table.
Stefen stepped away and out of her view. Nothing like a doctor trained in tactics. He was probably keeping an eye on them, but look interested in the flowers. No time to wonder about what he was doing while she escaped to the yacht.
She slipped on an apron hanging by the open doors, hoping it would be enough to get her through to another exit unquestioned. A normal pace like one on an errand would help, though she had to keep her shoulders from hunching with effort. Nothing like a safe place to relax after four years where one could have a nice cup of tea without a goek squad around, and they show up as if they planted a homing signal on her. She smirked and pushed her way through a set of double doors to find herself in a loading dock area. She tossed the apron on top of a crate and continued on looking for a marker of what dock she had wandered into.
Luck failed her. The yacht sat clear on the other side of the station and some big guy headed her way with authority to question written all over him. She smiled at him and ducked out the door nearest her into a stairwell. She jogged up it, hoping she appeared nonchalant to any hidden cameras. At the top, she pushed the door open and slipped into a hallway with locked doors to her right and an opening to a large area on her left. The loading area for passengers, like the one on the other side of the station, would lead her back to the concourse. She traveled down the wide, gently sloping path.
Topping at the edge of the concourse, she checked the surrounding stores to gain some bearing, glad she and Stefen had walked a good portion of it while they chatted. She frowned at a blonde head and then the very distinct strawberry blonde of Angela. Both stuck out like sore thumbs in this place. They were cutting off her path, so she angled left towards a Deserkan dress shop. The clothes of Deserka Prime women enchanted her, but she hardly saw herself wrapped up in layers that covered one from head to toe. She smiled at an attendant as she walked deeper into the store, so a divider blocked the sight of her from the concourse.
“How may I help you?” asked the attendant in a thickly accented trade language.
Salindra smiled and answered in Deserkan. “I am looking for something more appropriate for a dinner here.” She did not miss the look of disdain the woman had for her attire, no matter how friendly the smile and eyes were otherwise. “I know. I’m a Droeken out of my element here in Deserka. Can you help me with a nice choice and some tips?”
“Certainly.” The woman now looked her over in a businesslike manner. “I’m thinking cool colors. Is this to be a public dinner or one that could lead to more intimate things?”
Leave it to the Deserkans to not shy from such things. Women only appeared to have no station in Deserkan society with all the customs of veils, silence, and deference to men at many functions. One aspect she always admired about the culture. It had more innuendoes than the Zen Free States, if that were possible. She made it seem like she pondered this question for a moment as she glanced about the store and stepped enough to get a peek out the windows into the concourse, only to find the goeks standing outside the store. Lovely.
“It is public, but could lead to more intimate things.”
“So a party with a definite escort.” She pursed her lips and headed to a rack further in the back and pulled out an outfit with a mix of deep teal and purple. She held it up to Salindra with an approving nod. “Have you worn these wraps before?”
“I admit I have not had the pleasure of trying before.” Might as well be pleasant and have some fun with this. Dress up and make believe time. This way of avoiding goeks rated much higher than a crawl through air ducts and running through sewers.
“I’ll help you then.”
“Thank you.”
Salindra noted that another woman sat in the back of the store hand sewing, though she appeared to look up a lot. That is when she noted the mirrors placed strategically in the ceiling design that let one see the entire store. She smiled, liking the fact she could even see out into the concourse in a couple of them. The lovely couple she wanted to avoid appeared to be arguing in hushed tones. She snorted quietly and turned to follow the store attendant to the dressing room.
Her com beeped right when she had stripped enough and the woman had the first piece ready. “Don’t you just love their timing?”
The woman laughed lightly as Salindra dug the com out of her pants pocket and flipped it open. “Bad timing. I’m in a dressing room adding to my attire and learning how to wear what I need.”
“Shucks, I should have tagged along then.” Stefen laughed. “I called to tell you that another couple invited to this party might ruin all the fun, as they are having a fight. Mother is thinking of canceling their invitation.” Stefen paused for a second. “What color of attire are you thinking of? I’m would like to get some flowers for you to wear with it. You know my taste can be bad, so I don’t want to clash either.”
Stefen stepped in so smoothly it amazed her. “Umm, deep teal with purple.”
“I’ll pick up the flowers and find myself something to match. I hope I don’t screw that up.”
“You are not that bad with taste in attire. You underrate yourself.” Salindra chuckled. “Where shall we meet, and how soon?”
“Because of time running by fast, my sweet, I would say try for twenty minutes outside that fantastic smelling gyro shop.”
“Oh, how dare you make me get dressed that fast in something new and exciting.” She had to force herself not to giggle at this whole charade.
“See you in twenty minutes. Ta ta.”
The com clicked off, so she tossed it on her pants.
“We’ll have you ready in no time.”
Salindra submitted to the dressing of about nine pieces of cloth and the woman’s wish to put makeup on her. The eye liner after not wearing makeup for four years irritated her eyes. Everything matched a Deserkan look except the color of her eyes and the paleness of what little skin that remained uncovered.
The woman, because of her time running short, coaxed her out of the changing room. The price made her wince, but this marked a change for sure. Salindra was in a dress of any sort for the first time in over a decade. Every social function in the agency thus far had allowed her to wear pants like a lot of Droeken women loved to do.
She took the bag with her old clothes and shoes tucked in it and thanked the woman with a hug. A proper Deserkan thanks between women, which she found easy, despite it being another thing not done in years. This trip back into society had proved quite enjoyable, despite the goeks.
Outside the store, she scanned the area to remember which way to go to the gyro shop. The goeks stood a mere ten feet away. She wandered into the crowd with her back tingling. Angela had glanced at her at least once while she had decided which way to go. They would not expect her to pair up with a short guy with glasses when looking for tall, dark, and handsome. She smirked behind the veil as she caught the smell of the gyro shop. She spun about when someone grabbed her arm, doing her best to turn without leading with a punch.
Stefen stood there dressed in black Deserkan robes with purple and teal sashes about his waist and a peacock’s feather in his turban. He winked at her as she started giggling.
“I see you are having a fine time, love.” The man had a fluid handle on the native tongue. “Here is the flower I promised.” He held up a hairpiece with small purple flowers and teal ribbons. “I think it will look good right here.” He gently slipped the stems under her hair veil, so the blooms sat at her left temple and the ribbons dangled along the face veil. “Perfect.”
“Thank you.” How had he pulled off matching everything in twenty minutes?
“You look ravishing.” Stefen looked her over, then spun away. “Come along, we will be late.”
In Deserkan custom, she stayed a step behind him and to his right side as they navigated the crowds. She caught the sight of Angela off to her right, but made sure not to look for very long. The woman appeared to watch her.
“This is not good,” muttered Stefen. “She seems to really like you.”
“But aren’t you the one always saying you wanted two wives?” She chuckled as Stefen actually tripped in his stride, though he recovered with an air of having not done it at all. “I thought so.”
“I don’t like hair that color.” Stefen turned onto the ramp leading to the docking zone where the yacht waited. “I haven’t called mother yet.”
“She is going to be so upset with you.”
“I’ll survive. I always have.”
They walked up the ramp into the nearly empty loading zone. They tried not to hurry, but the stride they took carried them quickly across the open area with its high dome, which gave them a view of the largest moon of Deserka. Diffused white light lit the area well enough to keep the auto lighting off. The silvery Deserkan night orchids sat wide open in the moon’s light. Taking in the sight helped them keep an unhurried pace.
The guard in a black uniform with silver trim had trouble keeping a straight face as they walked up to him in the corridor leading to the yacht.
Stefen stopped before him. “We have a problem following us. I really do hate goeks.”
The guard’s expression became serious. “Has this been reported yet?”
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t get through.” Stefen frowned. “I don’t like this one bit.”
“Don’t worry, sir, we’ll handle it per the norm.” The guard nodded, signaling the okay to go ahead while watching the end of the corridor.
“I highly doubt that is who we are looking for.” Conrad kept his voice low, though he wanted to yell.
“She has gray eyes, unlike most Deserkan women. Salindra has gray eyes.” Angela did not look at him as she marched on across the moonlit emptiness.
Conrad stopped in the all too empty space. His eyes wandered over the blooming orchids. His senses warned of a trap.
Angela entered the corridor the couple had disappeared into. He swore under his breath while walking fast to catch up. Angela stood about fifty feet down it, talking to a man in a tidy black and silver uniform. A uniform he did not recognize. The ship probably held some private entourage with money enough for their own guard.
The corridor allowed him to hear their conversation while he took in the orchids and movement from another ship’s access.
“There is no party on this ship, ma’am.”
“I was distinctly told that dock forty-three had the ship with the party. Maybe you weren’t told about it and I might be early. I was told it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.”
“Let me check.”
Conrad arched a brow as he listened. So the man would check? Why? Maybe he just wanted to make sure he had the firepower to send the assertive woman away.
The com beeped several times with no answer. Not an orderly military setup per the sharp standards he had seen of any agency. Did they know who she was already? Six beeps now with no answer.
“She never answers, even if she states I should call her first. I’ll just have to call her brother.” He clicked the com off and back on again. An irritated man’s voice came over the com within one beep. The guard cleared his throat. “Is there a party scheduled that I did not get informed of, sir?”
“You know the party is tomorrow down at the oasis. Tell whomever it is to get their facts straight.”
“Yes, sir.” The com clicked off again. “You must have gotten the wrong number.”
Conrad tapped his foot. The language belonged to one of the Zen Free States’ outer ring planets. Most of the rich and famous lived in the outer rings of that empire. Great. Angela had led them off to some prissy bugger’s ship with the bad bluff of a party invitation. He stepped into the corridor and chose Droeken for his language. “Come along. I knew this was not the right place. No one else is coming this way at all.”
Just to prove him wrong, a crowd came out of another corridor and started taking in the orchids with sounds of awe. The mob of tourists made so much sound he could not hear Angela’s response. He nodded his head back toward the concourse. The inability to determine if the Zen Yacht Club ship had docked irked him. How did they get all the other information, but suddenly wound up hitting a wall?
He hated Deserka. Nothing ever went as predicted in this strange empire of desert planets. Even the planets were not what they seemed. Deserka, the main planet of the huge empire of around twenty planets, looked like a ball of sand with barely any water on it, but it had one of the largest hidden water tables of any planet.
Angela walked right by him without a word and looked up at the dome. The view revealed parts of the station’s docking along with a splendid view of the moon beyond. He arched a brow as she counted. His head hurt trying to figure this out. How did one figure out which dock without access to any computer information that would tell you?
She smiled and headed at a fast stride through the crowd, forcing him to dodge through the crowd to keep pace with her. He bumped into Angela when she halted. His gaze traveled beyond her to the large windows showing most of the lunar surface before them. She nudged him and pointed to the left. His eyes followed the path to a Zen Yacht Club ship docked opposite a Space Liner. Looking closer, he saw the identification number on the yacht: Z-123.
“I told you.” Angela crossed her arms and gave him a smug look. “Sometimes you are so set on one idea you can’t see the whole picture. They came here and that gray-eyed woman could have been Salindra. Of course, there is no one to help us in this cursed place. Only way to reconnect is get on that Space Liner, if there is room. We better go back with hardcore success or the bill for this trip will have us both hung.”
Conrad glanced about. No one stood within thirty feet of them on this quiet level. He nodded and massaged his forehead with his fingers. “My problem is I haven’t been off our home planet in so long I’ve lost my edge.” He sighed and looked at the yacht again. “We need to get on that thing or get someone else on there. Problem is, who and how?”
“Mystery man knows what we look like. With it being the right place, they know we are here. I bet they saw us first because the gray-eyed woman came out of the shop wearing a new outfit. There was a standard button up blouse as the top item of her bag and that store doesn’t sell those.”
“Interesting.” He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Might as well see about a room on that Space Liner so we can get connected. Then we need to work out the next plan with every resource we can think of to keep track of a hyperdrive yacht running around space with no clear destination. I hate secret agencies. I wish it were a valid agency using secret agents. This is a ghost.”
“We’ll figure out how to get to them. We got this far and they can’t hide with that yacht anymore.”
“True.”
“Let’s go to the Space Liner desk.” Angela took his hand.
He let her lead, while he glared at the yacht until their path took it out of view. So close, but you can’t hide as easily now?
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