By Necessity: Anxiety
By TerraMGP
The line between sleep and the waking world was always paper thin in the base. It was one of many things that made Kanina regret moving out on her own like this. Not three hours into a rather poor sleep and already she could hear the grating sounds of her fellows grumbling and ranting at each other from the next room. A quick glance at the clock in her HUD showing at least seven more hours before she`d normally be forced to wake. Something her aching legs and stiff back could have let her know regardless.
It took another half hour of futile struggle before she finally decided to give up on the prospect of sleep until she could see the base cleared out a bit more. Or perhaps to just head back to her moms and crash in her old room. Whichever worked. She went though her usual routine. Slipping on the cleanest shirt she had and her nice tight running shoes. Adjusting herself in her shorts just a bit and checking the locks on her personal safe one last time. She opened it, closed it, opened it again, and was prepared to close it again before she spotted the small jewelry box sitting there on the shelf in front of her. The purple bunny smirked wearily and shoved it into her pocket. She wasn`t going anywhere major today. May as well keep it near her.
The scene in the living room wasn`t much better than it had sounded from her small makeshift bunk. An odd still shot of a destroyed starship hung in the air between the projector and the various seats. Still, likely paused. Kanina barely glanced at it as she walked over to the couch and slipped down on her usual cushion, her mind already in autopilot while she sent a quick message to her mom asking if it was ok to crash there for the night.
``Woz damn, Fortune. Where have you been?'' Kat all but yelped as she eyed the bunny closely.
``Sleeping. Or trying to.'' Kanina muttered ``You guys know I ran product all day yesterday, right? I told you I need rest and food after those jobs. Besides. What`s the big deal?''
``That.'' Van noted as he gestured to the projection. ``That`s the big deal, miss nap time.''
``What, a game?'' Kanina squinted as she leaned in and struggled to make out what it was though her hazy, sleepy eyes.
Gav narrowed his eyes a moment and shook his head somberly. ``no.'' He sighed. ``It`s a feed, of a destroyed ship. And it`s live.''
``A destroyed ship, huh?'' Kanina blinked and tilted her head. ``I'll admit, it's unusual. I don't see what has you so upset though.'' She shrugged as she leaned on the back of the couch and narrowed her eyes a bit. She scanned the seeming still shot of the burned out starship rather curiously. Not the burned out hulk of framework or cloud of debris one would expect from a game. It looked almost like a still shot. Only the occasional speck of salvage ships darting to and fro giving any indication that it was a video.
``It was a transport ship.'' Lacy said the words dreamily. Her voice distant and uncharacteristically thin. ``Cargo, passengers. They barely had any weapons.''
``Fifty says it was the NA.'' Van said. His unflappable chuckle grating a bit on the tense room. ``Man this could be great. You know if it is there could be all kindsa stuff to swipe from the docks.''
``It's not Avalon.'' Gav flipped though a series of hidden AR readouts with little real regard for the image itself. Soft furrows in his fur were the only sign that he was at all perturbed.
``Oh come on. Who else would do something like this?'' Van laughed
``It's not Avalon.'' Gav Repeated grimly. His ears twisting a bit as he shifted from where he stood behind one of the reclining chairs to find a seat of his own.
Lacy glanced at the two who were arguing and then back to the display. She craned her neck this way and that in order to get a better picture of the ruins. Looking for Woz knew what. She glanced at Kat for a moment and then back down at her own feet. Those big green eyes sparing a soft sidelong flick to Kanina. ``This could be very bad.'' She muttered softly.
``Why?'' Kat shrugged ``It's not like any of us are ever going to get a ticket off this station. Right? Besides it was probably just a Cygnus ship getting overly ambitious. You know how raiders are.''
``If it were a smaller ship I might agree.'' Gav Muttered ``From the looks of it this was a large freight transport. Maybe a slave ship, or even a passenger liner. Plus, that much devastation? There's interstellar law about these sorts of attacks. Even if it was Cygnus.''
``What?'' Van half-whined. ``If it was Cygnus, what? Come on man you gotta stop doing that. We didn't just get jacked yesterday you know. I'm a big boy ganger here Mr. Hierophant. You're allowed to say what's got you so paranoid. You won't hurt my feelings.''
A swift swat from Kanina silenced Van as she shifted to sit on the arm of the couch. Part of her, a rather large part, would be more than happy to look away right now. To walk away. She'd never been one for the news in the first place. After all what the hell could she do about any of it? For all she should care it was just a bunch of metal scrap and chibbed military goons for the news desk generals to rattle their sabers over.
So why in Woz's name couldn't' she look away?
The bickering of her gang mates grew louder around her. Everyone but Lacy snapping and sniping at each other over this or that petty detail while some over inflated woman in a suit and a fake spire born accent struggled to keep her commentary interesting. As far as Kanina was concerned at least, the woman failed.
Almost an hour had passed before something finally jarred the bunny free of her thoughts. The loud slam of a heavy metal door drew her eyes over to Seb's room where the disheveled black bear paced his way out into the main living area slowly. He stopped by Van a moment. Just long enough to snatch the little E-pipe he carried and take a particularly hard hit. As he did Kanina could see his paws were shaking a bit. In fact the shaking only got worse afterwards.
``I guess you'll saw already, huh?'' Seb muttered. He wandered into the holo display. His body bathed and wrapped in the still graphics of the dead ship. ``They give any new info on what happened?''
``Nah, Boss. Nothing.'' Van was naturally the first to speak. Sitting up quickly and glancing around the room a moment.
``What has you so frazzled, My emperor?'' Kat chimed in with her typical mix sycophantic sweetness and detached aloofness. The pig girl instantly slipping up against Sebs side.
The Bear waved for a spot to be cleared on the couch and then fell hard into it. His head lulling back over the side and arms contorting in pain as he tried to get comfortable. The gang leader looking over every member carefully and slowly. ``I got an alert from one of my contacts about this last night. Been doing some digging.''
``Contacts?'' Kanina blinked herself back into the world and glanced up at him. ``Seb, what contacts? Why would one of your contacts even care?''
He bristled a bit as she once again ignored the use of titles. Fortunately it seemed he couldn't hold the ire long. His body quickly collapsing back against the couch. ``That ship was supposed to be the payday we need to get Sven out. Or at least that was part of the job. It was a slaver rig heading back from its normal runs. Was due to dock at Faroe next week.''
``Ok, I take it back. That sucks.'' Kanina sighed.
``It's worse than that.'' The bear corrected. ``Our target was gonna be one of the crew members there. The youngest of a Renee exec pulling his last tour before his `Real Life` training or whatever the fack they call it was done. They recovered some of the life pods. But...''
Gav Chimed in slowly. His words drawn and heavy. ``You think this was a hit?''
``Could be why we were supposed to snatch the kid to begin with.'' Seb shrugged ``After Faroes it was due here. For all I know the client was his mom or dad. Regardless that means our payday just went out the window. Now we gotta fall back on plan B.''
``It means more than that.'' Gav noted. ``Emperor, do you realize what it means if it was indeed a Cygnus based pirate who attacked that ship?''
``Or new Avalon`` Van chimed in.
``It wasn`t New Avalon.'' Gav Sighed.
``Enough!'' Seb bellowed ``You think I care who it was? Woz damn it. We almost lost our shot at saving my little brother.'' He eyed the room menacingly for a long moment. None of them daring to speak while he scanned them with cold, angry, murderous intent. ``I got something else lined up.'' He finally sighed ``But it`s gonna be hard and it`s gonna be soon. More to the point we can`t screw it up. Any of you want to worry about a war that`ll never reach the station or who basically shot themselves in the head by splicing a corp brat by taking down a whole transport then do it on your own time.''
With that the bear pulled himself up and started back towards his room. He made it about half way before nearly falling into one of the piles of junk. His hand barely managing to snag the edge of the old crystal burner they used for parts when the newer one broke down.
Everyone was quiet for the longest time. A few conversations starting up on their own, but now lost in hushed whispers. It was Kanina of all people who finally pushed herself out of her seat and slowly walked up to the bear. Her hand slipping over his back a moment as she leaned in slowly.
``Look, Seb.'' Kanina sighed softly as she shifted from foot to foot. ``I got, I mean Look I'm not sure if it will cover everything. But if time is really that pressing I got some Jink saved. I don't know for sure but it might.''
``It won't be enough.'' Seb sighed. The bear looked down at her and put a hand on her shoulder. ``I don't want to tell the others this, Fortune. I know they won't want to hear it. But we can't just buy him back at cost. Not without getting ourselves spotted. Chances are good they got a digger on him during interrogation and even with the steps we take they'd know enough to spot us I we got too close.''
Kanina narrowed her eyes a bit at that. Her whole body slumping softly. ``So what, if we can't get him out, then.''
``I didn't say we can't get him out. I just said it will take more. A lot more. Fack I have enough to buy a criminal from Lenin right now if I wanted. Especially one who needs to go though detox to be useful. Look I have a plan, but if it's gonna work I need everyone on board and ready when the time comes. Look I know you've been off on your own shit.''
The bunny tried to turn away, only to feel Seb grab her arm and turn her back. His cold blue eyes piercing her as he looked at her firmly. ``I know you've been off on your own shit. And I get it. Ok? I get it. So, I did some digging.''
``And?'' Kanina's voice drifted into bitterness. She gave a half hearted shrug to free her arm. It didn't work. But then she didn't much care. Her mind focused far more on the mans words now.
``Look. I figured I'd check up on the pampered pretty boy spire dweller your girl is hooked up with. Figured that it'd get you focused if you knew there was nothing wrong. But...'' He sighed and took a deep breath.
``What?'' Kanina blinked her voice low and scared. Then growing in anger as she grabbed his shoulders and shook him for all he was worth. ``Tell me what, Seb. Come on. Out with it Woz damn it!''
``I don't have enough to be sure! Look do you know how many bears are on this station? And how many around that age are named Sean? Fack the CEOs son is named that and every kissass in the company picked it up to give their son a leg up. Same with her daughters. That said, I think I narrowed down who he is. You ever hear of the Aurora Syndicate?'' he asked.
``The guys who slip stuff in and out of the outer station ring, right?'' She asked.
Seb shook his head and pulled away slightly ``Way bigger than that, Fortune. Way bigger. Based on what you told me I... think he might be one of the bigwigs.''
``Wait, are you saying-''
``Might be.'' he corrected. ``I tried looking in more. Whoever it is got an obscurea program on him in the main Kenna. Look I'll try to find out more later but if he is who I think he is.'' Seb shook his head and let out a rough sigh, turning from her and gripping both hands into the back of his head firmly ``I promise I'll help you. But you gotta help us too. Help me. I got a job that'll make it all go away but I need you. More than anyone I need you, and I need you on point for this. You do that for me and I'll do what I can.''
``A name.''
``What?'' Seb blinked
``I need a name, Seb. You said you think he's a bigwig. Who?''
``Splicer Dolk.''
Kanina went pale. Her ears twitching as she started to turn. A heavy paw gripping her shoulder again.
``Look I said I don't know for sure.'' Seb snapped.
``Sure enough to tell me'' Kanina protested.
``Somewhat sure. Like... fifty percent. Look it's enough to be worried but, if it is him then it's probably a case of someone high-up slumming. That means you've got time before your little dirt girl crosses any lines, right? What' more you screw up and it could get her killed just for knowing who her `Master' really is. You gotta play this cool, Fortune. I promise. I'm gonna help you.''
The words did little to soothe the bunny. The purple girl twitching and bouncing hard on the balls of her heels as she glanced between Seb and the exit hatch. She could already feel the muscles growing to tense knots. Screaming at her to run. She felt the heavy paw of the man reaching out to grab her again and batted it away firmly. Hard enough that she felt her own palm ringing from the impact on his wrist.
``Look.'' Seb sighed ``I already told you I got this. I think I know a way to fix all of these problems. Yours, hers, everything. But it means I need you and Van to do something for me.''
The bun wrinkled her nose and glowered a bit as she glanced up at him. ``I have to make sure Bri's ok first.''
``And I gotta make sure Sven is ok. He's my little brother, Fortune. Look who's the leader here?'' His words crept to the edge of anger but hovered there. Not crossing that paper thin line. ``I don't care if you're still not a team player. But I'm doing what's best. In a few days I'll have the last pieces in place then all you and Van have to do is pull off one simple snatch. That's it.''
``Van?''
``I'll need everyone else in other places. Look, Tarot is mine. Has been since the Magician and High Priestess derezzed on us. You want to try handling this yourself then by all means go ahead. But you want to do it right then you listen to me. Ok?'' Seb stepped between her and the exit. His eyes flashing a bit in frustration. ``Ok, Fortune?''
Kanina looked up at him for a long moment. Her eyes stirring with hate and frustration. She snatched a pair of running buds out of her pocket and slipped them into her ears before quickly ducking under Seb's arm and making her way towards the ladder.
``Hey, Fortune. Damn it Fortune where are you going?'' Seb snapped.
``Out.'' Was the only reply returned. Kanina quickly making her way up the main passageway without any room for argument. Her only response the loud hammering slam of the exit hatch.
Seb grumbled and growled loudly. His poorly printed suit slacks nearly slipping under his loafer heels as he took a few slow steps backwards and turned towards his own quarters. ``Damn girl's gonna get us all killed one day.'' He muttered loudly.
``Prolly just herself, Boss.'' Van chimed in. The lithe feline sprang up from his seat and practically danced towards the big black bear. His midriff tank top swaying breezily as he slithered up beside him.
``I wouldn't bet on that.'' Seb muttered. ``Anyway what do you want?''
``Nothin. I just like to see you hand that bunny her buns now and then.'' Van smirked ``You know if you need something done you can always count on me. I ain't afraid to get my paws dirty for the job.'' Even as he said the words Van twisted his hips and withdrew a long smooth length of carbon tubing from the back of his shorts. The item wrapped heavily in copper wire along the outside and bolted to what looked like the back end of a broken chair leg.
``Yeah, well, We'll see when the time comes won't we? Fortune may be a bitch but she'll get the job done. If it means helping her dirt girl she'll do anything.''
``Ohhh, job? And what if she doesn't have the stomach for it?'' Van cackled as he ran his fingertips over the copper coils.
``That's why you're gonna go with her. This job is for everyone, Moon. This is the one. I can't have her flaking on us for whatever reason. Woz damn it she's worse than the Magician'' The bear muttered loudly to himself and stamped his heel hard walking into the small bedroom he and Empress shared.
``Don't worry about that, Boss.'' Van giggled happily. ``You know you can count on me.''
``Yeah. I know.'' Seb nodded. He reached out and grabbed the tip of the rod shoving it down and nearly knocking it out of Van's paw. ``And put that damn thing away, will you? Fackin creepy.'' With that the bear slammed the door shut and sighed loudly His mind racing as the deadline neared.
--------------------
The streets were familiar enough. Cramped footpaths no more than a couple of meters wide that branched off from the main transport lane like the web of some OCD spider. It was one of those accepted facts of the station.. The less you mattered, the less space you had to work with. Class 2 people got their little faux city with large open areas and wasted space looking out though transparent windows into the void of space. Class 1 got to stay in various suites or bum around on their personal ships without ever having to leave the home system if they didn't want to. Class 3 Got this. Cramped and squished in ways no fur was ever meant to live, or so the Holovid psychs would so often say. Ask someone like her or Brinna, though, and they'd tell you it was downright cozy.
Especially at times like this, when you hit the particularly bad locations.
The bunny had planned things out well enough that it seemed everyone was either home or out. Be it on a shift or pulling whatever `jobs' kept them from getting what passed for honest work on this station. Only a few scattered people drifting around the halls, most drunk or high or slotting crystals with no concern for who might see. It almost reminded her of those bygone days. A past life she as more than happy to forget.
As was the way of things her path eventually hit a dead end. A cul-de-sac of apartment spaces shoved together at the end of the hallway with several doors welded shut or covered entirely by scrap metal. Clunky old scramblers. Half meter long drum strung up in the corners that shaded this hovel from the occasional station scans, and based on the small pile of blacked-out maintenance drones still did its work on them as well.
Kanina paused at one end of the hallway and let her hand slip into her pocket again, thumbing the credstick gently. It really shouldn't bother her this much. This was what she did, after all. If her childhood taught her anything it's that you take what you can from the uppers and use it to keep yourself going. To protect yourself, and your own.
Up until now it had been as easy as walking. So why the fack did she feel so uncertain all of the sudden?
The goat boy standing by the door twitched and fidgeted his booted foot as he gave her a slow once-over. A slow grin of recognition crossing his face as the metallic striations of his irises shifted to a brilliant brass sheen. ``Well now if it isn't the running bun. Long time no see there, Kanina.'' He laughed ``Or is it Fortune? I never could figure that out.
Kanina rolled her eyes and sighed softly. She bit back on some of the more sarcastic things she could have said and instead simply continued on towards the door. She stopped a few paces from it. The thin sheen of a metallic wire springing across the doorway a few millimeters from her nose tip. Her red eyes traced the thing down towards a small box strapped to the goats wrist. Just barely hidden by the one sleeve on his tight rubberplast jacket.
``The fack is this, Denny?'' Kanina growled.
``Oh come on Fortune. It's Twitch now, remember?''
``Woz, that is a horrible street name. You realize that right?''
Twitch rolled his eyes and smirked ever so softly. ``Yeah well the old man seems to like it. Speaking of which you don't have an appointment.'' he said sharply.
``Don't need one, Denny. `specially not if you're the door guard now. Don't tell me business is that bad.'' She watched the wire twitch a bit. Her own fingers twitching and curling in turn. A long glance at the boy was all it took to have him retract the wire and pout heavily. The matted chest fur and shiny light-shifting nipple ring showing though his thin mesh top making it all too clear that he understood how foolish attacking her would be.
For her part Kanina offered a small smile. As much as she could muster given her current state. ``Right choice. Now is he in or do I gotta wait?''
``He's in.'' Twitch nodded ``I don't know if he'll want to see you though. He's been super busy lately. You know things are a lot different since the last time you stopped by.''
``Yeah. You're not making kid runs for food and cheap parts anymore. Unless standing out here playing guard is just your way of making people think you've moved up in the world.''
Twitched looked down, the much longer comb of blue and green hair he sported slipping over his left eye. ``He trusts me to keep the rabble out.'' the boy shrugged. ``Anyways you talk to the Tarot yet? I'm good enough to get in. I've been good enough. Plus everyone knows you guys are short handed.''
``Who's everyone?'' Kanina asked
``I mean it's no secret, right? Another one of your members got spliced. You need someone to fill the ranks, right? I mean, probably a lot of people. You know I can slip though corpsec systems. Isn't that good enough?''
``You got though a public terminal with an officer watching. Once.'' Kanina growled. She did her best to keep her temper in check at mention of the pinch. Having to remind herself that the boy was barely in his teens. Never been too far from the shop. That he didn't understand. Was still almost too much to avoid outright decking him.
A few telltale flashes in the boys eyes and the door clicked open with a series of hard metal thuds. ``He says you can come in.'' Twitch sighed. ``But you'll tell your boss about me, right? Honest? Please?''
``Sure.'' Kanina muttered noncommittally. She waved her hand and slipped in as the heavy blast door clattered open. Lights both dim and blaring bouncing and hammering every corner of the room. All manner of cybernetics hung on racks over trays full of powdered graphite lubricant. An array of heavily modded old med pods filling what had once been an old family room for one of the apartments the doc had co-opted and consumed for his little lab.
The man himself sat in the back of the room on a small stool. A wizened old Liger in a plastic and Chrome vest fussing over aeroponic lines brimming with blue-green pods that seemed to struggle against the machine smells of the room with their pungent aroma. Behind him was a very slapdash looking mass of parts which could pass for a medical pod if one squinted. Its door being about the only part from a real one, and even that resting on loose seals that looked like they wouldn't stop a metal rod from slipping in let alone contaminates. One of the medical slots was opened and crammed full of dried plant bits. Something he seemed rather content with as he continued to move between the medical apparatus and his aeroponic rig.
Kanina cleared her throat. Then did so again, more forceful and deliberate. By the third time she finally got the man to look up and smirk as he pulled the goggle monocle off of his head.
``It's a pleasant enough surprise.'' The old liger said as he twisted and tweaked the messy scratch-built pod. Slowly fitting a discolored and patch worked surgery arm into place. The thing stank of old worn rubber and cheap analeptic. A smell that seemed to twist and mingle with the old mans own heady funk. ``I figured it'd be a few more ticks. Unless you blew though your last batch of plant that fast. I sure hope not. You know I can only grow so much after all.''
``You could probably grow more if you had more space.'' Kanina corrected him as she sighed and walked over to the work table where Savvy sat. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small black cylinder, setting it down before him.
``Need something cracked?'' He asked playfully. ``Here I thought you outgrew that, little white cap. Or did little `Mahine suddenly lose her some wetwires and needs uncle S to take a dive for her?''
``Just plug it, Savvy.'' She sighed softly as her ears lopped a bit more. Kanina hooked one foot around the spare work table stool and pulled it in close. She sat on the edge and took a deep sucking breath as she watched the man dig out one of the half-dozen spare spools stuck under his mane. Old, archaic, impossible to infiltrate without incapacitating him and using a dive digger.
He slipped the crystalline tip into the end of the spool and tilted his head. Those shimmering electrum-gold eyes squinting, then twisting, and finally growing wide.
``Well now this is a nice bit of pastet, kiddle. If it's forged it looks plenty good to me. Granted that's just at a glance, but...''
``It's legit.'' The bunny all but barked ``It's yours. Payment. I need an upgrade.''
Savvy grinned a bit wider and nodded as he pulled himself up to standing. ``Oh now that's what I as hoping you'd say. So what'll it be? Shock studs? Some proper sensory enhancements? Mmm maybe finally turning in those meat gams for some carbon?'' The old man licked his muzzle as he let his eyes glance down her legs. His smirk a near cipher of perversion and antagonism.
A swift kick from Kanina broke the glaring and nearly knocked the man over for his trouble. The bunny letting out a soft growl. ``What is it with you and wanting to swap my legs out?'' she muttered.
``No offense, kiddle. Just kinda gotta figure that for a legwork jobber like you those gams have gotten you about as far as they'd go. Besides, Ol' Savvy been down on his luck a bit. Might not hurt getting something to help even that out a bit.''
The annoyed growls Kanina had let slip before turned dark. ``The fack is wrong with you old man?'' She snipped ``Even as a joke that's some seriously specialist crap right there. Like, that`s barely a step below calling me a thumper.''
``Oh get off it.'' He laughed ``Like nobody ever called you that before.''
They had. A few people. Some in the bedroom. Some a split-second before she'd laid them out. Even after knowing the old liger for almost a decade now he was skirting dangerously close to that second category. Instead she let it slide, at least for the moment. Kanina pulling herself up and leaning in close. Watching the unflappable joviality Savvy was known for finally melt under her stern gaze. ``You gonna hook me up, old man? Or do I take my paste and find someone else to do the wiring? Simple question.''
``Simple question.'' He sighed in agreement. ``Fine. You a least rust old Savvy enough to let him make the suggestions? I gotta assume you're not so uptight that you think I'm gonna toss you in the slag, kiddle.''
``For the most part. Only real condition is the time table. Gotta have it done by weeks end, and I can't leave anything showing when it is.''
``Nothing?'' Savvy blinked ``that's a tall order. If you walked in here without the stick I'm pretty sure I'da laughed your butt out of here for that.''
``You saw the stick, and you know it's good. Plus I've been keeping an eye on the cargo manifests. Indie freights coming in heavy from Cygnus and Titan. That means some combine custom jobs, maybe some higher end third stuff merch?' she asked as she reached over and took the small rod in hand, pulling it free of the cable connecting him to it.
The peppered grey and white fur of the ligers muzzle twisted a bit at her words. The remark alone seeming to visibly discomfort him. ``I spose I got some of that laying around in the new crates. Damn I wish you had this kind of cash five years ago.''
``Because I didn't know slag about the good stuff?'' she asked with a bitter little laugh.
``Hey, you were always good at spotting good plant, girl. Jus a lot easier to sell some snot nose teen on the biggest and shiniest out there.'' The man laughed bitterly as he took a small atomizing cylinder and slipped it between his lips, taking a hard pull of concentrated chemicals even as he started to slowly work on finishing the Frankenstein pod sitting before him. He barely spared a glance at Kanina even as a menu of the parts he had to fit her criteria came into full view before her.
``You dropping this much I'm going to assume the next job is gonna pay for most of it, at least?'' He asked with a small grumble, the currency signs dancing at the tip of his tongue.
``Biggest job of my life.'' Kanina sighed in affirmation. She doubted the old man would agree. But then again, she really didn't care what he had to say.