W
C371 Bounty
Khan had learnt a lot when it came to mainstream technology, but he still didn't know enough to understand all the potential issues connected to the field. For example, he didn't even consider that transactions with his phone could leave tracks.
"[Why especially here]?" Khan asked to learn more about the matter.
"[You really are a newbie, aren't you]?" Sen-nu laughed.
"[Technology isn't my strong point]," Khan admitted.
"[That's how you get along with the Nele]," Sen-nu joked. "[I could never understand you. Technology is the future. Metal will eventually replace the flesh]."
A switch turned inside Khan's mind. He wasn't dealing with the Nele now, so he didn't feel any remorse in deploying his political skills.
"[I wouldn't mind getting one of these]," Khan played along as he crouched in front of Sen-nu and grabbed his left arm without giving any warning.
Sen-nu didn't expect that gesture, but he soon let Khan pull his arm to reveal the entirety of the bionic implant. The silver metal plates were smooth, and Khan couldn't find any opening when he pressed on their edges. They appeared fused with the blue-gray skin around the alien's elbow.
Khan's interest went beyond the mere skin and metal. He paid attention to the mana flowing through those materials and inside the Fuveall's body, and his findings were quite surprising.
The blue-grey skin and the silver plates had the same type of mana flowing through them. The energy felt like a mixture of synthetic and natural mana, which Khan had never witnessed before.
'Do they alter it through training or technology?' Khan wondered.
Each species was different, but mana remained mana. Its various features didn't affect its core qualities, but the Fuveall seemed able to tamper with them.
'They shouldn't be born like this,' Khan continued. He felt the urge to inspect newborn Fuveall to see how they changed after the implants, but he knew that his wish would probably remain unfulfilled.
"[It's almost alive]," Khan couldn't help but comment when his attention went back to the silver plates.
That metal imitated the behavior of organic flesh. It almost breathed alongside the rest of Sen-nu's body. The rumors about the Fuveall sounded accurate but also incomplete. Their arts seemed to go beyond the simple fusion with technology.
Sen-nu was proud of his implants, but he was also a canny vendor. Khan's true intentions became clear during the seconds spent inspecting the silver plates, which forced the Fuveall to retract his arm.
"[Humans have weaker bodies]," Sen-nu stated without dropping his friendliness. "[You might reject our implants]."
"[How do you know]?" Khan asked as a knowing smile appeared on his face. "[Did you try in the past]?"
Sen-nu's smile froze for a second. His eyes remained fixed on Khan, and the atmosphere grew tense. Some things simply couldn't be said, especially if they involved the secrets of a species, but the previous statement already answered part of the question.
Sen-nu eventually exploded into a laugh, and Khan decided to giggle a bit too. The tension dispersed, and the Fuveall followed with a joke. "[You got a twisted mind up there]."
"[Why especially here]?" Khan smiled, ignoring the joke to go back to the main topic.
"[Knowledge is a currency here]," Sen-nu vaguely explained. "[Some vendors might keep track of their customers just to sell that information later. Having no virtual proof of that event can create an alibi]."
"[Can this happen outside of Milia 222]?" Khan asked.
"[Depends on the regulations]," Sen-nu declared, "[But yeah. There is no perfect system, only different keys]."
After learning that truth, Khan had begun to worry about all his purchases, but Sen-nu's explanation reassured him. Earth and the Global Army as a whole probably had tight regulations that wouldn't reveal openings without proof of illicit acts. Khan would most likely retain his privacy if he didn't go against his superiors or important forces.
"[Is there a way to avoid the problem altogether]?" Khan wondered.
"[Newbie, knowledge is a currency]," Sen-nu repeated as his expression grew slightly serious. "[Sen-nu has shown enough free kindness already]."
Khan nodded, and Sen-nu saw that as the signal to start the transaction. He reached for the backpack behind him but halted mid-way to voice a doubt. "[You have human gear, right]?"
"[Yes]," Khan replied while taking out his phone.
Sen-nu went back to the backpack and took out three small items. A rectangular cover, a silver card, and a small circular tool soon joined the other merch on the blanket, but Khan remained lost.
"[Give me your phone]," Sen-nu requested, and Khan complied.
Sen-nu took the black, rectangular cover and applied it to the phone. The item left both large sides of the device exposed while enveloping its edges.
"[You can pay me now]," Sen-nu laughed while handing back the phone and pulling out a square screen behind his back.
Khan unlocked his device and checked its contents. Nothing seemed to have changed, but a few doubts appeared in his mind when he reached the magic items section.
"[How do I know that you aren't using this to spy on me]?" Khan asked.
The flexibility of Khan's mind surprised Sen-nu. The latter thought that Khan was a lost cause in terms of technology, but that issue seemed to be nothing more than sheer ignorance. Khan had the chance to improve if he applied himself.
"[You don't]," Sen-nu replied. "[You can only trust me and those who brought you here]."
Khan glanced at Nessa and her two companions, but they didn't show any emotion. The Nele were usually cold and aloof when dealing with other species, and the three first-level warriors perfectly stuck to the script.
Sen-nu waited for Khan's answer, and his friendly expression returned when he saw his customer stretching his phone toward him. Sen-nu tinkered with the screen until a number took form, and Khan paid it without hesitating.
'Five thousand Credits,' Khan thought while completing the transaction. 'Less than I expected.'
"[There are many vendors selling fake, malfunctioning, or tampered gear]," Sen-nu revealed when he stored his screen. "[Sen-nu isn't one of them. I wish I could say this for every Fuveall, but we aren't stranger to corruption, especially here]."
Khan found those explanations odd, especially after the previous statements, so he voiced a probing joke. "[Are you going to charge me for this too]?"
"[It's in my interest to protect my customers]," Sen-nu laughed. "[Anyway, use this when someone requests your ID, and place this on the devices you use for public calls]."
The silver card released a sizzling noise as soon as Khan touched it. Its color changed until a random name and personal information appeared on it.
Only thirty seconds had to pass for the name and the personal information to change. The card generated another fake identity, which fulfilled Khan's curiosity and made him move to the other item.
The circular item was smaller than Khan's thumb. It was dark and light, and one of its sides was sticky. He could attach it to his hand and clothes easily, but its functions were impossible to discern during that simple inspection.
"[You want to protect your customers]," Khan repeated while storing everything but his phone in his pockets. "[What else do you sell]?"
"[That's what Sen-nu likes to hear]!" Sen-nu exclaimed. "[I have a wide variety of useful tools. Do you want to make a call without using public devices? Sen-nu can get you that. Do you need spying gear? Sen-nu has that. Make your request, and Sen-nu will give you a good price]."
"[If there were a way around the dock's restrictions, everyone would use it]," Khan pointed out.
"[These devices don't have one hundred percent accuracy]," Sen-nu explained, "[But they can be instrumental in the right situation]."
"[Sounds to me that they are unreliable]," Khan responded.
"[Tough customers]," Sen-nu laughed. "[They are Sen-nu's favorites]."
"[And here I thought every vendor preferred to pull off scams]," Khan joked.
"[Tough customers are usually loyal when satisfied]," Sen-nu claimed, "[And Sen-nu takes great pride in his products]."
"[We both know that this is common technology here]," Khan stated while pointing at the black cover on his phone.
"[But you will return to Sen-nu for uncommon technology]," Sen-nu declared. "[Go ahead. Name your desires, and I'll fulfill them]."
Khan didn't know what to ask. Common sense would want him to check what Luke had left in his backpack again to make sure not to purchase items he already had. Yet, he eventually found something that interested him.
"[The Global Army's network]," Khan said while trying to sort out his thoughts, "[Can you hack it]?"
"[Shh]!" Sen-nu promptly shouted while lowering his head and inspecting his surroundings. The street remained isolated, but that didn't quell his fear.
"[You can't talk about stuff like that in the open]," Sen-nu whispered. "[The streets have ears]."
Khan didn't expect that extreme reaction. Seeing fear appearing on Sen-nu's face told Khan much about the Global Army's influence and overall authority. His species was strong, even in a place as distant as Milia 222.
"[Is it possible]?" Khan pressed on.
Sen-nu inspected his surroundings once again before fixing his gaze on Khan. He appeared conflicted, but a smile eventually broadened on his face.
"[Many things are possible]," Sen-nu stated. "[It mostly depends on the task, the price you are willing to pay, and the consequences you'll probably face]."
The vague answer told Khan that Sen-nu wouldn't go into details there, but it also hinted at something quite important. Hacking the network was possible, but the consequences were unavoidable.
'The Fuveall probably know how to breach the factory's security,' Khan concluded.
The conclusion still carried problems, especially when it came to the consequences of such actions. The factory probably had top-notch security measures, so an eventual breach would leave tracks, but Khan couldn't know for sure.
"[That's enough for one day]," Khan eventually stated while straightening his position. "[Can I find you here in the future]?"
"[Sen-nu basically owns this street]," Sen-nu announced. "[I never leave for more than a few hours]."
Khan nodded and instinctively stretched his right arm behind to hold Jenna's hand. She didn't refuse him, and she promptly added a line of her own. "[I also want the basic kit]."
Sen-nu was pleased to hear those words, but Nessa had a completely different reaction. Her face snapped toward Jenna, and a vague question left her mouth. "[Jenna, really]?"
"[Though I only need the fake ID]," Jenna continued, keeping her aloof face on Sen-nu and ignoring Nessa's question.
Sen-nu didn't let that conflict get in the way of his sale. He quickly took another silver card from his backpack and handed it to Jenna through a stick.
Khan paid for the item before Sen-nu could say anything, and the latter didn't complain. He only showed a broad smile when Khan said his goodbyes and left hand in hand with Jenna.
The three first-level warriors didn't waste time in pleasantries. They went after Jenna and Khan as soon as the transaction was over, and Sen-nu shouted one last "[See you soon]" before disregarding the matter altogether.
Jenna and Khan weren't trying to run away. The three Nele immediately caught up with them but waited until they reached a different empty street to address the recent events.
"[Jenna]," Nessa called while the group was moving back to the Nele district, "[Can we have a word]?"
Khan and Jenna stopped to face the three first-level warriors before moving toward the guardrails to avoid standing in the middle of the street. Nessa could speak at that point, but Khan's presence made her hesitant.
"[You shouldn't show internal conflict before other species]," Jenna scolded since Nessa kept hesitating. "[You have gotten emotive too. I worry for you]."
"[Worry for me]?!" Nessa snapped before eyeing Khan and suppressing her feelings again. "[You are walking hand in hand with a human, and you refuse to join our district. You know what can happen if the other species think we are getting careless]."
"[The other species know far too well what our touch means to us]," Jenna stated.
The statement brought up a topic that the Nele had chosen to ignore and respect ever since the couple's arrival on the dock. Jenna was wearing the spray, but she was still allowing Khan to touch her. They could only find a possible explanation for that.
"[I'm happy that you found your one]," Nessa sighed before stretching her hand toward Khan. "[I'm Nessa]."
The other two first-level warriors appeared conflicted about that gesture, but they soon stretched their arms toward Khan and voiced their names.
"[Branok]," The man said.
"[Tekka]," The woman followed.
Khan found three palms waiting for him to touch them. That probably was a Nele's tradition connected to the "ones", which had to carry a lot of value since the first-level warriors were dropping their hesitation to perform it. Yet, that only put Khan in a difficult spot.
"[Stop teasing them]," Khan almost pleaded while glancing at Jenna.
"[They had no right to treat you so coldly]," Jenna complained.
"[They had every right]," Khan replied. "[You know that]."
Jenna and Khan exchanged a long gaze, but Jenna eventually sighed. Khan was right. Her feelings had simply gotten in the way.
"[I can now understand how someone can betray their species for their one]," Jenna revealed. "[You left such a deep mark on me already]."
"[You are teasing me now]," Khan uttered.
"[But you did]," Jenna whispered while laying her head on Khan's shoulder.
Jenna had moved to a serious mood, but the three first-level warriors completely misunderstood her. They kept thinking about the "[mark]" and the intimacy before their eyes, which pointed in a specific direction.
Nessa, Branok, and Tekka didn't retrieve their hands, but they tried to avoid looking at the couple. They were too embarrassed due to the thoughts flowing through their minds.
"[I'm not her one]," Khan explained while immersing a hand in Jenna's hair. "[We just happen to be good friends]."
Khan had explained the situation to avoid misunderstandings, but the three first-level warriors showed more shock than he expected. Khan was still in the range of their pheromones, so they knew he had found his one. They also realized that he had probably lost her, which made everything worse.
"[We are quite compatible]," Jenna added while bathing in Khan's caresses. "[We just can't… you know. Still, I want to be with him]."
Generally speaking, that revelation would push Nessa to insist even more on the separation. Yet, she understood the Nele's urges, and the same went for her companions. They could relate with Jenna and accept her position.
"[Can you trust him this much]?" Nessa asked.
Jenna revealed a sad smile. She took Nessa's raised hand and slowly pulled it toward Khan's chest. Hesitation and curiosity fought inside Nessa, but the faint sorrow on Khan's face made her stop struggling against the gesture.
Nessa didn't have Jenna's talent, power, or unique skill, but she remained a Nele. Her understanding of mana went beyond many alien arts, and touching Khan would allow her to gain a vague idea of his heart.
Khan could oppose the inspection, but he trusted Jenna. She had had enough of keeping their intimacy hidden in a room. She wanted her species to acknowledge that relationship and Khan.
Nessa couldn't get any detail, but she vaguely understood Khan's intentions. Those feelings intensified whenever Jenna moved on his shoulder. Nessa could be almost sure that he would rather die than hurt her.
The discovery startled Nessa again. She couldn't understand how Khan could have such character. It honestly made no sense, but that only added value to Jenna's statement.
Nessa retracted her hand, and the two first-level warriors looked at her. They wanted to see what she would do, but she merely showed her palm again.
Khan didn't hesitate anymore. He placed his hand on Nessa's palm and stated his name. The first-level warriors could only follow their friend's example, and Khan soon exchanged traditional greetings with them too.
Nothing changed. Khan was still an outsider, but that small step reassured Jenna. She knew that her species would soon acknowledge Khan. She believed that from the bottom of her heart.
"[We know a safe place where you can stay]," Nessa quickly changed the topic once the greetings ended. "[Though it's not cheap]."
"[That's not a problem]," Khan promptly answered.
"[Follow us then]," Nessa exclaimed. "[I'll fill you in a bit too]."
Nessa explained a few basic features of the dock during the walk toward the safe place. As Khan had expected, the elevators toward Lower Level 2 weren't too hard to use. Some were even shared among the species and only needed Credits to activate.
If Khan wanted, he could go up and down the dock as long as he had money. The area applied no restrictions there, but some unwritten rules still existed.
Since everything was illegal there, each species felt entitled to attack and kill any stranger approaching the landing areas. Only authorized members of the appointed crews could stay in those specific zones.
The dock always needed more workforce, so finding a job wasn't a problem. According to Nessa, clubs and similar buildings always had recruiters, but they often hired members of the same species.
The Nele, the Bise, and the Tors were exceptions for obvious reasons. The Nele would need to be extra careful with strangers among them, while the Bise simply didn't want members of other species.
The Tors went even further. They had claimed an entire area of the dock for themselves, and they never let anyone get near it. Many felt that such secrecy was unfair, but reasoning with that species was impossible.
The dock also had different kinds of buildings. It was no different from the cities in that field. There were simply fewer of them due to most of its area being busy with workers and warehouses.
Nessa revealed how the dock couldn't have official maps since everything down there was illegal. Its inhabitant relied on their species for explanations that they had to memorize. Those teachings also changed due to the flexible nature of the area, so general meetings often happened to update everyone.
The Nele didn't officially accept Khan, so the couple couldn't rely on them to get those indications. Still, Nessa did her best to mark a few checkpoints that could help them during their mission.
The group eventually arrived in front of a building stretching above and under the streets. The structure didn't have signs or banners, but its dark metal door showed a series of pale-blue symbols with numbers among them.
"[That's the number of available rooms in every language]," Nessa explained as she took a silver card from her baggy trousers and pointed it at the door.
Nessa and her companions took a step back, and the couple imitated them. The door opened, and the first-level warriors waited for everyone inside the building to notice the purple light entering from outside before moving forward.
The building was dirty on the outside. Its smooth grey metal was mostly intact, but stains, marks, and dents filled its surface, expressing total disregard for its condition. Still, that didn't apply to its insides.
A relatively small room unfolded in Khan's vision. The hall had a soft black carpet and interactive paintings that switched contents every ten seconds. A few seats and a table stood at the area's sides, and a long desk occupied its bottom.
Everything looked clean and updated to modern standards. Even the people inside it behaved according to Milia 222's peculiar customs. The few humans, Fuveall, and Orlats at the tables sat on the chairs next to the walls. That wasn't a coincidence. They had moved at the sight of the purple light.
The desk had a thin barrier made of mana covering its edges and the areas above it. The human behind it was an old man who lazily smoked a cigarette and watched something on the large screen in his grasp.
The cigarette's smoke vanished as soon as it touched the barrier, but the event didn't release any sound. When Khan inspected the area, he realized that he couldn't hear anything happening on the other side of the desk. Even the video playing on the screen remained inaudible.
Nessa approached the desk fearlessly, so the couple followed. The barrier clearly blocked the pheromones too, but that didn't help with the awkwardness that followed. The contents of the video became impossible to miss at that distance. The old man was watching porn between a male Fuveall and a female human.
'They sure are serious about their implants,' Khan thought when he inspected the alterations that the Fuveall carried. Needless to say, they all had a sexual purpose.
The old man noticed the customers, and a frown appeared on his face when he saw Khan looking at the porn. He quickly reached for something under the desk, and his rough voice soon resounded through the small hall.
"Hey, I paid for this movie," The old man snorted. "You can't watch it at my expense."
"Sorry," Khan quickly replied while diverting his gaze. "It's my first time seeing those things."
"Ah!" The old man scoffed while shutting down his screen. "Gotta hand it to them. They know how to use their technology."
The man laughed, but his smile disappeared when he saw that Khan was holding Jenna's hand. Disbelief appeared on his face, and even his cigarette fell from his hand.
"I'll give you this whole activity if you told me how you pulled that off," The old man shouted, uncaring of the shameful contents of his statement.
"[How is this place safe]?" Khan asked Nessa.
"[He can't afford to be kicked out of the dock]," Nessa coldly explained. "[He won't dare to harm any species]."
"[Of course. Of course]," The old man said in a poor Nele's accent. "[So, how many rooms do you need]?"
"[One]," Khan answered before adding something when Jenna softly squeezed his hand. "[Bed for two]."
The old man froze for a second before clearing his throat and tinkering with keys hidden by the desk. The number "320" soon appeared on the barrier, and Khan didn't hesitate to pay it.
"[We don't give refunds and want daily payment by the end of the day]," The old man explained. "[Don't forget it, or we'll keep your stuff until the money arrives]."
The old man passed two black cards to Khan at that point. The items had two sets of numbers, one marking the floor and the other pointing at the specific room.
"[Be safe]," Nessa stressed before leaving the building with her two companions.
Khan and Jenna didn't waste time in pleasantries or conversations. They entered an elevator at the side of the desk and used it to reach the marked floor.
Finding the room wasn't an issue, and its insides were as small as Khan expected. The place only had a bed and a bathroom in different areas, but it would work. As for Jenna, she was happy as long as she could fit with Khan in the shower.
It wasn't too late, and the couple couldn't waste time. Khan's finances could keep him on the dock for half a year, but he would have to come out to get more money from Luke at that point. It was better to get to work right away.
Of course, Jenna wanted to be spoiled now that they finally had a chance to rest. She basically dragged Khan under the shower to remove the spray that she would have to apply right after, but he didn't complain. Actually, he used that chance to make a point of the situation.
"[I knew that the Bise would be hard to approach]," Khan revealed while scrubbing Jenna's back with a sponge, "[But attacking any unauthorized member… That's way too difficult to solve]."
"[There are always the buyers]," Jenna pointed out before releasing a soft moan. "[Right there]."
"[We know they are probably human]," Khan sighed while indulging Jenna. "[They must also be quite important since they can deal with the Bise. We might be able to identify them, but working with them is another issue altogether]."
"[My species will help at some point]," Jenna reassured. "[I know that. They won't be able to resist you]."
"[I only hope it doesn't get more twisted than you]," Khan joked.
"[I agree]," Jenna giggled. "[I didn't expect to become like this]."
"[It was heartwarming seeing you all pissed over me]," Khan admitted.
Jenna retreated until her back touched Khan's chest. She turned her head, and her warm breath blew on Khan's face.
"[You should take responsibility for what you make me feel]," Jenna joked through a sensual whisper.
"[I'm sure it can't get more twisted than you]," Khan stated, and Jenna exploded into a laugh.
"[Would you prefer Monica to be here with you]?" Jenna eventually teased again.
"[It wouldn't be the same with her]," Khan responded.
Jenna felt drawn by the seriousness that took control of Khan's gaze. She turned and placed her fingers on his lips to trace their edges. A beautiful smile appeared on her face before she laid her ear on his chest.
"[They can't possibly refuse you]," Jenna whispered. "[I know that far too well]."
Khan felt warm. Water fell on him from the ceiling and eased his many worries. Even in front of that impossible mission, his mind remained calm, and Jenna obviously played a big part in that.
"[You still have to do the front]," Jenna reminded without moving from Khan's chest.
"[You are impossible]," Khan chuckled.
A shower, a change of clothes, and short planning of the next move preceded Jenna and Khan's departure from the safe house. Nessa had given them enough to choose a target, and they didn't hesitate to approach it since the day had yet to end.
Jenna had to reapply her spray and even wore the usual hairclip that spread purple light. She approached a specific club while walking hand in hand with Khan, but the two didn't enter the building. Instead, they took a series of streets that brought behind it.
The area behind the club resembled a public square. Orlats, Fuveall, and humans shouted from the two long guardrails at the edges of the relatively vast spot. Those people were recruiters, and their cries described jobs and requirements.
As always, Jenna and Khan's arrival attracted a lot of attention, but the recruiters soon claimed most of it back. The couple remained silent to listen to everything they had to say, and the prospects didn't look too good.
Most recruiters wanted workers belonging to their species. Those that could ignore that issue needed people with specific qualifications. Khan was a warrior, and Jenna's arts didn't fit there, so the two struggled to find something.
In the end, Khan and Jenna had to settle for an Orlats who simply couldn't refuse two second-level warriors. The job consisted of moving boxes from one cart to another. It was purely manual and with strict rules connected to privacy, but it remained easy. That's why it only paid fifty Credits per shift.
Khan didn't really mind that issue, and Jenna only wanted to be with him, so the Orlats soon brought them and the other workers found in the square toward a nearby street. The place stood in the middle of two landing areas on a lower level, so the job only consisted in being the middlemen of the carts.
'Eight hours of this every day,' Khan found himself thinking while he waited for a cart connected to the street to arrive at his spot. 'I can't let it last for too long.'
The big cart arrived, and the magnetic railroad on the street allowed it to stop precisely at the intended spot. Khan only had to bend over to lift one of the boxes piled on it and turn to reach the other side of the road.
A cart was already waiting for Khan at the end of the path. The two items were synchronized and moved as soon as every box reached its destination.
The process went on for the entire shift without breaks. The boxes were heavy, but Khan and Jenna didn't have problems with that. The other workers didn't bother Jenna either and only focused on their tasks, so everything seemed to go perfectly.
However, Khan felt someone calling for him once the shift ended. He had already reached Jenna, but their coworkers had gathered on the other side of the street and were waving at him.
Jenna let Khan go on his own. The workers were mostly Orlats, with only one human among them. They didn't seem to be bad people, but Khan changed his mind once he heard the reason for that summoning.
"[Excuse me]?" Khan asked in the Orlats' language.
"[Mate, see this as a personal favor]," The Orlats in charge of the group announced. "[You have a bounty on your head, and a group is already on its way. I'm simply offering a way out. The Nele would do anything for their loved ones, right? Make your friend work for us, and we'll forget who you are]."
To be continued