Incoming Press Report, Seven Light-Years Away (Levantine System Network Relay, Sagittarius Union Controlled).

Tragedy in Venkfurt! Eight Union officials of the diplomatic mission were left dead in the wake of a terror bombing. FEG security forces have been accused of leaving "security holes" open, with mountains of evidence pointing to this potential cause.

- Trianta Today

Incoming Press Report, Fifteen Light-Years Away (Rostfurt System Network Relay, FEG Controlled).

Unrest in the Colony of Venkfurt reaches another boiling point. Radicals, produced by the economic hardships of the hardline rule of the FEG military, led a surprise terror attack against the widely touted "detrimental trade deal". Wide incompetence in the FEG security apparatus has also been identified as a cause.

-Orion Press

+++ Jonathan Jones +++

Cryesa System

Independent Space

Lucynthia Station

“Mr. Jones!” Shouted one of the patrons as he approached me. The man was a familiar face to me, being one of my earlier mentors when I launched myself into space. He flashed me a grin, before tapping my shoulders. “Where have you been? You’ve been gone for quite a while. We really needed a good-ass blockade runner. And I reckon your little corvette would do well for that, but you were gone. Ah, you see what happens? That’s a wasted opportunity right there. Wait, who’s that girl?”

“Someone I met,” I replied, and his smirk grew. “Back during my brief expedition. She needed help, and…well, I guess now she’s with me.”

“Well, well. Mr. Jones, if that isn’t the interesting development.” He laughed, looking at her with an almost aggressive leer that I could see Juliett turn into a flustered mess, attempting to hide herself. “And she’s a catch too. Tell me, would you share—”

I shoved his arse off, grunting to myself as I approached the bars. “Piss off. It’s nothing of that sort. Anyway, we found quite the haul, which is why I came here. Interested?”

“What a killjoy. But, I suppose even dirty men can catch something.”

I looked down at him, and he caught the message. “Cease it. You’re making her uncomfortable.”

“Alright…alright. Ever a serious guy, that you are. I was just joking.” He scratched his head, as Juliett almost hid behind me.

“Hey…Jonathan. Who’s this guy?”

“Call him Mr. Falken. Just a nobody. He’s our potential client because one of his redeeming qualities is that he isn’t broke.”

“Oh come on, Mr. Jones. Is that really how you treat your potential buyer and employer?” I snapped back a glare at him again, and he winced back into retreat. “Alright…alright. Geez, you’re in a really bad temper today, aren’t you?”

I shook my head in annoyance as I ordered my drink. “In any case, I have something good to sell.”

“Oh, well, do tell me.” He sat beside me, and so did Juliett. She seemed to be keeping her silence for now, and I couldn’t blame her. Shady men like him weren’t exactly the type to calm normal people, and I knew well that she would really be uncomfortable with the underworld. But, well, dealing with nasty people was how I survived. I would just bite for now. “I’m up for some quick business today, especially if you can help me out. Very busy shit around here in Lucynthia. I have clients that’s about to depart in a few days.”

I spilled immediately. “Micro-autofabricator. Specifically, the blueprint chips. Alongside the appropriate combat drone design chips.”

“You’re shitting me.” His eyes went wide. “I just had some bastards from the DSA looking for some copies. Their new hulls use drones that need it.”

“Well, isn’t that great? We’re arming communists now?” I shook my head. “Dude, seriously. This is some advanced brain rot. At this point, even us Independents would be shooting ourselves in the foot. Next thing we know, the FEG actually loses once the red tide declares war again.”

“Come on, Mr. Jones. What’s a little civilian-grade micro-autofab going to do to dent and change anything? They’d only be able to mount that on a few drone-tenders. Shouldn’t be too much of a deal. This is just for some small aspiring DSA ship captains. We get paid, and they get marginally better patrols in like, one system. Get over it.”

“Still, this is quite braindead.” I pulled out my datapad, scrolling through it, before showing him something. “Here too. Eighteen hundred assorted small arms as well.”

“Did you go bounty hunting? You’re really shitting me. Where’d you find that many weapons?”

“That’s a secret.”

“You slimy wanker.” He looked at Juliett. “Gone for a month, and suddenly you have a girl in tow, alongside those crap. What, life’s turning around splendidly?”

“Can we please stay on business? I told you that it is not whatever your depraved mind is thinking.” I took a deep sip of the beer in front of me. “I’m selling this crap to you, again, below market prices. Seventy percent of the current rates here in Lucynthia. As for the blueprint chips, it’s a premium.”

“Fuck, you really are slimy.” He said as he pulled out his datapad, and began some quick on-the-go calculations of the deal. The guns and other stuff would indeed make up quite a chunk of this deal, but the blueprints were the most important. I imagine it would be hard for him to find any, and since he had clients waiting, he would do well not to make them wait.

I took another sip, looking back at Juliett, who seemed to have been bored dead by our exchange. She was now looking at the gathered crowds around the bar, her eyes shifting left and right as every newcomer entered or groups of people left. I sighed. She definitely wasn’t used to this. I really wondered what the hell whoever designed her was thinking.

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She seemed extremely powerful, yet…she almost had human flaws. Wouldn’t that limit her from achieving her stated directives? So why? Why did they create her that way? Or perhaps, I was asking the wrong questions. AI self-evolved, did they not? What if she really only turned out like this over time?

Damn, Jonathan. You’re beyond a weirdo. I took another sip of my beer. Psychoanalyzing a damned AI. You’ve dug yourself deep.

“Well, shit. It would be a bigger problem if I didn’t get those drone design chips quick for them DSA clients.” He sighed. “Alright, deal. Fourteen Thousand SCs for the micro-autofab, three thousand SCs for the drone design chips, or if they’re a good one, whatever we can agree on. And, around six thousand SCs for the small arms.”

I checked my own datapad and the current prices in Lucynthia for these goods on the official market. Indeed, I was selling the small arms below market prices with that one, but I didn’t really care. As for the blueprints for the micro-autofab and the drone design chips, that was a good price. I nodded at him.

“Sure.”

He reached out his hand.

“Deal?”

And I took it.

“Deal.”

Mr. Falken stood up, seemingly satisfied with the fast dealings. This was, after all, how deals in the underworld were done in the Sector. No pointless time-wasting nonsense, or frivolous pleasantries, one must be quick, else, the authorities and the rapidly changing market prices of the unstable economy of the Sector would be quick to shoot you in the foot for dragging your feet. Even I was satisfied. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t be able to predict what the next prices for these goods would be. Not even the top AI-assisted economists could, considering that you could never exactly factor in the random trade convoys getting swamped by privateers or pirates on their way to their target market.

The prices were shit, and I could probably sell these small arms better on a more desperate colony, especially those dealing with rebellions (or to rebels themselves), but, again, shit was hard to predict. I’d bite and be done with it.

He stood up, taking a cigar from his pocket, before lighting it up. “I’ll send you the meeting coordinates. Have you secured all of those guns in heavy-duty containers?”

“Yes. We’ll meet you up there. Make sure there are no patrols.” I told him. “And keep a low profile.”

“No need to tell me what I know, Mr. Jones.” He puffed a smoke. “I’ll transfer the credits to your account once the deal is done.”

He gave my shoulder a pat. “Until next time. Probably tomorrow, or the next next day. Have fun in Lucynthia.”

I nodded, just as he whistled. A few of his goons, his own bodyguard, suddenly followed him, just as he left the bar. My shoulders sagged, and I took the opportunity to down my glass of beer in one go.

“He’s a weirdo,” Juliett said beside me. “And a creep.”

“Told you he’s a good-for-nothing. Though, he’s probably just putting on a show, or he’s bored and he wants to make fun of something. He’s a family man. Half decent at times.”

“Well, sorry. I couldn’t notice it with his behavior.”

I laughed. “I find it hard to believe that even a powerful AI such as you would be flustered and creeped out by some underground dealer.”

She crossed her arms, and sat straight, closing her eyes. “Of course, I would. Any proper lady would. This is why people need to learn proper etiquette.” She huffed, and I just laughed.

“Well, sure. I’m in agreement—” I felt her poke me.

“And you too, Jon. You too. You’re also as crass as him. I guess birds of the same feather really do flock together.” She smirked at her own line, and I shook my head.

“I mean, not like you’re wrong.”

“Again, you didn’t even deny it!”

“No point.” I stopped, looking at the corner of the bar. A bunch of rowdy crewmen had a run-in with station security again, and they were badly drunk. There weren’t any loud arguments yet, but I saw them all getting twitchy at each other. “Alright, Juliett.”

“What?”

“Let’s check other things out.” I stood up, and so did she. “Do you want to go planetside?”

“Um…sure?”

“Well, let’s go then.”

By the time we walked out of the bar, I could already hear the indistinct sound of commotion from inside, all while the people around us barely even noticed it. I looked back, and Juliett definitely was looking back. I sighed.

“Look, sometimes, you should really just avoid looking back,” I muttered something. “Hell...I bet one day you definitely shouldn’t look back…”

“What was that?” Juliett asked, and I shook my head.

“Nothing. In any case, some things just aren’t our business. You should learn that.”

“Yes, but…don’t you think we should help?” She walked, and so did I. “Those guys didn’t seem to be doing anything wrong. At all. They were just drinking silently.”

“Oh, come on…they could have been smugglers, criminals. Or maybe they’re spies. The Lucynthian State is on high alert after all, especially with the FEG adopting another policy of ‘rule restoration’, and Lucynthia is on the list of breakaway polities they’re threatening with reintegration. Look, it’s these kinds of trouble that we should avoid.”

I noticed that Juliett was now frowning. “Jonathan, that’s not you.” She said. “I was trouble to you, wasn’t I? Yet you helped me.”

“There are boundaries, Juliett. You should know that. I took you in because when I arrived there were no apparent threats of taking you. At least, not that much.” I laughed at myself. “I’m not some selfless hero. Quite frankly, my intentions at taking you in was quite selfish.”

“Regardless, you helped out, and even risked your life for me.” She looked back at the bar. “Those guys didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Look, Juliett. It’s ideas like this that get people killed. I want this clear for you, we will stay low for now, when we cannot do much—”

“Jonathan. My mission is to save the Sector, didn’t I tell you that?” She seemed determined to do this. “Then what’s the point of that, when I cannot even help innocent people that found themselves in trouble?”

“I…look.” I shook my head. “It’s not that simple. Much as it pains me to say this, delusions are…delusions, Juliett. I’m sure your algorithms can figure that out.”

“I know. But I’m not asking much from you.” She paused, and she pulled me into a secluded alley. I wanted to protest, but she frowned. “I’ll just check on what’s happening. Give me time. If they’re innocent folks, then I’m helping. If they’re not. Okay, let’s ignore it.”

Before I could do anything, tiny particles from her finger split off and disappeared. She concentrated herself, before sighing. “Ah…well…”

“So? Are you going in guns blazing? Because I’m telling you, that’s a moronic idea—”

“No. It’s not worth it.” She smiled. “You were right. Those guys were Communards. Armed as well.” She shook her head. “They seemed to be planning to sabotage the Station’s port.”

“Knew it.” I breathed out. “Told you. No point in getting into trouble.”

“I wasn’t going in guns blazing, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah. But considering who you seem to be…I wouldn’t be surprised if you do if you see someone in need.” I sighed. “Right. Wanna go down planetside?”

“...Okay.”