Atlas: Infinity Verge Trilogy: Book II (5 page)

He was smoking a cigar made of the cave moss from the interior of Eden. A woman was on his lap doing more than he had hoped. Breaker was having a fine Monday until the signal for a ship entering Eden’s orbit came to his attention. His secretary leaped off his lap, leaving him there half-dressed and half-satisfied.

“Eileen! Oh for flak’s sake!” Breaker bellowed as he watched the woman rush to the computer station to respond to the unique ping. He had not recognized the ping, but Eileen’’s panicked attitude said that it was someone important. The ping alerted again and Breaker considered the look on his secretary’s face. The look was one of pure terror.

Breaker supposed she always looked like this whenever someone of importance was about. He had not known her when Mercury ran this office. The thin rail of a woman nearly sobbed as she tried to respond to the ping, her passcodes were not working.

“Move it, woman, if your flakking passcodes ain’t working ain’t nothing you can do about it.” Breaker was frustrated with her frantic sobs.

“S…sorry Mr. Jones, sir! I’m sorry, I…d……don’t know why my codes aren’t working.” She sobbed at him.

Breaker sighed and entered his own passcode. He noticed that Eileen was still in the room and still quite nude. He considered the woman, her thin body and the lack of curve common among women. The time on Eden had not been kind to her. Eileen’s arms were nearly devoid of muscle or fat, he could see her bones pushing through the thin veil of skin. Her ribs were outlined and her wide child-rearing hips seemed unnatural. Breaker scrutinized her body while in his mind he pitied her. It was not a pity borne of disgust, quite the opposite; he pitied her for what she had lost - like all those on Eden.

“Do not think on it Eileen. Go on get. Your clothes are over there. Take some rest.” Breaker said gently, he had grown fond of her company and did not wish to upset her further.

She smiled half-heartedly, but there was a gratefulness in her eyes. She turned to reveal her one good remaining asset. Breaker grinned. For a moment, he almost called her back. Eileen gathered her clothes and dressed. She gave Breaker a sidelong glance. She felt something for the man, but she still feared him and his allies. After dressing, she left the room. Breaker turned to the Transteel viewer.

“Mr. Jones,” the voice used his old title. It rankled. “I am so glad you took time from you busy schedule as a lecher to answer my call.”” A holo-projected image appeared on the viewer showing the subtly altered face of Alek Vale.

“You know how it is. Paperwork here and paperwork there.” Breaker grimaced and allowed his sarcastic nature to bleed through into this speech.

In truth, he despised the EXO Prime. It was the fault of Alek Vale and his machinations that Breaker was drawn out of his home and blown apart then put back together again. He was willing and ready to die in that space yard after his failed tango with Abel. However, the EXO Prime had saved him, if one could call it saving. Breaker resented and hated the man. He blamed Mercury Frinz at first, but Alek Vale was the true villain.

The EXO Prime’s face grew dark. Breaker could see the subtle change, but he didn’t care. He kept the fake, sarcastic, grin on his face.

“I am not amused Mr. Jones,” the EXO Prime sneered. The sneer and the second mocking reference to his old title stoked Breaker’s anger. The large man slammed his fist on the desk.

“Such a temper,” the EXO Prime bit off the last word. “If I did not need your services you would likely be contemplating your existence in a cell.””

Breaker saw the look and heard the threat, “What do you need?” He pushed his anger down defeat in his tone.

For the most part, Breaker had free reign to do as he saw fit on Eden, but when it came to the EXO Prime he could not refuse. Eden had prospered under Breaker, whereas it had floundered under Mercury. Breaker knew this said something about the past year’s events, but he did not know what.

Best to leave it alone
, he thought.

Breaker had watched the panic and the chaos rain through Eden. In the Border Towns specifically, when he had fought Abel, the people had fled in terror. The act shamed him. He had never wanted to be an enemy of the people. All Breaker ever wanted was a good drink, a good cigar, and a fine woman. All Breaker ever wanted was to be the prosperous Mr. Jones. Mercury always reached too far. He always overstepped his bounds.

A right fool,
Breaker thought. Whether he meant himself or Mercury Frinz he wasn’t sure.

The EXO Prime licked his lips, the sound was like static electricity, “I need you to take a ship and draw out Abel Cain.”

The EXO smiled a wicked smile and Breaker’s heart chilled. His life had consisted of one bad experience to another, and Abel had been at the heart of the two worst moments of his life. Breaker almost spat. He almost denied the EXO Prime.

“When? Where? What ship?” Breaker gritted his teeth.

“Soon. Everywhere you can, although I prefer close to the EFNF bases. I shall give you a new ship. I am sending a shuttle for you. Gather a crew and be prepared to board the shuttle within a week.”

He began to turn away before turning back and looking Breaker in the eye. The look was the same he gave when he wanted someone to do something despicable. Breaker gulped as the EXO Prime spoke again, “Oh … kill the woman and have her replaced; it took both of you far too long to accept my call. That will be all.”

The EXO Prime ended the communication and left Breaker sitting there contemplating what he must do.

4:
BREAKER JONES

Eden - Border Towns: The Silent Territory

2973 ESD - Friday, April 23rd 09:00 hours

Breaker disliked harming women, but he was not given a choice regarding Eileen. It nearly broke him as he smothered her with his pillow. He had taken the woman to his bed and had become fond of her, slaying her on the EXO Prime’s order was more self-preservation than it was any kind of malice towards Eileen.

At least she will not feel the sting of the EXO Prime’s bite
, he consoled himself, but ruined it a moment later in thinking,
hasn’t she just?

He had done as the EXO Prime had ordered. Breaker just wanted to find out what other plans the EXO Prime had in store for him. He thought about the new flight crew he had put together. He was not sure how many men he would need, so he assembled a destroyer level flight crew. If the EXO Prime had a smaller ship in mind, he could dismiss those he did not need.

Among his crew would be the wily Baxter Perez, whom he called Cat on account of his nimble ability to move and his uncanny ability to survive encounters that might otherwise kill him. Breaker knew that Baxter truly did have nine lives.

Perhaps he can share some
, he thought ruefully.

Aside from Cat - his navigation specialist - Breaker recruited Tymon Porter. Tymon was a renowned scientific mind, but more importantly he was the foremost authority on electronic warfare. Tymon had been a part of the crew of the Ambition; one of the four battleships that escaped with Exodus Fleet some twenty years ago. Tymon was in his fifties now, but the man was still a tactical genius. Breaker Jones knew that whatever else, he would need the tactician.

Breaker walked the hall of the derelict ship towards the exit. He waved his hand and the door opened.

COMMANDER BREAKER JONES EXITING.

The intercom of the ship announced, letting his subordinates know who to report to since he was leaving the offices. Stepping outside he ignored the blistering cold. To Breaker, Eden no longer seemed so cold. He waited a moment with snow blasting around him and obscuring his vision.

We’re in for another storm
, he thought.

A Snowduster ploughed through the thick snow and stopped in front of him. The triangular vehicle’s treaded wheels easily cut through several inches of white powder gripping the soft earth below. Breaker stepped around to the back of the vehicle and opened the large square hatch to the cargo hold. He removed several packs and set them on the frosted ground next to him. Taking a deep breath of the crisp air he shut the cargo box and slapped his metallic arm against the back of the Snowduster. Picking up the packs he made his way back to the dead vessel.

COMMANDER BREAKER JONES ENTERING

The ship announced as Breaker carried the packs in. He had been instructed by the EXO Prime to await a shuttle that would have the supplies he needed. That did not mean that he did not want to be prepared should things go south. The packs he took held a number of explosives and plasma weapons. Breaker’s mission was to draw Abel Cain out of hiding. He intended to do just that.

In his experience the EXO Prime was not a forgiving soul.

If he even has one, is he even a man?
Breaker asked himself.

The burly human rubbed the back of his head with his good arm. He did this when he was nervous. As he had expected, Tymon Porter and Baxter Perez had arrived when requested. The rest of his crew had yet to show themselves.

Something
, he decided,
ain’t right
.

He tapped the communications node on his Writcom - a holographic wrist communications device. The EFNF still traded with Eden. The device was an older model, but then again everything on Eden was. Breaker brought up the holographic display. The holograph flickered for a moment as the screen powered up and a moment later he directed it to contact Ark Simon, his weapons specialist. The holo-projected comms device chirped indicating it had made a connection. The image came up a moment later. Ark was not a handsome man. In fact, he was downright hideous. His pockmarked face shone with red. Breaker looked at the image of the young man, his red face was sort of puffy and seemed overly large for his beady eyes.

“Mr. Jones! I p…promise I am on the way,” Ark stuttered.

The image seemed to stutter as well. The high amount of static already told Breaker what had happened.

“Snow is falling hard today sir. Joop and I are doing what we can to get through the storm.” Ark said.

Joop, or Marcus Jupiter, was the defensive specialist Breaker had enlisted for this mission. Marcus was a longtime friend and had managed to keep himself out of the gang activity on Eden. When Breaker had been resurrected by the EXO Prime, Joop had been the first to visit him. Breaker had remembered the kindness and contacted Marcus when he learned of this mission.

“Use the heating coils, I’d rather see you here than worry about repairs on a Snowduster. The Prime gave me reign to select a crew, anyone unaccounted for is going to be replaced by an EXO for sure. So get your arses here.” Breaker demanded.

He did not hear Ark’s reply, but he saw the man’s face and the evident fear was enough.

Flakking glitching hell
, Breaker thought. The look on his face might as well have been the words.

As he traveled down the corridor people moved out of his way, whether for his attitude or the fact that he had killed Eileen, he was uncertain. He reached his destination, the command deck of the derelict Svetlana. He brought up a scan of the planet and this latest storm.

Moments after reading through the scan he slammed his left arm down on the control panel, nearly shearing the edge of it off. He looked down in disgust at the mechanical arm he had used to slam the panel.

“Flak!” he said furiously. The few passersby hurried their pace avoiding Breaker for the time being. Whatever business they had it was more important than becoming a scapegoat for Breaker’s ire. It was not that Breaker had ever taken his anger out on the other survivors on Eden, but Mercury Frinz had. The crew’s memories were not so short.

It is just as well, I would rather be alone
, he thought defensively.

The scans showed that the storm would be passing over this section for several more days; no traffic into the atmosphere was going to make it through. One of the phenomena he had always found curious about Eden was that the atmosphere seemed to get thicker at certain points in the year. That was the same anomaly that had allowed him to set up the black market in the Border Towns.

Mercury Frinz had lauded him for the achievement, but the EXO Prime merely shrugged when Breaker told him business was good. The Prime did not care if the black market was doing well, or if the majority of humans on Eden survived the coming winter.

No
, Breaker thought,
he only cares about what is in Abel Cain’s head
.

Considering this, Breaker scanned the skies again, utilizing the EXO probes that had been in place since the last Lieutenant Colonel.

Flak
, he cursed silently.

The view screen showed a heavy shuttle tearing through the thick atmosphere of the planet. The ship itself was massive, something more than a shuttle Breaker would have guessed. The image was hazy as the thick clouds were nearly frozen themselves.

The large freighter broke through the atmosphere and tore through the dense storm clouds. Breaker watched for a minute longer before shutting off the view screen. Even at the rate the ship was traveling it would still take at least another three hours before it touched down.

That gives me some time
, he thought.