The next morning, I awoke to see Mara sitting there, just staring at me.
“What is it?”
“I was just thinking.”
“About what?” I asked as I yawned, then stretched.
“The future…and how it’s never what you expect it to be,” with that, she stood up and stretched.
“Do you even need to do that? With your body?”
“No…Not really, but it helps keep me feeling human.”
“What does your body feel like?”
“Do you want to feel it?” she asked with a smirk, and I rolled my eyes. She sighed and nodded, “Okay…it feels like me…but like a dream of me? It’s hard to explain. As if I was not fully connected with it.”
“Is that unpleasant?”
She shook her head, “Not pleasant or unpleasant…it simply is. However, it is probably more pleasant than being dead…which I would’ve been if I hadn’t become an avatar.”
“How many were you?”
“HARI series? Twelve when I went into Stand-by. There were at least seventy HERMES, more than a hundred WOLFs, and well over two hundred BRUTUSes, Plus some other one-offs or short production runs like us HARIs.”
I ate my camp biscuit and leftover venison, “And you think there might be more of you left?”
She nodded.
“Well,” I rinsed off my plate and kicked dirt over the fire. “I think we should deal with Lord Malcolm, and then we can start looking for them.”
Once the camp was broken and I had her tied, I hoisted her up on the horse before climbing up myself, “You ready?”
“Let’s go.”
The ride continued on, and then I saw farm fields. These were being tended by young men and women with rope collars around their necks and horseback mounted overseers carrying snaplock rifles.
One of the overseers rode over to us, and I nodded at him as he approached.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Someone who wants to buy and sell,” I replied. As I said sell, I inclined my head toward Mara.
The overseer lifted her head up and nodded appreciatively, “Make sure all the fees are paid; otherwise, you end up out here.”
“That was not in my plans,” I replied with a smile.
He smiled back, “She looks good quality; you try her out?”
“How could I not? And she is excellent quality.”
“I thought so…you know what, try Master Feder. He specializes in her sort and will probably give you the best price.”
“Why, thank you! If he does, I will gladly stand you a drink. What’s your name, and where can I find you?”
“Leo…I usually am at Riley’s, off of the main boulevard. You can ask around to find it.”
“I’m Carson, and it’s a pleasure.”
As we rode away, I heard, “I’m glad you think I’m excellent quality.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Don’t apologize! You did that perfectly.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“This entire group offends me to my core,” she said very firmly. “They need to be burned from the land.”
“The Empire has debtors’ prisons and workhouses…but nothing like this. I’ll strike the match.”
The city had a wall of earth surrounding it, and we could see slaves performing repairs. The guards at the gate started when they saw us but then noticed Mara and grinned as we passed by. Once we were inside, it was clear that this was not a pleasant place to live. The streets were filthy, and collared people were led back and forth as we rode up to the ‘official clerk’s hut’ that Johnny had told us about.
Dismounting, I walked over to a greasy-looking man with a stick of charcoal and a stack of wood slivers.
“Yeah?”
“I’m registering some property for sale. I need my number so I can pay the proper tax when she sells.”
He nodded, “Three copper fee.”
“Since when?” I asked. Johnny hadn’t mentioned a fee. I put a little menace in my voice.
He took a step back; perhaps I had put too much menace in? “I think we can waive it.”
Nodding, I handed him a copper anyway, “For your generosity.”
“Good move. You’re a natural at this.”
“No, I am not…What I am is scared out of my mind,” I whispered as I led the horse to a stable. “I’m just imagining how you would accomplish this insanity.”
“I’m touched that you consider me a role model.”
I had her walking ahead of me, her hands fastened behind her now. Another two copper at the stable and the horse was taken care of. I slung my saddle bags over my shoulder, and we headed for Master Feder’s.
It wasn’t that difficult to find, with a plain sign with ‘FEDER’ written on it above the door and a small spinning sign saying ‘Open’. It was locked, so I knocked, and a peephole opened. A pair of eyes peered at Mara, then me; then a bar slid back, and the door swung open. I shoved Mara inside before following and set my rifle down against the wall along with the saddle bags.
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The man who had opened the door was a soc. He looked me up and down, and I could almost see the sneer in his attitude.
“Yeah?”
“Sale,” I replied.
He grabbed Mara’s face and squeezed it before I slapped his wrist. “Your boss doesn’t own her yet. And if you damage her, I won’t get the best price…and neither will he.”
He looked startled that I had stopped him and was about to cut loose on me when I heard, “Very well said, Master…?”
“Carson, sir,” I turned to look at the new arrival. He was old with scraggly white hair and a surprisingly nice and clean suit. “I presume you are the proprietor?”
“I am, Master Carson. Thomas Feder, purveyor of the finest beauty. Gustav, you may step away. It’s clear that Master Cason is here for serious business.”
The soc growled slightly and moved to a tall stool on the far side of the room.
“Very nice,” Feder said as he passed through a locked door and stopped in front of Mara. How old?”
“Twenty-three,” I replied.
“Not virginal?”
“No sir, she’s not.”
“Pity…but I do appreciate candor,” he opened her mouth, checked her teeth, then produced a knife and cut her dress off. Mara stood there naked, her eyes downcast.
“She is quite attractive. Nice chest,” he felt first one, then the other. “Firm, warm, her skin is remarkably unblemished…Excellent,” he looked her in the eye, “Can you speak?”
“Yes sir…” it came out as almost a whisper.
“And no sass. I think, Master Carson, we may make a deal.”
Giving him a broad smile, I nodded, “I had heard good things about you and your fairness.”
“Word of mouth is the best advertising…” he paused and looked thoughtful, “She is remarkable, three gold?”
The guard’s head snapped up, and I pretended I didn’t notice as I said, “Four?”
“Three and two silver.”
“Three and five,” I responded.
“Three and four.”
Extending my hand, we shook on it.
“Let me get the tax form,” he disappeared through the locked door, leaving me standing next to Mara, with the guard still on his stool.
“Of course,” I replied. I could feel my heart racing, and I wondered if the soc could smell my fear. I needed to calm myself, so I turned to face the giant, “Sir, you look like someone who understands the best.”
He looked surprised at that.
“I was wondering, is there a good hotel in town?”
He actually looked thoughtful, “Pagan’s Rest.”
Reaching into my jacket, I saw him begin to tense and then relax as I brought out the money bag and tossed him a silver, “A share of a good deal,” I said as I nodded toward Mara.
He smiled, and it looked terrifying.
Feder returned and asked me for my signature on an actual piece of paper that listed the value of the sale. I had to sign on two sheets, one for him and one for me. When that was down, he handed me three gold coins and four silver. Opening the money bag, I slipped the coins inside and began to tuck the bag back inside my jacket as he started to lead Mara through the locked door. He was very surprised when I said, “One moment,” and drew the pistol that had been next to the bag under my jacket and shot him through the head with a very quiet shot from that remarkable suppressor.
Gustav the giant was up and moving, but suddenly Mara was in his path and tripping him, so he ran headfirst into the wall with a heavy thud. I tossed her my knife, and she began slicing him up as I rushed to the front door and spun the ‘Open’ sign to ‘Closed’ before I made sure the drawbolt was securely set.
Turning back, I saw Gustav was dead. Bending, I picked the remains of Mara’s dress off the floor and, turning my back, offered them to her.
“Seriously? You just saw that asshole slap my tits and check my teeth like I was livestock; you can look at my naked ass. Nice shot, by the way.”
“I was more concerned about not vomiting; killing him was a relief from the strain.”
She shook her head, “You’re amazing. Come on, milord, let’s get these two behind a locked door.”
We dragged both of them into the back, and Mara picked up the ring of keys he had dropped while I mopped up as much of the blood as I could with the remains of the dress. She took Feder’s pants, vest, and jacket and put them on; they fit her tolerably well, while I used his shirt to finish wiping up the spill before picking up the saddlebags and following her in.
“Part one, kill a slaver and use his place of business for a command post…check,” she said as she buttoned the jacket. Opening the saddle bag, she pulled out her Old World pistol and made sure the suppressor was firmly affixed before slipping it into her waistband and dropping two spare magazines in the front pocket of her pants. “Part two, regain armaments, check.”
We were in an office with a desk and some papers scattered on it: tax forms. There was also a cash box with a good amount of gold, silver, and copper in it that all went into the money bag. As I was rifling that, Mara was checking the keys on the locked door at the back of the office.
With a click, one worked, and she swung the door open.
“You killed him too fast…” she said quietly. I stepped next to her and saw a row with six cages on a side long and three high. Three of them each contained a young naked woman lying on a woven pallet.
They looked at us in surprise, “Who are you?” one asked.
“This is Lady Mara, Duchess Edgerton of the Duchy of Ceedo,” I replied. “We’re here to rescue you, and kill Lord Malcolm.”
Mara had simply gripped the door and the lockplate of the first one and torn it open, not even bothering with the keys. Once all three were freed, she used the knife to cut off the rope collars.
“How did you do that?” the brunette with short-cropped hair asked, staring at the lock.
“I’m very strong,” Mara replied. “Bonchance, he had to have had some outfits for them.”
Opening doors by breaking the locks with the grip and wrist strength of my new arm, I found Feder’s quarters. Mara was right; there was a wardrobe filled with dresses.
“Up here!”
They filed in and began to dress. The tall white-blonde with long hair and coldly pale blue eyes ignored the dresses and put on a suit like Mara had, while the two brunettes found nice dresses that didn’t appear too showy.
“Bonchance, this is Doreen,” Mara nodded at the long-haired brunette, “Kelly,” the short-haired brunette, “and Clea. This is my dear friend and right-hand, Bonchance Magellan.”
“An honor, ladies,” I said with a small bow.
“Part four, it’ll be dark in two hours, then you go to the bar and meet Leo and buy him a drink or two. Find out where most of the slavers are located.”
“I can tell you that,” Clea said. “All the slavers are on this street. Lord Malcolm wants them here in one place, so it’s easier to keep an eye on sales and taxes.”
“Change in plan, part four, still meet with Leo and see if you can come up with a diversion. We’re going to need the rest of the Augments…socs and the city guard heading away from this part of the city…Clea, where does Malcolm live?”
“The palace, of course. The big building in the center of town.”
Mara looked at her, “Who are you?”
Clea grinned, “I’m an agent for the Rock Republic. I came here for the same reason you did, but I got caught. At least they didn’t figure out what I was doing here,” she looked at me, “How did you take down Gustav?”
“That was her,” I replied, nodding at Mara.
Clea looked at Mara, who just returned an innocent stare.
“Rock Republic?” I asked.
“We’re on the west side of the Rockie Mountain Range, a little south and a lot west of here. The Dark Warriors have started moving into the fringe area near our lands and have been grabbing our settlers. I was sent to investigate.”
Mara nodded, “I can handle the slavers…and Malcolm. Mistress Clea, would you mind assisting Lord Bonchance?”
She looked at me, “I can.”
“Good, Kelly, Doreen. We’re going to be leaving, but we’ll be coming back if you hear someone knocking on the back door like this,’ she demonstrated. “It’s someone else I’ve recovered and sent here.”
“Are you sure, milady?”
“We’re sure. Bonchance, I’ll let you know when things need to start.”
As we headed downstairs, Clea picked up the revolver that Gustav had been carrying off the desk where Mara had set it along with the bag of cartridges; she quickly checked it and snapped the cylinder closed, “I presume you’re armed?”
“In a place like this? Of course,” I replied.
“Then let’s cause some trouble.”