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Renata recognizes her mistake in feeling safe in this new dome. Of course
Libera would find them, and of course she would get ahead of them. They have
a plan for this, though. This Provider guy knows everything about
Osman. Nothing gets in or out without his knowledge. At least almost
nothing. He is not aware of the meta-tunnel that brought the team here. It
doesn’t help them now, because it only goes back to the Usona dome. If they
were to use an out-of-game route, they would be able to travel to Huaxia or
Ever. The former is a non-starter as they are a clear enemy, and everyone on
the team would stand out like a sore thumb. While Ever is technically an
ally, there are some internal sociopolitical issues that make it a
complicated place to be right now. Renata would very much like to see a map
of this planet, so she can get a real frame of reference. She’s been told
that it’s three-dimensional, so parts of one country are actually up above
the sky, making that sky fake. Obviously, she shouldn’t be thinking about
this now, because her main problem is currently standing in front of her,
enjoying her reaction.
The Provider reaches out with both arms, and lays them across the Grangers’
shoulders, gently but obligatorily guiding them through the room. “It’s
important to note that I like a good catfight as much as anyone, but you’re
presently in my home. Most of my guests don’t know what it is I do, and if
they do, they don’t know the particulars. But they all know not to
ask questions. And that only works, because from the outside, I look clean.”
Someone waves at him, so he has to smile back. “Hi, how are you? Thanks for
coming. Try my signature drink.” He goes right back to being serious again.
“I don’t much care what the NSD is after, and which one of you is a genuine
officer, and which is the traitor. What I care about is my business, and my
business is mostly getting people out of Osman.” He lets go of them,
and literally shoos them away with a low sweep of his hands. “So,
please...ladies...get out.”
“That’s what we’re trying to do,” Renata argues, holding her hand out before
one of the Provider’s guards can take hold of her. “We need to get out of
the country, and we need your help. We didn’t come for the signature
cocktail.” According to Lycander, you can travel from any country to another
using in-universe travel procedures, regardless of how the domes are
situated relative to each other. And in-universe, those travel procedures
are restricted in and out of Osman. They wouldn’t have come to this dome at
all if they had had more time, but after Quidel was killed, they just needed
to select the closest option. Now they’re trying to get to Elbis, and the
Provider is the only way to do that while staying under the radar. “We can
pay.”
“Yes, that sounds quite important, and I can always use a bit more money.”
He places his index finger against his lips as if he’s considering her
request. “Um. The thing is, I don’t need this kind of heat on me.”
“What heat?” Libera questions. She’s such a talker, it’s shocking that she
managed to go this long without hearing the sound of her own voice.
“Why, haven’t you heard?” The Provider asks. He snaps his fingers twice at
one of his men, who hands him a folder. “You’ve both been burned.”
Renata takes the file, and reluctantly lets her mother look at it with her.
He’s right. A warrant is out for their extradition. The NSD thinks that
they’ve committed treason. The front page doesn’t say much about it, because
it’s what gets out to official governmental channels. The pages behind it
are internal, and the Provider probably only has them because getting his
hands on things that he’s not supposed to even know about is his job.
“They know you’re in Osman,” he reiterates what they’re reading on those
latter pages.
“This says there’s a reward for capture,” Renata points out. She might worry
about giving him ideas, but the guy is very put-together. That’s not
something he missed. He must have some reason he’s not trying to cash in.
“Usona stays out of my business, and I stay out of theirs. I’m not
interested in forming a relationship with your agency. Now you have all the
information, so go.” He shoos them away again.
The guards take hold of their arms now, and turn them around. As soon as
they do, a group of well-dressed thugs are walking up the steps. The leader
holds his arms out demonstratively. “Provi, you didn’t invite me.”
“Who are these guys?” Renata whispers to Libera.
“Mercs,” Libera whispers back. “Mostly ex-NSD agents who got screwed over,
but we believe they’re funded by the State Security Directorate.” Ugh,
Sclovo.
“It must have been an oversight,” the Provider claims. “Please, welcome.” He
doesn’t want them here, but he doesn’t want any trouble either.
“We’re just here to meet up with a few friends,” the head merc says to the
Provider before deliberately adjusting his gaze to Renata and Libera. He
points with two fingers on each hand, in the general direction of the
Provider and his security team, like a flight attendant indicating the
emergency exits.
The other mercs pull out their guns, and start firing at the guards. Chaos
ensues. The party-goers start to scream, and run in all directions, not
knowing where the danger lies. The guards who have survived so far start
shooting back. Renata and Libera duck away from the bullets, but both of
them get shot anyway. “Remember what you said to Polly!” Libera cries. “Do
that to yourself! You can’t feel pain, and all that!”
“Why do you care what happens to me?” Renata shouts back, covering her head
protectively.
“I told you, we’re not enemies! I still see you as my daughter, and I want
us to work together! Goddammit, I didn’t bring a gun.”
Two of the mercs find them amidst the mayhem and confusion, and begin to
drag them through the door, heading for the steps. They are very strong,
because they’re androids. Wait, they’re androids, and non-emergent ones at
that. Their lives don’t matter. Renata manages to reach under her dress, and
retrieve Demo’s gun. She shoots her captor in the face, and then shoots
Libera’s out of instinct. More mercs come out of the woodwork. She manages
to shoot three more of them, but runs out of bullets, so they stand up and
start to fight them off by hand.
“I can get us out of here!” Libera shouts.
“I can’t trust you!” Renata yells back.
“You wanna trust these guys?”
Renata looks around, but doesn’t see Quidel or Demo. And Lycander? Well,
Lycander is gone. She growls, and begrudgingly follows Libera out of the
parking lot, punching all the bad guys along the way.
