6

Violet’s fingers flew across her workspace, collecting papers, folders, and occasionally typing on her keyboard. Briggs was starting to feel a little left out after asking why his question was met with silence. Maybe she was working on her presentation, he mused. She looked at him, and cleared her throat, placing a small folder in the middle of her white enameled desk.

“I’m sorry for all this cloak and dagger nonsense, Mr. Briggs. I know all of you Runners are busy men and women. So let me get straight to my point. I want to hire you.” Briggs’ eyebrows rose, she cut off his response. “I know what you are thinking. If you wanted to hire me, then why not just go through the proper channels. It’s only logical. That way, there is some kind of record. But…as you most likely guessed, this cargo is…special to me. I wanted the best for this job, and from what I could gleam from the Runners Union. You are that man.” She steepled her fingers, waiting.

Briggs sat up, making direct eye contact with as many of her eyes as he could manage. “Let me get this straight…you want me…to take a contract,” he pantomimed picking up a small box, and moving it from one arm rest to another. “To deliver something that is ‘special’ to you. Without the approval of the Union, to a destination I don’t know yet. For a sum of money that has yet to be offered. All under the table? Do I have that about right?”

Her fingers came down to the folder and slid it towards Briggs, who stopped it with one finger. “Yes, Mr. Briggs, I want you to do this for me. You are an upstanding citizen of any city-state. I have asked for all information regarding you, from all the sources I could get into my web. As far as I can ascertain,” she cleared her throat. “You are the man for the job, in fact, I know you will take it.”

Briggs blew out a breath, his cheeks ballooning. He flicked the folder back to her, then stood up.

“Look…ma’am…lady…whatever you want to call your position. I don’t work that way. It’s against the Union’s code of ethics. Plus, there is a reason why all cargo moved between the cities is documented. Do you know why that is?” Briggs paused, then continued, hoping that she would interrupt him. “It’s illegal for the simple reason of accountability. We don’t want to move anything that could be considered…hazardous, or dangerous into the populace. Hell… I don’t even run guns unless I have an escort onboard my rig and following me. It’s too much of a hassle to supply people with the power to cause more misery. So, no… I am not taking your cargo, end of story.” He stood up and rounded the chair in one smooth motion. He was almost off the red carpet when Miss Violet spoke.

“Do you know why I have those two lovely goblin women? Other than the fact that I like to keep pretty things near me?” Briggs stopped, turning to look towards her. “It’s simple. I trust their character, and they are a great test for proving someone’s…personality, shall we say. You were offered EVERYTHING that they could give. Instead of taking it by rights, or desire, you simply enjoyed their company. You played cards with them. I saw it all.” She waved to her screens dotting around her workspace. “That alone was better than any information I could gather. You are a man of principle, of honor. A man who takes the rules of the road seriously. You are a rare breed in the world we live in. Make no mistake about that. I implore you, take a look at the dossier, before you turn down my offer.”

Briggs stared at her for a long moment, weighing his options. He could simply just leave, report this nonsense to the local Union Hall, and get his license reinstated. He could theoretically be out, on the road, in a matter of hours. There was something holding him back though, he couldn’t really put his finger on it. Was it the way she called him out? Was it the way she held herself? No, it was something else, something hidden in the shadows of his meeting. He had to trust his gut feeling; it had never let him down yet. He turned and started walking.

“Thank you for the meeting, Miss Violet, but you and I are done here. You have nothing to offer me, and I am not going against the Union’s and the Road’s code.” Briggs deadpanned as he waved.

“Five hundred thousand credits…”

Briggs almost tripped over his boots, which brought him up short. No one sane would ever offer that much. That was more than he made in five years. It didn’t assuage his fears any less, in fact, it made his gut churn. He turned his head, giving her the side eye.

“Now I know you are rattling my transmission. That’s an even harder no. Good day Violet.”

He heard her rise from her desk, she must have hit it, because the squeaking noise was something that no throat could produce. She was trying her best to maintain her composure, which spoke volumes of her willpower. The Spinder race was one of the few apex predators of the wastes, and she was reigning it in to be a mayor, no less.

“Fine! Five Hundred Thousand Credits! Plus…” her voice echoed in the room, then went soft. “Plus…me. I offer you my life, my body, all of it. Whenever you return, you can call upon me and I will satisfy needs that no credits can possibly touch.” She started out meek, but by the end of her offer, she was practically oozing sensuality. It made Briggs sick to his stomach, she was using everything in her tool box to hook him.

“With all those inquiries you put out on me. How many times have I taken flesh as a payment for my services?” He wheeled on her, he was still at least a dozen paces from the desk, but he knew his fury would cross the gap. “None…I don’t do that, no rational person—Ab-Human or not, should ever trade a job for companionship. In the end…it just leaves you hollow, and even more empty than when you started. I don’t want it. So…I…am…gone.” He punctuated the last sentence by walking away, stepping with enough force to scuff the well-polished marble.

Briggs had no warning, but her face twitched imperceptibly, then her mask slipped from well composed feature. Violet leapt from her desk, crossing the space in moments. She tackled Briggs, the two of them skidded on the floor and slammed into a pillar. He felt the impact on his left shoulder, then he saw her jaw open, her fangs descended. Briggs showed no fear as he looked into her dilated eyes.

“If you kill me, you will dishonor the right of hospitality. The town council will kill you for this. No trial, no judge, no anything Violet. They will simply put a bullet in you and throw your corpse into the recycler.”

Violet stopped a mere inch from his throat, her fangs dripping a green, viscous solution. His words pierced her rage, and in an act of great willpower, she let him go. Briggs stood back up, straightening his coat and his hat. She rose too to meet his gaze. They were both silent for a long moment, with Briggs finally breaking the eerie quiet.

“I have told you once, and I will tell you again. I will not take on a job that isn’t above board. If I do, it will go against everything I have stood for. You have a good day.”

His hand was outstretched, reaching for the door. When she spoke one last time, her voice caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand up.

“I didn’t want to have to play this card, Mr. Briggs, but this job is much bigger than the both of us. What is the first thing that comes to mind when I say the number ‘13’.”

Briggs tried to keep his heart rate slow, he tried to keep calm, he just barely managed it. He turned to look at her, determination writ large across her features. She had crossed her arms, pushing her chest up, trying to draw his attention to her assets. He kept his eyes off her chest, it was just as difficult as keeping everything about him calm.

“I would say that it was a number just after 12. Somehow, I don’t think that is the answer you are looking for.”

She smiled, and approached him, maintaining enough distance to stay out of his personal space.

“You know I love secrets, Mr. Briggs, and I pay well for teams of Scavs, Runners, and explorers to comb the desert for anything of use. As luck would have it, I gathered quite a lot of ‘fore artifacts over the years. Even before I took the position of mayor.” She motioned over to the lithographs that hung from various parts of her office. “As you can see, I love anything from the ‘fore times. It’s the mystery of it all, what happened before all of this? What caused the world to turn out this way? Was it from the ancient’s arrogance? Or was there something else? You know we Spinders love a good mystery, and unraveling it, it’s better than sex to our kind.”

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Briggs was starting to sweat, just a little. It was enough that she took notice. Her smile was almost predatory.

“So here is my new offer, Mr. Briggs. You will take my cargo to its intended destination. I will give you a small amount of money upfront. I am not that awful of a businesswoman. Everyone must live, especially you Runners. In return for doing this, I will not publicize…certain information that I may or may not have learned from a data cube.”

Briggs gritted his teeth, “You’re lying, Violet. We both know something so ancient would be long damaged. I have seen more of this world than most people. I have never come across an intact data cube. It’s impossible.”

“That’s the beauty of ‘fore tech, isn’t it, Briggs? Sometimes, if the conditions are right, things last longer than they should.” She burned a hole into his very soul with that statement. He had hoped none of his past would ever be unearthed. However, he had to be one hundred percent sure. He stared at her for a long moment, then laughed mightily. Her eyes pin pricked, wondering if she had missed some joke somewhere.

“This has been a real treat, Mayor, but I honestly think you’re bluffing. I hope you have a great rest of this lovely day. Ta-ta.” Briggs said as he threw open her office door.

“Project Lazarus”.

Those words hit Briggs’ like an anvil. His mind was transported back in time, to sights and smells that were long forgotten. The smell of antiseptic gel, the screams, the white lab coats, and the steel chair. When he came back to his body, he was gripping the door frame so hard that he heard the wood starting to groan. He slowly closed the door, then turned, his empty eyes locked on Violet’s. The smirk on her face wilted slightly, and she took one step back. Realizing what she had done, she scowled and regained that step.

He was resigned to his fate, but he wouldn’t forgive her for this blackmail. He should have realized it the moment Alpha and Omega started on him. Now, it was too late. “Where do I pick up this cargo, and where do you want it to go?”

Her smile returned, she had won, and she knew it. “Well, it’s simple, Mr. Briggs, the dossier will have the information on it. I will send some of my associates to…place it on your rig. No need for you to bother lugging something around town. Isn’t that nice of me?”

“I have two conditions: Do as I ask, and I will do everything in my power to protect your goods and willingly take it to its destination.”

Her mouth quirked up in a smile, “Well…ask your favor.”

He raised one finger. “I don’t want five hundred thousand credits; in fact, you can keep all that money if you want. What I do want, more than anything, is for you to take that data core and throw it off the top of this tower. right…now.” He raised a second finger. “Whatever information you have on me, stays with you. Try to renege and use it for further blackmail purposes, and I’ll drag you down with me.”

Violet chuckled, those musical notes that could cause a man to sin. It went on for entirely too long. She took that time to walk over to her desk, Briggs hot on her heels. She reached for a desk drawer, unlocking it before removing a solid, cube-like object. It was a dark cube, with a glass finish, except for one side that had a plethora of different connection ports. She showed it to him, to acknowledge that this indeed was the data cube.

“You know…there could be so much more information to gleam off this device. I was only able to scratch the surface, but I learned enough to figure out what you really are, Geller.”

He winced at his first name. He didn’t like other people using it. Unless they were considered a good friend. Miss Violet was not a friend in the least. Briggs stood up straighter and looked down at the cube. “Do you want to know what is on that? I could tell you how to access it, but it's not what you think.”

The mention of dark secrets to Violet’s ears was enough to make her salivate in anticipation. “Tell me everything,” she whispered. “I could make you a king, rule at my side.” She tried to sidle up to him but stopped when he glared at her. She raised one delicate hand, placating his ire. “Once done with my errand, you will never want for anything. I can offer you anything or anyone.” She could tell he wasn’t interested and changed direction. “With the power and knowledge of the ‘fore times, you and I could solve any problem, combat any disease. We could save the lives of everyone living in the ‘tense. We’d regain our past and maybe learn from it so we don’t repeat their mistakes. The possibilities are endless.”

Briggs walked past her, towards her balcony, and pushed open the doors leading to the outside. The hot air stung his lungs and his face, but he was used to it by now. He turned and placed his back against the railing, looking towards Violet, who had not stepped out to follow him. He yelled over the wind to be heard.

“The ancients deserved their fate, look around us. All this that you see, from horizon to horizon, was once…something else entirely, it was alive, teeming with vegetation, creatures, and people. More people than anyone could imagine, lived, and died on this planet. Then the ancients tried to become gods, and their reach exceeded their grasp. If I give you the keys to that cube, it won’t make me a king, or you a queen. You’ll just end up like the ancients, gone, nothing but ash in the wind.”

Her eyes darted to the cube, and realization struck her. She warred with herself. Briggs could see it in her posture, her breathing, every little thing. She was working the problem out, and soon she had reached the obvious conclusion. Without a word, she tossed the cube over the railing, letting it fall to its doom. They both watched it, its mirrored surface glinting in the noonday sun, till at last, it fell out of view.

“I have saved the files I could procure from that item, so there will be no backing out, Mr. Briggs. Deliver my item, and you can retire a rich man. Don’t deliver it, and not only will I hunt you down, but I will make it my mission, to let everyone know what you are.” Violet's voice was cold but fair. There would be no other offer.

Biggs went back inside momentarily and snagged the dossier from her white desk. He returned a moment later, with the folder in his hands. Violet studied him, her expression neutral. Like the patient predator she was, her eyes were unblinking. He tapped the folder on his left palm as he looked off towards the afternoon sun. He opened the folder and noted the small bits of paper that were on display. There wasn’t much to go on, some basic sketches of the cargo he was going to transport. Then at the edge of the second document was the overall weight of the cargo, it was light. Well, everything under a ton was light to him, but it still didn’t have any indication about what was inside of it.

“You held to the first part of our bargain,” Briggs closed the dossier, he’d seen enough. “I’m a man of my word.” He made eye contact with Violet; he saw her eyes momentarily widen, then narrow. He was well-versed in reading people, but Spinders were always a challenge. They based their entire demeanor on subterfuge and misdirection, always making them killer poker players. Or any game where bluffing was involved. “Here’s what I think, so feel free to stop me if I’m off the mark.”

He looked into her multiple eyes as he handed her the dossier. She took it with a smooth grace that he couldn’t have hoped to match. “I’ll state the obvious while I gather my thoughts. You’ve made a lot of enemies, and whatever I’m carrying for you is vital and important enough to hide. I almost thought it was political maneuvering, but you’re too desperate. Pushed me more than you wanted to when you felt the opportunity slipping. I still suspect politics is involved, but that’s more of a side effect than the root cause.” Her face looked like polished marble, she never blinked nor did it look like she breathed. It was moments like this that Briggs saw how truly inhuman a Spinder was when they stopped play-acting as human. “You checked my records and saw my delivery times. It has to get to where it’s going: no muss, no fuss, no stops. That would imply that this cargo is life or death. Am I close?”

Violet didn’t so much as blink, but the nod was there. “You’re astute, Mr. Briggs. Not many people would have the wherewithal to pick up on the context clues. That’s why the dossier is lighter than it should be. I can’t release too much information. I’ve done my research on you, but I needed leverage. A way to ensure you had a vested interest in completing this mission.” She paused for a second before she added, “I wasn’t sure I could fully trust you.”

“You trust me enough to move this cargo, though?” He interrupted, “Or else we wouldn’t be having this discussion.”

“Quite so,” She intoned, a gusty sigh escaping her luscious lips. “I know it’s frustrating that I’m keeping you in the dark. But it’s best that you don’t know all the specifics. Just like that cube you warned me to throw out, rather than try and open it. I’m asking you to do the same here. In return, once I have confirmation you have sent my cargo to its destination, I will complete the second half of our bargain.”

Briggs walked over to the railing again, looking over the cityscape below him. He took a long, steadying breath, his brain was already compartmentalizing the task ahead of him. The wind from the west picked up suddenly. Its maddening loud gale drowning out Briggs’ swirling thoughts. He asked a question. His trench coat and Violet’s business blouse and skirts ruffled in the wind, like the flapping of unfurling sails. Violet’s ab-human ears picked up the question, even though she could easily read his lips. She nodded to him in affirmation. Briggs sighed in contentment, and just like that the wind abated.

He walked up to her, extending his hand. His smile was grim and his green eyes hard. “You have yourself a deal, then.” When she clasped his hand, he pulled her in. She tensed. “Be warned, Miss Violet. Double-cross me, and you’ll truly understand who I really am.”